Assistant Utility Plant Manager

DTE Energy; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking energy company committed to sustainability and community service. In this role, you will oversee the operation and maintenance of utility assets, ensuring safety and efficiency while leading a dedicated team. Your expertise will help drive operational excellence and continuous improvement in plant performance. This position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in the renewable energy sector, where your contributions will be valued and recognized. If you are passionate about energy and community growth, this is the perfect opportunity for you to shine.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Employee Assistance Program

Training and Development Programs

Qualifications

• 8+ years of supervisory experience in a Cogeneration power plant.
• Strong understanding of plant operations and maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations and maintenance of energy assets.
• Ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards.
• Manage O&M Technicians and Skilled Trades for efficient operations.

Skills

Plant Operations

Maintenance Management

Safety Compliance

Communication Skills

Budget Management

Problem Solving

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Technical Degree (Preferred)

Tools

Maintenance Management System

SharePoint

Job description

DTE is one of the nation’s largest diversified energy companies. Our electric and gas companies have fueled our customer’s homes and Michigan’s progress for more than a century. As Michigan’s largest source of renewable energy, we’re creating a cleaner, healthier environment to power our future. We’re also serving communities beyond Michigan, where our affiliated businesses offer renewable energy, emission control technologies, and energy services to industries in 19 states. But we’re more than a leading energy company, and working at DTE is more than just a job. At DTE, we take great care of each other and our customers, and we use our energy to be a force for growth and prosperity in our communities. When you join us, you’ll be part of a team that welcomes, recognizes, and celebrates differences, and values everyone’s health, safety, and well-being. Are you ready to make that kind of difference? Bring your energy to DTE. Together, we can achieve great things.

Job Summary

Location: Dearborn, MI

This position is responsible for overseeing, managing, and directing the day-to-day operation and maintenance activities for utility and energy-related assets located within the Central Energy Plant (CEP) at Ford’s Research and Engineering campus. These assets are needed to supply Steam, Hot Water, Chilled Water, and Electrical Distribution to the campus, and supply electricity to the grid. The position will also lead field service engineers who are responsible for operating and maintaining ~90 MW of Backup Generation assets including diesel generators, a combustion turbine, and site switchgear at 8 locations in the Metro Detroit area.

Key Accountabilities

1. Maintains a strong safety culture. Complies with all site safety and environmental requirements and procedures. Identifies safety hazards and takes corrective actions as necessary.
2. Develops, implements, and manages consistent plant operating philosophies and best practices to maximize plant availability, efficiency, and productivity.
3. Ensures contractors comply with all On-Site Business Unit and DTE Energy policies, procedures, and safety requirements.
4. Constantly reviews and improves operational processes and ensures that operating personnel are properly trained and adhere to established policies, procedures, and standards.
5. Manages the O&M Technicians and Skilled Trades to ensure safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the plant while actively managing schedules to minimize overtime and comply with administrative guidelines.
6. Establishes, reviews, and modifies as required all predictive/preventive maintenance requirements programmed into the maintenance management system in alignment with maintenance strategy.
7. Develops performance goals and reviews in a comprehensive, open, and objective manner to align employee accountabilities and conduct with operational processes in accordance with administrative guidelines.
8. Investigates operating abnormalities and incidents to improve equipment availability and performance and to minimize maintenance requirements.
9. Prepares necessary plant operation reports in a timely manner and investigates all forced outages, reporting them in accordance with the BU practice through SharePoint.
10. In collaboration with the Plant Manager, prepares and continually evaluates the operating department’s budgets and/or makes recommendations to the Plant Manager relative to optimization of operations and maintenance costs.
11. Assists with maintenance engineering evaluations and troubleshooting of equipment abnormalities.
12. Maintains a consistent and effective level of communication with Plant Manager, Administrative staff, O&M Technicians, and Skilled Trades on shift.
13. Assists the Plant Manager with project management of all planned outage activities, including long-term planning for capital improvements.
14. In collaboration with the Plant Manager, drives continuous improvement of established metrics on the plant huddle board.
15. Leads/supports development of plant personnel in skillsets, equipment/system knowledge, and solving critical operational concerns.
16. Supports management of change process to ensure traceability and collaboration on execution.
17. Leads/supports problem-solving activities and coaches and mentors the 4 CI capabilities within the team.
18. Assures proper staffing, scheduling, orientation, and training of the plant staff, and manages compliance with all company policies and procedures.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements

• A high school diploma or GED.
• At least 8 years of supervisory or managerial experience in a Cogeneration power plant with a represented (Union) workforce.

Other Qualifications

Preferred:

• Additional consideration provided for technical degrees.

Other Requirements:

• Thorough, demonstrated understanding of plant operations and maintenance, with strong knowledge of generating equipment, boilers, and water treatment processes.
• Ability to analyze and improve operations business processes.
• Proven planning and scheduling experience working with O&M and other technical personnel involved with preventative/predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance.
• Solid knowledge of plant engineering and plant maintenance functions and how they relate to operations.
• Experience with accounting practices as it relates to analyzing cost impacts to budget.
• Demonstrated skill in planning, coordinating, and directing varied programs and tasks directly affecting the overall plant operation.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work shifts and extra/irregular hours and to work under unusual and special conditions that can arise in a generation station.
• Ability to pass respirator fit tests to use respiratory protective equipment or self-contained breathing apparatus at all times.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

The physical demands characterized here epitomize those that must be met by an employee to properly perform the integral functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee is frequently required to:

• Occasionally stand or walk and stoop or kneel.
• Frequently sit.
• Talk and hear, use hands and fingers; handle and feel; and able to reach with hands and arms extensively.
• Enter and work in confined space areas, including boilers, condensers, tanks, etc. to evaluate equipment condition or inspect work efforts by assigned resources.
• Frequently lift objects of up to 10 pounds in weight. Occasionally lift or move objects of up to 40 pounds in weight.
• Use computers with exposure to video display terminals; and some repetitive motion associated with data entry, the use of a computer mouse, and while using other office equipment.
• Possess the following vision requirements: close, color, distance, peripheral, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Work both in a business office setting and a plant site. Occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions, including wet and/or humid conditions, and may work near moving mechanical parts and/or machinery. Occasionally be exposed to fumes or airborne particles and vibration. Be in a work environment that is usually moderate but may become loud at the plant site.

Additional Information

Incumbents may engage in all or some combination of the activities and accountabilities, and utilize a variety of the competencies cited in this description depending upon the organization and role to which they are assigned. This description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by incumbents in this job. It is not intended as an all-inclusive list of accountabilities or responsibilities, nor is it intended to limit the rights of supervisors or management representatives to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.

At DTE Energy, we are committed to providing an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome and a sense of belonging. We seek individuals with a heart for service, a passion to help our communities prosper, and ideas to help shape the future of energy. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, national origin, citizenship, height, weight, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status or any other status protected by law.