Oil Refinery Operations Manager

  • GFL Environment
  • Columbus, Ohio
  • Full Time
The principal purpose of the Refinery Operations Manager is to lead the successful day-to-day operation of the Refinery consisting of a Distillation and Hydro treating unit as well as oil movements in and out of the Refinery. This position will also oversee the successful development, implementation, and maintenance of the organizational training program for Operations personnel. The Operations Manager position will function as a member of the Refinery Management team and will report to the Refinery Plant Manager. This person will work as a Salaried M-F position. The Refinery process is a 24/7 operation, so hours on occasion could require nights, weekends, and/or holidays as the production schedule dictates.

Health, Safety, and Environmental

  • The Operations Manager will be responsible for ensuring the Refinery Operations team adheres to all unit Health, Safety, and Environmental policies and procedures as outlined by the Company and Regulating Authorities
  • The Operations Manager will demonstrate superior knowledge of all pertinent HSE compliance regulations, ensure that HSE monitoring of the Refinery is within compliance as set forth by the Company and Regulating authorities, and verify that proper reporting of any HSE deviations is communicated upwards through the Plant Manager and other appropriate Management Personnel in a timely fashion
  • The Operations Manager will lead, assist, and/or participate in various safety activities such as incident investigations, safety equipment audits, Process Safety Audits, Process Hazard Analysis Audits, Management of Change Process, Corporate Compliance Auditing, and the development of various safety documents such as Lockout Tag-out procedures
  • The Operations Manager will serve as an active member of various Safety Teams such as the Refinery Process Safety Committee and the Company Safety Team assisting with decisions and activities affecting Company and Refinery performance, best practices, and well-being
  • The Operations Manager, in conjunction with the EHS Manager, will be responsible for ensuring that all Air Permit recordkeeping requirements are maintained in an accurate and auditable fashion

Operations

  • The Operations Manager will supervise the day-to-day operation of the Refinery Process by ensuring daily production goals are met in a safe and effective manner, communicating the Daily Instructions to the Operations Supervisor as outlined by the Plant Manager, reviewing Shift Reports and Data Sheets for accuracy and any parameters that are out of defined ranges, leading troubleshooting activities of any malfunctioning equipment or processes, tracking plant run rates and yields and coordinating proper adjustments in order to optimize the Refinery Process, ensuring proper implementation and execution of MOCs, developing SOPs, SOCs, and emergency procedures, and facilitating the Daily Operations Meeting
  • The Operations Manager will ensure that all work is being done in adherence with company safety polices and Standard Operating Procedures, provide leadership to team members in order to comply with the Refinery Production Plan, perform annual reviews of team members, incorporate performance improvement plans for team, improve the organizational capability of the team by effectively providing routine feedback to team members concerning performance, and consistently communicating individual and company objectives to team members
  • The Operations Manager will stay up to date on Control Board and Outside Operator job requirements and work either position as needed
  • The Operations Manager will lead the Refinery Reliability improvement process by tracking plant Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and other KPIs, investigating and properly reporting all equipment losses or downtimes, providing leadership and timely response to unit process and reliability emergency situations, conduct and/or assist with Root Cause Failure Analysis activities, and provide an instrumental voice in procedural or process modifications and implementation to improve equipment or process reliability
  • The Operations Manager will drive the proper communication process by effectively collaborating with other key functional groups to ensure that unit optimization is properly balanced with reliability, operability, and safety of the process unit, keeping key functional department heads informed of reliability/equipment developments and priorities, and will work closely with key department heads to ensure best practices are being implemented

Product Quality

  • The Operations Manager will actively analyze process schedules, operating logs, test results of oil samples, and laboratory recommendations to determine changes in equipment controls required to produce quality product which meets outlined Company and Customer specifications
  • The Operations Manager will be responsible for leading the resolution of any issues with product quality including investigation of customer complaints, directing new operating parameters as needed, ensuring that intermediate
  • and product analysis fall in standard operating ranges and helping to lead investigations of out-of-specification product issues
  • The Operations Manager will work closely with Lab Personnel to determine the necessary intermediate, by product, and product sample schedules for appropriate QA/QC testing. Also, the Operations Manager will provide leadership in making appropriate changes to process controls in order to correct any product issues brought to light from laboratory analysis

Training

  • The Operations Manager will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining an effective Operations training curriculum, working with subject matter experts and stakeholders to define training outcomes and curriculum components, leading efforts to define annual training plans based on needs analysis, identifying potential gaps in current curriculum and creating a plan to close gaps, developing a training needs matrix for each position on the Operations Team, and setting training intervals for each position and qualification (initial/refresher)
  • The Operations Manager will develop performance indicators and conduct regular reviews to assess impact and effectiveness of training programs, determine the appropriate delivery and deployment of required training activities, establish approval requirements for each training exercise, ensure proper training documentation is up-to-date for all Operations personnel, review training status of Operation team members on regular intervals, and will collaborate with Human Resources to properly administer talent management initiatives
  • The Operations Manager will be responsible for leading the on-boarding and progression training of new Operations personnel, ensuring team members have completed required module progression training by the assigned due date, will coordinate field, OJT, and classroom training events for personnel, ensure team members are up to date with any up skill training required when new procedures or policies are implemented, and develop
  • personal improvement plans for individual team members with identified technical skill deficiencies
  • The Operations Manager will maintain the training program by ensuring the designed curriculum content is current and relevant in such a manner that material is compliant with regulatory requirements, company policies, and industry standards; and ensure all required documentation is retained in an auditable fashion

Maintenance

  • The Operations Manager, playing a key role in driving the Refinery Reliability Improvement Process, will have the authority to change the maintenance schedule in order to meet immediate HSE or Production needs, and will have vital input when dictating the maintenance workload by prioritizing open work orders and communicating Operational prioritization to the Engineering / Maintenance Team

Projects/ Shutdowns/Turnarounds

  • The Operations Manager will provide key leadership in planning maintenance work to take place during planned Refinery Shutdowns, will heavily contribute in developing and implementing the operational execution plan to take place during Unit Shutdowns, will ensure the Refinery Shut down Plan is safely executed as planned and stays within the time constraints of the Unit Shut down timeline, and will be responsible for providing guidance and leadership of safe and effective Refinery Startups after planned Shutdowns
  • The Operations Manager will assist with coordination of Maintenance and Capital projects by providing operational review and evaluation of installed assets, and will closely observe and monitor projects for safety and operability throughout the design and construction phases of the project
  • The Operations Manager will champion the TAR review process including capturing lessons learned and implementing appropriate corrective actions

Requirements

  • 5-7 years relevant Refinery industry (or equivalent) experience in a senior operations management role
  • Negotiation/Mediation skills to resolve both internal and external issues
  • Flexibility to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and follow each to completion
  • Strong communication skills, both oral and written with the capability of positive interface with various internal departments and external customers/vendors
  • Leadership skills that will provide strong direction for the Organization
  • Ability to manage a team including supervising, coordinating, and training in a Refinery Environment
  • Theory and operation of various types of pumps, including centrifugal and positive displacement
  • Small boiler operation
  • Different types of valves and applications
  • Various types of lubricating systems
  • Hydro treating and/or vacuum distillation processes
  • Basic Hydrocarbon chemistry and how it relates to hydro treating and vacuum distillation
  • Different types of process variables including pressure, temperature, flow, and level
  • Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to interact and work successfully in a team-oriented environment.

#GFLTalent

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

GFL is committed to equal opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic. If you are interested in applying for employment and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply for a posted position, please contact myworkdayrecruitment@gflenv.com

Job ID: 485206974
Originally Posted on: 7/14/2025

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