Plant Manager

Saddle Butte West Power Plant Manager

Saddle Butte West is a natural gas-fired reciprocating engine power plant under development near Kirtland, New Mexico, in San Juan County. The facility will be constructed in three phases, with commercial operation targeted for December 2026, late 2027, and mid-2028, increasing generating capacity to approximately 60 MW. Upon completion, the plant will include sixteen Jenbacher J620 and J624 engine-generator units, providing reliable, flexible generation to enhance regional grid reliability.

The Plant Manager for Saddle Butte West will lead commissioning and oversee operations, maintenance, safety, environmental compliance, and administrative programs for this greenfield, natural gas-fired reciprocating engine power plant. The Plant Manager will build the operations organization and ensure operational readiness through the project's three-phase transition to commercial operation.

As the primary interface with the Owner, NAES, the prime contractor, OEMs, local utility and regulatory agencies, the Plant Manager will oversee operational contracts, budgets, regulatory compliance, and plant performance while fostering a strong safety culture and protecting the interests and reputation of both the Owner and NAES.

Your scope of responsibility as Plant Manager during the Commissioning Phase includes the following functions:

• Recruit, onboard, and develop the initial operations and maintenance organization while implementing qualification, certification, and training programs to support safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations.
• Lead operational readiness by implementing plant procedures, maintenance and environmental programs, CMMS, spare parts inventory, and administrative systems to support the transition from EPC to commercial operations.
• Champion a safety-first culture by proactively identifying and mitigating hazards while ensuring compliance with NAES safety policies, OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, and industry best practices throughout commissioning and startup.
• Coordinate commissioning, startup, testing, and turnover activities with the EPC contractor, OEM representatives, contractors, vendors, and internal stakeholders to ensure each project phase achieves safe, efficient, and compliant commercial operation.
• Provide technical and operational leadership during commissioning by resolving startup challenges, supporting system troubleshooting, mitigating project risks, and ensuring operational readiness for commercial operation.
• Manage commissioning resources and project performance, including startup budgets, vendor contracts, contractor support, resource allocation, and schedule execution to achieve project objectives safely and efficiently.
• Monitor and communicate commissioning progress by preparing reports on startup milestones, operational readiness, performance metrics, and project status for the Owner, NAES leadership, and other key stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the Owner, NAES, the EPC contractor, OEM representatives, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders, fostering effective communication and collaboration throughout commissioning and startup.

Your scope of responsibility as Plant Manager during Commercial Operations includes the following primary functions:

• Manage plant operations to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient production of electricity while meeting contractual obligations, operational objectives, and performance targets.
• Administer commercial agreements and vendor contracts while leading budgeting, procurement, and cost management activities to achieve operational and financial objectives.
• Provide leadership and direction to all plant personnel by establishing performance expectations, maintaining effective policies and procedures, fostering employee engagement, and maintaining a visible on-site leadership presence.
• Develop and maintain workforce capability by implementing employee training, qualification, succession planning, and professional development programs that promote operational excellence and long-term organizational success.
• Champion a safety-first culture by promoting hazard recognition, personal accountability, and compliance with NAES safety policies, OSHA regulations, and industry best practices.
• Ensure environmental and regulatory compliance by maintaining all environmental permits, air quality requirements, operating permits, and applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements while serving as the primary regulatory liaison.
• Manage plant programs including Safety, Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Environmental, Training, Quality Assurance/Quality Control, and Administrative functions to maximize plant availability, reliability, and overall performance.
• Lead outage planning and execution by directing scheduled and forced outages, coordinating contractors and vendors, managing procurement activities, and conducting post-outage performance evaluations to improve reliability and…