Utility Plant Assistant Plant Manager

DTE is one of the nation’s largest diversified energy companies. Our electric and gas companies have fueled our customer’s homes and Michigan’s progress for more than a century. And as Michigan’s largest source of renewable energy, we’re creating a cleaner, healthier environment to power our future. We’re also serving communities beyond Michigan, where our affiliated businesses offer renewable energy, emission control technologies, and energy services to industries in 19 states. But we’re more than a leading energy company... and working at DTE is more than just a job. At DTE, we take great care of each other and our customers, and we use our energy to be a force for growth and prosperity in our communities. When you join us, you’ll be part of a team that welcomes, recognizes, and celebrates differences , and values everyone’s health, safety, and wellbeing. Are you ready to make that kind of difference? Bring your energy to DTE. Together, we can achieve great things.  The pay range for this position is $113,000.00- $170,000.00 .

Job Summary

Location: Woodland, CA

The Assistant Plant Manager (APM) provides leadership to the operations and maintenance groups for the daily operation of the facility under the general direction of the Plant Manager. The APM functions as part of the site leadership team utilizing their technical expertise, discretion, and judgment within established policies, procedures, and practices. This person will be knowledgeable of all environmental and compliance permits and how they are implemented in an operating plant. 

This person will also have a demonstrated knowledge of the maintenance management function of a biomass power plant managing the planned outage activities; focused on optimization for scope, schedule, and budget.

A high degree of communication and collaboration with others is required. Proactive leadership to reinforce DTE’s core values of Safe, Caring, Dependable, and Efficient to continuously improve and develop employee culture is critical for the success of this position.

The successful candidate will be eligible for a $7,500.00 signing bonus.

Key Accountabilities

• Assists with the development of and ensures that all site safety and environmental requirements and procedures are properly implemented, consistently observed and corrective actions are initiated when applicable
• Develops, implements, and manages consistent plant operating philosophies and best practices to maximize plant availability, efficiency, and productivity
• Constantly reviews and improves operational processes and ensures that operating personnel are properly trained and adhere to established procedures and standards
• Manages the supervisors and fuel buyer to ensure safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the plant while actively managing schedules to minimize overtime and comply with administrative guidelines
• Establishes and modifies as required all maintenance requirements programmed into the maintenance management system in alignment with maintenance strategy
• Supports the fuel buyer to ensure storage and mixing of biomass fuel, maintenance of positive fuel supplier relationships through efficient disposition and overall quality control of fuel supply through fuel yard QA/QC procedures
• Investigates operating abnormalities and incidents to improve equipment availability and performance and to minimize maintenance requirements
• Prepares necessary plant operation reports in a timely manner and investigates all forced outages
• Collaborates with Plant Manager to prepare and evaluate the operating department’s budgets and makes recommendations relative to optimization of operations and maintenance costs
• Leads project management of all planned outage activities, including long term planning for capital improvements
• All other duties assigned

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent and knowledge and capabilities typically acquired through at least 5 years supervisory or managerial experience in a solid fuel fired power plant, or
• Associate degree or industry-recognized certificate (i.e., the completion of a core group of course designated by the institution) in a related discipline is preferred and knowledge and capabilities typically acquired through at least 3 years supervisory or managerial experience in a solid fuel fired power plant, or 2 years of military experience at an officer level, or
• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with a minimum of 2 year supervisory or managerial experience in a solid fuel fired power plant

Other Qualifications

Preferred:

• Biomass power-plant related experience
• Technical degree

Other Requirements:

• Thorough, demonstrated understanding of plant operations and maintenance, with strong knowledge of generating equipment, biomass fired boilers, and water treatment processes
• Ability to analyze and improve operations business processes, utilizing information about market dynamics and competitors' processes and achievements
• Proven planning and scheduling experience working with warehouse, O&M, and other technical personnel involved with preventative/predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance
• Solid knowledge of plant engineering and plant maintenance functions and how they relate to operations and income
• Experience with accounting practices as it relates to analyzing cost impacts to budget
• Demonstrated skill in planning, coordinating, and directing varied programs and tasks directly effecting the overall plant operation
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work shifts and extra/irregular hours and to work under unusual and special conditions that can arise in a biomass generation station
• Ability to pass respirator fit tests to use respiratory protective equipment or self-contained breathing apparatus at all times

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

The physical demands characterized here epitomize those that must be met by an employee to properly perform the integral functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. In order to properly perform the integral functions of this job, the employee is required to:

• Occasionally stand or walk and stoop or kneel. Frequently, the employee is required to sit 
• Talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use wrists, hands and/or fingers in a repetitive motion; and reach with hands and arms extensively
• Frequently lift objects of up to 25 pounds in weight 
• Occasionally lift objects of up to 10 pounds in weight
• Occasionally push or pull up to 70 pounds in weight
• Must be able to enter and work in confined space areas, including boilers, condensers, tanks, etc. to evaluate equipment condition or inspect work efforts by assigned resources
• Use computers with exposure to video display terminals; and some repetitive motion associated with data entry, the use of a computer mouse, and while using other office equipment
• Vision requirements for this position include close vision, color vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus

While performing the duties of this job, the employee works both in a business office setting and out in plant. In the course of working at the plant site, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions, including wet and/or humid conditions, extreme heat, and may work near moving mechanical parts and/or machinery. The employee is occasionally exposed fumes or airborne particles and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate in the office but may become loud at the plant site.

Additional Information

Incumbents may engage in all or some combination of the activities and accountabilities, and utilize a variety of the competencies cited in this description depending upon the organization and role to which they are assigned. This description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by incumbents in this job. It is not intended as an all-inclusive list of accountabilities or responsibilities, nor is it intended to limit the rights of supervisors or management representatives to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.

At DTE Energy, we are committed to providing an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and a sense of belonging. We seek individuals with a heart for service, a passion to help our communities prosper, and ideas to help shape the future of energy. We are proud to be an equal opportunity, employer that considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, citizenship, height, weight, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal and/or state laws.