Director of Engineering
Position / Capacity
4
Qualifications
The Company seeks to recruit an executive to lead the Company’s technical and engineering oversight of two large-scale facilities that are under construction and several that are under development in the Midwest. This position will report to the Executive Vice President and COO.<p>
Role and Responsibilities<p>
Day-to-day activities will include overseeing the process design and detailed engineering for the construction of the first two plants (a $280 million capital program), while also supporting the development team in identifying new business (project) opportunities, forming key partnerships, and negotiating key contracts.
The overall charter for this role as a key member of the construction management team will be to provide leadership and direction of the process technology, engineering, and operational management. This will eventually include benchmarking the Company’s technical capabilities, specifically operational costs, against other ethanol producers. The ultimate objective is to support the Company’s plants remaining state-of the art, low-cost producers. This may be via new product and technology development or operational best practices. To accomplish this, a successful candidate will be able to effectively work with the project and plant managers in different site locations to ensure processes, systems and tools are consistent across the organization.
Consistent with the charter for this role, the successful candidate will provide technical support for additional plant development and will be a supporting team member for the New Plant Development or Acquisition team(s). This may be work completed in direct support of plant development but will more likely result in assisting the procurement and oversight of consultants and engineers as contracted parties. Travel is required.<p>
Qualifications<p>
The right 'fit' will be a strong technical expert with outstanding communication and interpersonal skills who engenders trust and confidence in customers, partners and team members. The successful candidate will take ownership for bringing the Company’s plants on line within project schedules and budgets and will manage the technology and engineering function within the context of overall Company objectives. Additionally, the successful candidate must be able to maintain effective working relationships while holding team members and managers accountable for achieving results. The candidate should have a degree from a top undergraduate institution (graduate work preferred) with an outstanding academic record.
<p>
As a key member of the construction management team, the Director of Engineering will be seen as a strong technical resource that understands the products, the manufacturing process, and relevant technologies that will achieve the Company's business objectives. We are seeking a proven leader and manager with a track record of successful oversight of large energy projects.<p>
1. Ten (10) years of management experience with at least five (5) years at the Director level.<p>
2. Experience in heavy industry, refining, chemical or ag-processing a plus. Must have energy industry and large capital project experience.<p>
3. Experience in directing large, multi-disciplinary, multi-site teams in areas of technology planning, project planning, design reviews, and interfacing with senior management to get facilities and products to market on-time and on-budget.<p>
4. Experience managing new technology or process improvements, from inception through development and the transition to commercial success.<p>
5. Ability to establish and improve processes, coach and mentor managers and individual contributors.<p>
6. Able to build a strong team and to motivate individuals and groups to achieve Company goals.<p>
7. Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical or similar Engineering discipline is required. <p>
8. Masters degree in Business Administration or a related technical field is desired. Experience in the ethanol industry would be a plus.<p>
Compensation <p>
The Company offers an attractive base salary; health, life, dental and vision insurance; annual performance bonus and potential for long-term equity incentives and a 401K plan. As such, the Company seeks employees with an entrepreneurial spirit, superior verbal and written skills and with very strong analytic aptitude. To earn a competitive compensation, employees will also have an enthusiastic personality, be highly motivated and able to demonstrate sound judgment and a high degree of personal integrity and initiative in an unstructured environment. We are an equal opportunity employer.
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