Director Plant Operations - Gratiot Wind

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship, e.g., H-1B, TN, etc. Please do not apply if you need immigration sponsorship for a work visa now or in the future, including sponsorship for H-1B, TN, etc., now or in the future. We are unable to hire individuals with CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT for this position as the position is not eligible for participation in the H-1B lottery program and is not eligible for current or future immigration sponsorship for a work visa.

Location

This is a hybrid (virtual/onsite) position with required onsite days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and may be assigned to any Consumers Energy Service Center located throughout Michigan's lower Peninsula.  The selected candidate must be within a commutable distance or willing to relocate (relocation package is available for those that qualify).

General Summary Of Job Responsibilities

The Director of Plant Operations is responsible for leading and overseeing all Operations and Maintenance activities at the facility, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, administering policies, and achieving financial objectives. This role ensures that the plant operates in accordance with all relevant safety, environmental, and power generation regulations.

This Director of Plant Operations is responsible for all operations, maintenance, and engineering activities of all wind parks owned by Consumers Energy.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

- Integration of new wind park development into the existing wind operations and maintenance portfolio and for the full profit and loss (capital, O&M, market value) of the wind generation portfolio.

- Oversee budgets for associated plant departments by tracking and controlling costs, as well as managing project-related plant expenses. Collaborate with and influence matrixed teams, such as Finance, Supply Chain, and Project Management, as needed.

- Lead employees to ensure public safety by maintaining compliance with FERC dam safety requirements, utilizing Emergency Action Plans, and following the Incident Command structure. Ensure ongoing compliance with the FERC operating license and environmental regulations. Support and participate in regulatory inspection activities, including those conducted by FERC, MDEQ, MDNR, and other agencies.

- Supervise the daily maintenance of plant logs and records, ensuring operational documentation is accurate and up to date. Verify that all operating policies and procedures are current. Prepare and submit required reports to management, complying with procedural and regulatory requirements.

- Manage leaders by coaching the team to stay current on training, development, procedures, and regulations. Ensure leaders are knowledgeable about team priorities, work status, and operational issues within their areas. Guide the leadership team’s development to maintain up-to-date skills and regulatory compliance.

- Direct the enforcement of all safety policies and practices for every work activity. Ensure that all employees, vendors, contractors, and visitors comply with these policies while on-site. Maintain responsibility for NERC and Environmental Compliance, as well as FERC license and dam safety, particularly for hydro sites.

- Provide high-level oversight and training to coworkers on facility inspection, repair, and operations. Assist in training operations and maintenance employees. Implement hands-on, innovative approaches to the facility's safety, health, and training programs. Ensure procedural reviews and audits are completed as required.

- Drive efficient collaboration with Engineering, Project Management, Merchant Operations, and other key stakeholders to support plant safety, reliability, and efficiency. Facilitate cross-functional teams focused on problem-solving and continuous improvement to maximize customer value.

- Take proactive measures to prevent safety violations, environmental or regulatory incidents, and production losses. Initiate maintenance work order requests and purchase requisitions as needed.

- Provide high-level oversight of the monitoring, inspection, maintenance, and control of all power production, auxiliary, and facility equipment to ensure operations are safe, legal, continuous, and efficient. Ensure all compliance parameters are maintained within established limits.

- Supervise vendor management, plant budgets, operating plans, and overall plant and system health. Identify threats to generation and monitor key performance indicators in coordination with stakeholder organizations.

- Perform other duties as assigned or as necessary.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

- Motivate, develop, and lead team members while identifying the most suitable individuals for each role.

- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of power plant operations, maintenance, procedures, systems, and equipment.

- Foster employee growth by encouraging participation in decision-making and promoting diversity of thought.

- Effectively recognize, analyze, and resolve various types of problems.

- Exhibit expertise in financial management, waste elimination, automation, and change management.

- Maintain thorough understanding of safety and regulatory requirements.

- Apply strong supervisory skills, including negotiation, conflict resolution, employee development, delegation, and coaching.

- Manage and prioritize a diverse range of strategic, business, and operational assignments.

- Communicate clearly with groups and the public, demonstrating skill in conveying information effectively to others.

Education And Experience

- Bachelor's degree in a business or technical related field with a minimum of ten (10) or more years of experience in leading plant operations.

- (OR) Associate’s degree in a business or technical related field with a minimum of twelve (12) or more years of experience in leading plant operations.

- (OR) High school diploma with a minimum of fourteen (14) or more years of experience in leading plant operations.

Why should you join our team?

At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service.

What We Offer

- Competitive compensation packages

- Medical, Dental and Vision

- 401k with company match

- Paid parental leave

- Up to 13 paid Holidays

- Paid time off

- Educational Assistance Program

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women in Energy (WE), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY, capABLE, Interfaith and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.