Manufacturing Plant President and CEO - Greenfield, United States - Northeast Biodiesel, LLC

Description

President and CEO Job Description


Reports To:
Northeast Biodiesel Company LLC Board of Directors


FLSA Status:
Exempt


SUMMARY

Directs and coordinates activities of biodiesel production facility to obtain optimum efficiency, profitability, and community benefit by performing the following duties.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Plans, develops and implements organization policies and goals within policies established by the Board of Directors.

Hires, trains, and supervises employees.

Hires at least 30% of staff from limited resource communities and communities of color and partners with Co-op Power to invest in proactive green job training to ensure new hires are successful.

Creates a strong sense of comradery and mutual support amongst employees. Pays staff a living wage with good benefits. Focuses on worker safety as the highest priority. Works with the NEB Worker Co-op Board to facilitate employee transitions to worker owner.

Coordinates operating, manufacturing, engineering, planning, purchasing, sales, maintenance, research and development, to effect operational efficiency and economy. Purchases plant inputs. Oversees biodiesel production. Ensures quality production. Sells plant outputs at a profit. Performs preventive and corrective maintenance of biodiesel processing equipment.

Observes biodiesel production processes and makes modifications or changes to ensure safety and efficiency. Develops testing processing systems to ensure product quality. Applies principles of chemical engineering to produce high quality biodiesel.

Confers with technical personnel and reviews activity, operating, and quality control reports to determine changes in programs or operations required.

Oversees and directs treasury, budgeting, audit, tax, accounting, purchasing, real estate, long range forecasting, and insurance activities for the plant.

Ensures adequate accounting controls are in place. Appraises the organization's financial position and issues periodic reports on organization's financial stability, liquidity, and growth. Analyzes operational issues impacting the plant and determines their financial impact.

Promotes collaboration and cooperation with other biodiesel plants, cooperatives, and businesses in our community where possible for mutual benefit. Works with Co-op Power to create a strong retail biodiesel market and a local restaurant oil collection network. Builds relationships in the community, in the region, and in the industry, regionally and nationally.


SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
Hires, trains, and supervises (approx 15) plant employees.


BENEFITS
Health, dental and vision insurance, and 401K/retirement plan with Employer match will be available once Northeast Biodiesel is profitable. Paid time off and sick days are available on an accrual basis.


QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to manage biodiesel production.

Ability to create and enforce safety policies and protocols to ensure all plant activities meet high safety standards.

Ability to direct and implement daily and scheduled maintenance activities to least interfere with the production and shipping schedules required to meet or exceed the planned production schedule.

Ability to understand the operating demands of refining and schedule maintenance and cleaning activities that will be least disruptive to production and shipping schedules.

Ability to develop scheduled maintenance and cleaning operations to meet guidelines set by Northeast Biodiesel or Regulatory Agency.

Ability to comply with regulatory requirements.

Ability to maintain quality production.

Ability to order product, at least delivered cost.

Ability to develop a production schedule, identify needs for feedstock and timing to allow the plant to run efficiently.

Ability to develop a vendor log and identify the least cost option.

Ability to understand the cost and quality difference and make decisions; based on all factors.

Ability to understand and manage inventories of feed stock, catalyst, glycerol and refined product at a level that allows the plant to refine product 24/7.

Ability to understand the diversity of refining, need and use of feedstock, plus catalyst, less glycerol equaling finished product, all within the confines of the current storage capabilities.

Ability to read market demands for all products and make decisions on purchase and sale pricing, in an opportune market environment.

Ability to adjust production schedule and storage to meet opportunity.

Ability to buy and sell biodiesel processed at the facility and purchased from other facilities.

Ability to sell glycerol processed at the facility.

Ability to oversee successful biodiesel sales staff, defining product(s) to sell, distribution, pricing, quality control, and sales targets.

Ability to develop, read and understand contracts for purchase or sale of products used in refining, or as finished product.

Ability to manage the plants safety training, monitoring and reporting of incidence to appropriate authority.

Ability to provide safe environment for employees, volunteers and visitors.

Ability to recognize unsafe condition or practice and to discuss and develop new practice and procedure and commit to writing.

Ability to recognize and address unsafe condition that may require potential hazard for employees and visitors and to involve other professionals to mitigate unsafe conditions.

Ability to be on site whenever there are emergency conditions, to aid emergency response, waste clean up, and damage to assets.

Ability to take responsibility and ensure timely reporting of incidents to board, staff and regulatory authority.

Ability to manage Northeast Biodiesel Company LLC's Finance and Administration activities.

Ability to manage employees and volunteers.

Ability to manage a group of employees and volunteers from diverse backgrounds and establish an inclusive, respectful, collaborative, creative workplace culture.

Ability to recruit, hire and supervise employees and terminate as needed.

Understanding of Human Resource Policy and procedures and legal requirements.

Ability to lead a staff of managers, volunteers, and employees in a democratic workplace with a willingness to facilitate democratic decision making with other worker owners and participate in democratic decision-making in joint meetings of the Boards.

Ability to train, encourage, coach, and direct employees and volunteers to successfully carry out all aspects of their job functions.

Ability to plan and project payroll needs based on manufacturing schedule and develop a scheduling process with employees that fulfills the manufacturing schedule.

Ability to measure productivity of employees and develop and implement professional development plans.

Ability to manage Northeast Biodiesel Company LLC's finances and provide support for the NEB Worker Co-op's finances.

Financial management experience

Ability to establish strong working relationships with the Bookkeeper, CFO, and CPA and maintain ongoing communication.

Ability to work with the Boards to establish production goals and financial projections with support from the CFO.

Ability to read and understand Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, AR and AP Statements and to make appropriate changes to operating plans to meet the projections.

Ability to review accounts receivable and accounts payable registers to understand where cash is coming and going.

Ability to ensure there's enough cash to pay for payroll and benefits, operating expenses, and debt service each month.

Ability to project cash needs at least two months in advance.

Ability to manage operations to meet income and expense targets to maintain profitability and meet debt service requirements and to bring proposals to the board in advance when targets need to be adjusted to address changes in current conditions.

Ability to determine purchase price and quality parameters for production inputs.

Ability to analyze the cost of inputs, the cost of operations, transportation costs, the cost for monetizing the RINs and Blender's Credits, and market pricing to determine biodiesel and glycerol product pricing.

Ability to report to the Board on current results and develop plans to address shortfalls.

Ability to secure agreements and monetize incentives including the Blenders' Tax Credit (or Production Tax Credit) and RINS (Renewable Identification Numbers).

Ability to manage relationships with Lenders and bring on new debt as needed.

Ability to establish relationships with current lenders and investors and maintain ongoing communication about the status of the plant and the status of their investments.

Ability to stay in compliance with loan covenants and preferred share agreements.

Ability to recruit lenders and investors and negotiate working capital and equipment loans as needed.

Ability to ensure Northeast Biodiesel has sufficient insurance coverage to protect our assets and protect workers, volunteers and board members.

Ability to establish and maintain relationships with Northeast Biodiesel's insurance brokers, stay in compliance with policy requirements, and notify brokers when conditions change.

Ability to establish strong relations with Northeast Biodiesel and the Worker Co-op's legal team and to consult with them whenever legal questions arise related to contract law, securities law, and cooperative law.

Ability to understand the strategic planning process and develop and implement strategic plans.

Prior experience leading strategic planning process.

Understanding of how strategic planning affects plant development initiatives.

Ability to generate future capital requirements and act accordingly to provide necessary documents and plan timeline.

Ability to participate in industry specific organizations and meetings to stay current on trends, technology and innovation.

EDUCATION and/or


EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED:
Engineering and/or Business degree and three years manufacturing management experience including full profit and loss responsibility for over $5 million in annual sales OR ten years manufacturing management experience with full profit and loss responsibility for over $5 million in annual sales


PREFERRED:

Chemical Engineering degree; MBA; startup or turn around experience; marketing and sales experience; experience with biodiesel production technology or chemical processing; familiarity with carbon pollution mitigation and renewable energy; and/or participatory management experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS
Strong written and oral English skills required; public speaking skills required


MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
Strong mathematical reasoning skills required


COMPUTER SKILLS
Word, Excel, Powerpoint, internet browser and email skills required


PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position requires a person to inspect manufacturing equipment; climb a ladder; stoop; and carry 50 pounds for 20 feet.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work environment is a manufacturing facility. Staff will get greasy and dirty. There are hazardous materials, dust, noise and foul odors in the plant from time to time.


Job Type:
Full-time


Pay:
$75, $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Flexible schedule

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Vision insurance


Schedule:
Choose your own hours

Monday to Friday

On call


Supplemental pay types:
Bonus opportunities

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Application Question(s):

Are you willing to share responsibility and authority in decision making with other worker owners?

Are you willing to learn about and implement cooperative business structures, finances, regulations, and decision-making processes?

Are you able to use word processing, spreadsheets, internet searches, and email?

Have you ever been part of a business start-up?

Are you able to inspect manufacturing equipment, climb a ladder, stoop, be on your feet for at least 50% of your shift, carry 50 pounds for 20 feet, and be in a manufacturing environment with noise, dust and smells?

Are you able to diagnose issues in a chemical manufacturing processor?

Are you able to train staff to repair pumps and motors, repair tanks and pipes , and replace parts in the processor and balance of plant?

Are you committed to workplace safety (ensuring staff wear personal protective equipment when required, follow safety protocols, maintain the facility without slip and fall hazards, and contribute to improving our safety protocols)?

Are you able to be on-call to support production teams if needed for 24/7 shifts and train them so that little support is required off regular business hours?


Education:
Master's (Required)


Experience:
Manufacturing Plant Management: 5 years (Required)


Language:
English (Required)


Work Location:
In person

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