We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the unique perspectives of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders, and cultures across the world. We believe that a variety of backgrounds makes our team stronger and more innovative.
At Air Liquide, we RESPECT, HONOR and VALUE diversity.
Air Liquide is Hiring for a Plant Manager in Rockford, IL!
We are looking for you !
- Pay: $105,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year
- Comprehensive Family Benefits: Air Liquide offers a full benefits package designed to support your whole life, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance.
- Support for Parents: We offer up to 14-week paid child birth benefits to support growing families.
- Future Security: 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match, Tuition Assistance, Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick time.
- Early Access: Your benefits start day 1.
Recruiter: Carolyn Harris | carolyn.harris@airliquide.com
As the Winnebago Plant Manager, you will be the driving force behind our flagship renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Rockford, IL. This is a meaningful and influential leadership role for a technically-minded professional. You will lead a dedicated team of operators to transform landfill biogas into pipeline-grade RNG, ensuring the facility operates at peak safety, efficiency, and reliability. This role isn't just about oversight, it’s about "owning" the plant—from diving into data-driven troubleshooting and hands-on equipment maintenance to managing the site’s P&L and fostering critical relationships with our landfill partners. Furthermore, as we expand our fleet of operating plants across the USA (currently 7), you will be a peer to a team of other plant managers and operators, exchanging lessons-learned and supporting the broader organization in achieving operational excellence! Supported by a team of reliability specialists, operations engineers, development engineers, and project-delivery personnel, this should prove to be a rewarding experience!
Responsibilities
- Safety, Quality, and Compliance: (i) Sets clear direction for the site for HSE, monitors KPIs, ensures adherence with policy, and performs regular audits with site staff; (ii) manages all on-site contractors to ensure they adhere to our safety policies; (iii) develops and drives systems to ensure all QA/QC sampling, analysis and data-management and recording are conducted.
- Technical Operations and Data-Driven Troubleshooting: (i) Establishes clear expectations and contributes directly to meet the plant’s KPIs, including production, availability, recovery and maintenance; (ii) Utilizes systematic, data-based methods and data trending to assess opportunities and troubleshoot via root-cause-analysis; (iii) Oversees and completes planned preventive maintenance, unscheduled maintenance, and troubleshooting of equipment.
- Continuous Improvement: Works with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Development, Delivery/Execution) to discover project and improvement opportunities
- Team Leadership: (i) Mentors, develops, and coaches direct reports to achieve goals and facilitate career growth; (ii) acts as the site leader, reinforcing desired behaviors and addressing undesired behaviors within the team; (iii) Creates site-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and logs best practices to share with the wider fleet.
- Financial Management: (i) Responsible for the site’s P&L, including monthly data reconciliation with management to ensure business needs are met; (ii) Forecasts deviations from objectives and proposes timely mitigations or solutions.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: (i) Builds and fosters collaborative relationships with the landfill biogas supplier; (ii) Implements strategies to manage site spare parts in close coordination with the maintenance and reliability teams; (iii) Maintains strong working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders to address equipment and operational issues.
__________________
Required Qualifications
- High school degree or GED diploma
- 5+ years experience in operation of industrial gas-processing equipment
- 3+ years in management of a gas-production facility, including leadership of direct reports
- Data-driven troubleshooting skills
- Ready to work hands-on alongside team
- Organized
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with all stakeholders (internal and external)
- Limited Travel: Occasional travel to support other sites in the region (~1-2h drive) when necessary
- Industrial Setting: Work is primarily performed on-site at a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility, split between an office environment and active plant operations.
- Hazardous Operations: The facility operates as a Class I, Division 2 (C1D2) environment. The manager must strictly enforce and follow all safety protocols, as ignitable concentrations of hazards may exist under abnormal conditions.
- High-Noise & Active Zones: Frequent exposure to elevated noise levels in process buildings and regular navigation of active loading areas with heavy equipment and commercial vehicle traffic.
- Safety Gear: Mandatory daily use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which may include hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toed footwear, high-visibility clothing, and hearing protection.
- Environmental Exposure: Occasional exposure to extreme weather conditions, temperature fluctuations, and industrial odors during routine plant walkthroughs and inspections.
- Operational Schedule: Must be available for on-call duties to respond to plant emergencies, operational disruptions, or critical safety incidents outside of standard business hours.
- The ability to lift 1-50 pounds regularly.
- The ability to respond quickly to alarms.
- The ability to move safely over uneven terrain or in restricted spaces.
- The ability to operate heavy equipment for extended periods of time.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in technical field
- Maintenance background
The candidate must have valid unrestricted employment authorization in the U.S. and must not require visa sponsorship now or in the future.
