Biomass Plant Operations Manager (Management & Executives)

Full Time

  Integrated Biomass Resources LLC

  Wallowa County, Oregon, United States

Job Description:

The Business: Integrated Biomass Resources LLC (IBR) in beautiful Wallowa County, OR, is a leading restoration forestry innovator that converts small diameter trees and woody biomass byproducts into useful, value-added products such as poles, firewood, and densified heat logs. Over nearly ten years IBR has refined and validated its integrated processing facility and residual waste utilization model into an economically viable manufacturing business, while also developing an essential role in both the rural economy and regional conservation efforts. Accelerating climate change threats—notably increasing forest fire risks across western states—combined with eastern Oregon’s prolonged economic downturn make IBR not just a feel-good story but a deeply needed private-sector pioneer. This is an opportunity to become part of IBR’s business growth while positively impacting rural economic development and environmental conservation on a meaningful scale.

The Job: As the Operations Manager at IBR, you are the interface between the big picture and the day to day execution of the objectives of the company, namely the transformation of forest restoration residuals into marketable forest products. Working in concert with the owners, you will be responsible for ensuring that operations reflect the values of the company.

A typical day might include the following:

  • Stand-up morning meetings with production crew and maintenance team
  • Walk through of raw material, finished product inventory, and scheduled orders to determine production plan for the day/week
  • Communicate and coordinate production schedule among all departments
  • Assisting millwrights in making improvements and repairs
  • Jumping in with the production team for a couple hours when short term staffing shortage requires it
  • Researching and budgeting improvement projects (e.g. new lighting for swing shift)
  • Assisting team leads to train employees on equipment and new hire onboarding
  • Loading and unloading the firewood kiln and/or delivery trucks
  • Supporting Safety Committee on process improvements and team communication
  • Arranging logistics for incoming raw material and outgoing finished product
Qualifications:

This job could be right for you if:

You enjoy solving problems, including technical problems with mill equipment and process flow and efficiency.

You like helping people. Our employees are our most important asset; maintaining a positive, safe and productive culture is our top priority.

You communicate clearly, directly, and kindly. You can speak to customers, equipment suppliers, contractors, and employees with ease and build rapport easily.

You enjoy defining and executing a thorough roadmap of improvement initiatives that make the plant safer, more efficient, more productive, and a better place to work.

You are motivated, able and willing to inspire others.

You are inspired by IBR’s overarching vision and can translate it into practicable and practical systems.

In order to get this Job:

You must have prior experience managing employees in a manufacturing setting.

You must demonstrate experience in project management, particularly with capital improvement projects.

You must have a passion for the wood products industry and be familiar with lean manufacturing.

Compensation

Salary: $55,000-$70,000 DOE