Plant Technical Manager

Job

Ash Grove family of companies is one of North America’s leading cement manufacturers, with a legacy of innovation and excellence dating back to 1882. The company operates 12 world-class cement plants and a vast network of 41 terminals across the United States and Canada. Renowned for its forward-thinking approach, Ash Grove combines technical expertise, robust safety standards, and empowered talent to deliver high performance and better serve our customers.

At Ash Grove, we stand together to reinvent the way our world is built.

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Disability Pay
• Life Insurance
• Growth Opportunities and more!

The Plant Technical Manager leads all process technical operations of the cement manufacturing process. This role has direct responsibility for the following disciplines at the cement plant: mining, process, automation engineering and IS/IT/OT engineering, quality control and capital projects management. The role directs a team to optimize the cement manufacturing process through maximizing plant efficiency, achieving production and process targets, reducing manufacturing costs, and maintaining cementitious product quality, while ensuring compliance with environmental, health, and safety regulations.

• Promote and follow all plant safety guidelines.
• Provide leadership to improve the efficiency and profitability of a cement manufacturing facility by maximizing resource utilization and minimizing waste, while also reducing environmental impact.
• Manage Technical Department team through analysis of the plant’s operational key performance indicators and recommend solutions to maximize plant performance and implement cost-effective solutions.
• Collaborate with other departments/functions such as production and maintenance management, technical services, sales, and engineering to achieve plant goals, KPIs and long-term strategic plans.
• Lead in the creation and delivery of training programs and materials on all aspects of the cement manufacturing process, including SOPs, work practices, presentations, safety protocols, quality control measures, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage the development of Technical Department engineering CDPs and interns.
• Perform performance testing and measurements on production equipment.
• Support, implement and contribute to Group Best Practices.
• Ensure that raw materials, processes, and finished products adhere to standards, specifications and customer requirements, and manage quality control procedures and testing.
• Provide leadership for mine planning, ensuring profitability and sustainability while maximizing the life of the plant’s reserves at the lowest possible cost and environmental impact.
• Direct the Technical Department team to prepare and distribute technical reports, budgets, and performance forecasts.
• Direct the Capital Projects Manager to draft and manage the plant’s Five-Year Capital Plan, ensuring all projects are approved, implemented and closed upon completion.
• Ensure the Technical Department provides plant technical support for the purchase of plant equipment where appropriate.
• Manage Automation Engineers maintaining existing systems and performance and specifying, installing, and programming new process control systems as required.
• Support the Automation Engineer to implement plant systems consisting of artificial intelligence, advanced process control, automation systems, analytical systems, and digitalization initiatives.
• Direct the IS/IT/OT Engineer to maintain robust cyber security systems to guard plant operations against malicious cyber-attacks and ensure continuity of operations.
• Support the plant’s IS/IT/OT Engineer to maintain the plant’s hardware/software systems, present relevant data for diagnosis of plant systems and reporting of plant activities.
• Continuously analyse performance, identify opportunities, and make incremental changes to processes, products, and personnel; constantly seek ways to improve and refine methods, aiming for better results.
• Champion CRH/AGC initiatives such as…