Process Operations Manager

Job Title:
Process Operations Manager (Liquids Recovery & Process Development)

Reports to:
Site Manager

Job Type: Permanent, Full
- Time, Exempt

NES Fircroft is a leading global technical recruitment company providing professional contract and permanent staff to a diverse worldwide client base across the energy, industrial, and process manufacturing sectors. Our client, an innovative industrial processing and resource recovery company, has a permanent opportunity for a Process Operations Manager – Liquids Recovery & Process Development based in San Bernardino, California.

The Process Operations Manager will oversee daily liquids recovery operations, plant reliability, and process optimization for future technologies, supporting the liquids recovery facility in San Bernardino. This position will lead plant-floor execution, supervise operations personnel, coordinate maintenance activities, and support future process development initiatives tied to industrial liquids management and recovery technologies.

This is a highly visible onsite leadership role with direct operational accountability across safety, throughput, uptime, and process performance, while also supporting early-stage evaluation of future technologies including, but not limited to, anaerobic digestion, membrane separation, biomethane production, and related recovery systems.

• Lead daily operation of the ethanol recovery and liquids processing systems
• Supervise and support hourly process operators
• Drive safe, reliable, and efficient plant performance across operations
• Monitor and improve throughput, recovery efficiency, uptime, product quality, and operating cost
• Troubleshoot process and equipment issues in real time
• Coordinate maintenance priorities and support site equipment reliability initiatives
• Establish and manage preventative maintenance schedules
• Maintain SOP compliance, operating discipline, and process documentation standards
• Partner with site leadership while independently managing the process operations area
• Coordinate environmental compliance activities alongside onsite EH&S leadership
• Identify opportunities for operational optimization and continuous improvement
• Support evaluation of future liquids-management technologies and recovery processes
• Provide operational assumptions and technical input for feasibility studies and pro forma analysis
• Interface with third-party vendors, engineering firms, and technical service providers as required

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related process engineering discipline is preferred; experience considered in lieu of a degree
• 5+ years supervising operations and engineering in an industrial environment/ plant
• 10+ years with hands‑on process troubleshooting and operational problem‑solving experience on site at a 24‑7 operating/ industrial facility (i.e. maintenance & reliability with boilers, cooling towers, distillation systems, heat exchangers, compressors, pumps, etc.)
• Technical background/ foundation with the ability to evaluate new process systems or operational expansion
• Experience coordinating maintenance activities and supporting daily plant reliability
• Experience supporting continuous improvement initiatives and plant optimization efforts
• Strong understanding of plant safety, process discipline, and operational procedures
• Ability to operate independently with strong ownership and accountability
• Comfortable working in a hands‑on industrial plant environment with regular floor presence

• 7+ years experience working within ethanol recovery, solvent recovery, distillation, industrial wastewater, specialty chemicals, fuels, or related process operations
• Exposure to anaerobic digestion, wastewater treatment, fermentation, organics processing, biogas, RNG, or industrial liquids treatment systems
• Experience working with outside engineering firms, vendors, and third‑party technical providers
• Background supporting smaller or mid‑sized industrial facilities with cross‑functional operational responsibilities
• Working knowledge of maintenance and reliability programs
• Certifications:
  
  Six Sigma, DACOM…