Plant General Manager

Acwa China; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 700,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Acwa China is seeking a Plant General Manager to provide strategic leadership for a Saudi Arabia solar PV project. The role ensures safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations and maintenance, optimal resource use, and achievement of production and financial targets.

The position requires extensive experience in power/renewables, strong leadership, and the ability to manage budgets, contracts, and stakeholder relationships while driving continuous improvement and compliance with IMS/HSE

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (or equivalent).
• Minimum 15 years of experience in managing a production plant.
• Extensive experience in power generation, renewables, and/or desalination.
• Experience managing utility-scale power or solar PV plant operations and maintenance is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction to the plant, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operations and maintenance.
• Oversee plant strategy, operational plans, and performance objectives aligning with O&M strategy.
• Lead operations and maintenance activities, production planning, and plant availability.
• Manage operating budget and financial performance, ensuring cost control and profitability.
• Lead workforce planning and people management, including recruitment and development.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations and maintain stakeholder relationships.
• Oversee technical investigations, risk areas, and plant changes to maintain reliability.
• Ensure SAP processes, IMS, HSE compliance, and audit readiness; drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Power plant operations

Leadership

Strategic planning

Contractual knowledge

Financial performance

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication

HSE

Planning and people management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

Job Summary

Provide overall leadership and direction to the plant, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operations and maintenance, optimum utilization of resources, and achievement of production and performance targets. The role is accountable for the plant’s operational, financial, contractual, people, HSE, and stakeholder performance, while ensuring compliance with company standards and contractual obligations to maximize plant availability, reliability, and revenue.

• Develop and implement the plant strategy, operational plans, and performance objectives in alignment with the company’s O&M strategy and provide regular updates and performance reports to senior management and the Board.
• Lead and oversee plant operations and maintenance activities, production planning, plant availability, operational efficiency, technical performance, and resolution of operational issues.
• Manage the plant’s operating budget and financial performance, ensuring effective cost control, productivity, profitability, resource utilization, and compliance with project financial and contractual obligations.
• Lead workforce planning and people management, including performance management, recruitment, talent development, coaching, succession, and maintaining a competent and motivated plant organization.
• Ensure compliance with all Project Company and contractual obligations, and maintain effective relationships with the Project Company, shareholders, OEMs, contractors, vendors, authorities, auditors, and other key stakeholders.
• Oversee technical investigations, root cause analysis, risk areas, major and minor plant changes, contractor activities, inventory, procurement, spare parts, services, and resources to maintain plant reliability and operational continuity.
• Ensure effective implementation and compliance of SAP processes, Integrated Management System (IMS), HSE requirements, policies, procedures, controls, and applicable standards, including audit readiness and corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement, operational excellence, and technological improvements while ensuring accurate and timely plant, performance, financial, contractual, and progress reporting.

Job Title:

Plant General Manager

Location

Alkhafa, Saudi Arabia

Project:

Solar PV, Alkhafa

Job Summary

Provide overall leadership and direction to the plant, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operations and maintenance, optimum utilization of resources, and achievement of production and performance targets. The role is accountable for the plant’s operational, financial, contractual, people, HSE, and stakeholder performance, while ensuring compliance with company standards and contractual obligations to maximize plant availability, reliability, and revenue.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the plant strategy, operational plans, and performance objectives in alignment with the company’s O&M strategy and provide regular updates and performance reports to senior management and the Board.
• Lead and oversee plant operations and maintenance activities, production planning, plant availability, operational efficiency, technical performance, and resolution of operational issues.
• Manage the plant’s operating budget and financial performance, ensuring effective cost control, productivity, profitability, resource utilization, and compliance with project financial and contractual obligations.
• Lead workforce planning and people management, including performance management, recruitment, talent development, coaching, succession, and maintaining a competent and motivated plant organization.
• Ensure compliance with all Project Company and contractual obligations, and maintain effective relationships with the Project Company, shareholders, OEMs, contractors, vendors, authorities, auditors, and other key stakeholders.
• Oversee technical investigations, root cause analysis, risk areas, major and minor plant changes, contractor activities, inventory, procurement, spare parts, services, and resources to maintain plant reliability and operational continuity.
• Ensure effective implementation and compliance of SAP processes, Integrated Management System (IMS), HSE requirements, policies, procedures, controls, and applicable standards, including audit readiness and corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement, operational excellence, and technological improvements while ensuring accurate and timely plant, performance, financial, contractual, and progress reporting.

Job Specifications

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum 15 years of experience in managing a production plant.
• Extensive operational experience in the power generation, renewable energy, and/or water desalination sector.
• Experience managing utility-scale power or solar PV plant operations and maintenance is highly preferred.

Required Skills

• Extensive knowledge of power generation and/or renewable energy plant operations and maintenance.
• Strong techno-commercial knowledge with extensive understanding of contracts, agreements, financial performance, and contractual obligations.
• Strong leadership, strategic planning, analytical thinking, decision-making, and project management skills.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, plant performance, reliability, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, influencing, presentation, mentoring, and coaching skills.
• Strong planning, organization, integration, collaboration, and people management capabilities.

Work Conditions

Willingness to work in a plant environment and be available outside normal working hours, including during operational emergencies and critical plant activities.