Operation Manager

Acwa China; Makkah Region; On-site; SAR 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Acwa China seeks an experienced Operation Manager to lead the Rabigh plant's operations and laboratory functions, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production in line with quality and HSE standards.

You will manage 30–100 staff, drive continuous improvement, coordinate maintenance, and ensure compliance with contracts, inventory, and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required.
• 10+ years of experience in power generation and/or water desalination plants.
• Proven leadership/managerial experience evident in prior roles.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations (power generation and/or water production) to meet production targets.
• Develop and implement operations strategy aligned with plant objectives.
• Lead production planning, scheduling, and performance monitoring.
• Manage operations teams (30-100 employees) and drive high performance.
• Coordinate with maintenance for preventive and corrective maintenance; support outages.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure HSE compliance.
• Monitor plant performance and implement efficiency improvements.
• Oversee laboratory operations and ensure quality control and regulatory compliance.
• Manage operational contracts and inventory of chemicals, consumables, and equipment.

Skills

Strong leadership

Team management

Plant operations knowledge

Strategic thinking

Budget & performance management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

Operation Manager

Location: Rabigh

Department: Operations

Reports to: Plant General Manager / Country Manager

Job Purpose

To lead the plant's operations and laboratory functions, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production in line with contractual, quality, and HSE standards.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Lead all plant operations (power generation and/or water production) to meet production targets.
• Ensure smooth, safe, and efficient day-to-day operations.
• Resolve critical operational issues and ensure minimal downtime.

Strategy & Planning

• Develop and implement operations strategy aligned with plant objectives.
• Lead production planning, scheduling, and performance monitoring.
• Report operational performance, risks, and improvements to senior management.

Team Management

• Lead, develop, and manage operations teams (30-100 employees).
• Set clear objectives and drive high performance and engagement.

Maintenance & Outage Coordination

• Work closely with maintenance teams to ensure effective preventive and corrective maintenance.
• Support planned outages and ensure safe shutdown and restart activities

HSE & Compliance

• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all HSE standards.
• Lead incident response and ensure proper reporting and corrective actions.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor plant performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reliability.
• Implement operational improvements and best practices.

Laboratory & Quality Control

• Oversee laboratory operations and ensure compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
• Monitor production parameters to maintain optimal performance.

Contracts & Inventory

• Manage operational contracts and ensure cost-effective delivery service.
• Oversee inventory of chemicals, consumables, and equipment.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in power generation and/or water desalination plants.
• Proven experience in leadership/managerial role.

Skills

• Strong leadership and team management.
• Deep knowledge of plant operations.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving.
• Budget and performance management.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.