Head of Technical Operations

Socket.dev; Morgantown (WV); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Head of Technical Operations to lead Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities & Utilities, and Process & Automation Engineering at our aseptic beverage manufacturing facility. You will drive safe operations, optimize processes, and ensure robust automation systems to support throughput and growth.

In this role, you will partner with Maintenance to improve asset performance, lead LOTO and safety initiatives, and set technical standards across the site to ensure regulatory

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field is required.
• 10+ years of related engineering experience.
• Experience leading EH&S, facilities, utilities, capital projects, or technical operations in manufacturing.
• Experience with LOTO, confined-space, and contractor safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for Process & Automation Engineering, controls, and electrical systems.
• Own blending, aseptic processing and filling, and overall production performance.
• Establish engineering standards, operating parameters, and priorities for process optimization and automation improvements.
• Lead the facility safety infrastructure and LOTO programs.
• Oversee facility maintenance, utilities, wastewater systems, and contractor coordination.
• Manage capital expenditure budgets, project documentation, forecasts, schedules, and risks.
• Develop training strategies and skills matrices for operations, maintenance, EH&S, and engineering.
• Coordinate across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, EH&S, Facilities, and vendors.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Communication

Safety compliance

Problem solving

Technology adoption

MS Office

CMMS knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

CMMS

Project planning tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Head of Technical Operations provides leadership for Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities & Utilities, and Process & Automation Engineering across our aseptic beverage manufacturing facility. This role is responsible for building technical capability across the organization while ensuring safe operations, strong process performance, effective automation systems, and successful execution of facility and infrastructure initiatives.

The position partners closely with Maintenance to strengthen asset performance, eliminate chronic losses, and support long-term operational readiness. This role provides strategic direction for Process & Automation Engineering, ensuring manufacturing processes, controls systems, and technical standards support throughput, yield, process stability, and future business growth.

Role Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Process & Automation Engineering function, including process engineering, controls, automation strategy, system architecture, technical standards, and resource alignment.
• Own blending, aseptic processing and filling, and downline capability, manufacturing throughput, yield, process stability, and overall production performance across the facility.
• Establish engineering standards, operating parameters, best practices, and priorities for process optimization, automation improvements, commissioning activities, and technical capability development.
• Partner with Operations and Maintenance & Reliability to resolve chronic manufacturing losses and improve operational performance.
• Lead the facility Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) program, including documentation, implementation planning, production readiness requirements, and evaluation of partial LOTO and equipment break-in scenarios.
• Lead facility safety infrastructure initiatives, including material-handling and pedestrian safety, confined-space documentation, tank motor maintenance methods, and commissioning safety signoffs.
• Review and approve EH&S programs, procedures, and processes to ensure expectations are practical, documented, compliant, and consistently followed.
• Create and own organization of structure of documentation and naming conventions within sharepoint. This includes, drawings, P&ID’s, pin charts, commissioning documents, work instructions, programs, procedures, and processes
• Lead and manage the Facilities team, including work prioritization, resource planning, team development, facility maintenance activities, utilities, wastewater systems, and contractor coordination.
• Create and manage facility shutdown plans, coordinating activities across Maintenance, Engineering, Operations, Facilities, and Technical Integration.
• Own the planning, execution, coordination, and performance of building, utility, facility, infrastructure, and capital improvement projects.
• Manage capital expenditure budgets, project documentation, approvals, forecasts, schedules, risks, contractor performance, and status reporting. Ensure all documentation is updated properly to reflect all changes.
• Develop and manage the technical training strategy, budget, schedules, qualification standards, and skills matrices for Operations, Maintenance, EH&S, Facilities, and Engineering.
• Perform other duties as assigned while ensuring compliance with SQF, Food Safety, and all applicable regulatory and company requirements

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Leads the strategic and day-to-day workflow of Technical Operations resources
• Recruits, interviews, develops, coaches, and supports Technical Operations team members.
• Delegates work based on expertise, risk, priorities, workload, and timing.
• Establishes clear expectations and follows up on commitments, documentation, and results.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, environmental health and safety, facilities management, construction management, or a related field preferred.

Experience & Skills

• 10 years or more of related engineering experience required.
• 5-7 years of experience in managing capital projects, budgets, and timelines for engineering and maintenance-related initiatives required
• Manufacturing experience required; food, beverage, pharmaceutical, or other highly regulated manufacturing experience required.
• Experience leading EH&S, facilities, utilities, capital projects, or technical operations in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of LOTO, partial LOTO or equipment break-in planning, confined-space entry, contractor safety, and material-handling safety.
• Experience managing capital budgets, project documentation, contractors, schedules, shutdowns, and commissioning activities.
• Ability to coordinate complex work across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, EH&S, Facilities, and outside vendors.
• Ability to build practical systems, processes, training plans, and skills matrices that teams can use consistently.
• Strong project management, prioritization, problem-solving, and follow-through skills.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical or safety requirements in plain language.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and project planning tools; experience with CMMS and document-control systems preferred.
• Ability to adjust plans and schedules based on production needs, safety risk, contractor availability, and project priorities.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to move safely through an active manufacturing environment and access facility, utility, and project work areas.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
• Ability to occasionally work extended hours or adjust schedules to support commissioning, startup activities, troubleshooting, and operational needs
• Must be able to work with equipment that contains electric magnetic components.