Plant Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Plant Manager — Confidential (Ethanol Production)
Liberal, KS area · Relocation assistance provided

Salary: $200,000- commensurate with experience

About the Role

A well-established ethanol production facility (110 million gallons/year) in southwest Kansas is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead daily operations. This is a lean, hands-on leadership role — you'll oversee a team of roughly 50 employees through four direct reports (Production, Maintenance, Grain/Rail, and Lab Managers). The plant itself runs well; what we need is a leader who can unify the functional team, build a strong front-line leadership bench, and drive a high-performing safety culture.

What You'll Do

• Plan, organize, and manage daily plant operations to meet production and quality targets
• Monitor equipment and process performance to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and optimize yield
• Champion a strong safety culture; lead safety meetings and ensure compliance with environmental regulations and permits
• Coach and develop plant supervisors and shift leads — communication, accountability, conflict resolution, and team leadership
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct evaluations, and provide ongoing feedback
• Partner with Maintenance leadership on preventive/corrective maintenance planning
• Serve as the operational link between corporate leadership and the plant, communicating clearly across all shifts
• Manage plant budget including staffing, overtime, supplies, and maintenance costs
• Build understanding of plant carbon intensity scoring and pathway management, coordinating with the commercial team on related initiatives

What You Bring

• 10+ years of industrial or plant operations experience, including supervisory responsibility
• Prior experience running an ethanol production plant strongly preferred
• Strong working knowledge of production systems, maintenance operations, and safety requirements
• A track record of building effective teams, ideally at a lean-staffed site (i.e., comfortable without a large middle-management layer)
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and decision-making skills
• Willingness to relocate to southwest Kansas
• Valid driver's license; ability to travel to other company locations as needed
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, Agriculture, or a related field preferred (not required)
• Experience in chemical processing, grain handling, milling, or biodiesel is a plus

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary ($200K, commensurate with experience) — at the top of the industry range
• 20–30% annual target bonus
• Relocation assistance provided
• Full benefits package (health, retirement, PTO)

This employer is an equal opportunity employer.