Operations Supervisor

Covanta; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 119,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Company-paid life and AD&D insurance

Educational assistance

Job summary

Reworld is seeking an Operations Supervisor to lead safe, reliable, and compliant operation of a waste-to-energy facility in a fast-paced environment. You will oversee boilers, turbines, and auxiliary systems while ensuring environmental compliance and workforce safety.

Reporting to the Operations Manager, this role requires hands-on leadership, incident response, and performance optimization across shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of supervisory experience in heavy industrial settings.
• Experience with high-pressure boilers, steam systems, turbines, and electrical generation equipment.
• Valid New Jersey Boiler Operator License or ability to obtain within 1 year.
• Strong leadership, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• ASME QRO certification within 6–12 months.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop operations personnel to maximize safety and productivity.
• Promote safety and enforce procedures; act as safety leader.
• Operate and supervise boilers, turbines and generating equipment to ensure safe, compliant operations.
• Respond to alarms and upsets with corrective actions.
• Manage startups, shutdowns, outages, and transitions according to procedures.
• Coordinate activities during maintenance and emergencies.
• Lead shift turnover and communications for continuity.
• Monitor performance and take corrective actions.

Skills

Leadership experience

Operations management

Safety leadership

Problem-solving

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Engineering/Power Plant related degree

Tools

DCS knowledge

ASME QRO Certification

Job description

Who we are

For more than 40 years, Reworld has been a leader in sustainable waste solutions, providing our customers with innovative solutions that help them achieve carbon-negative outcomes.

Our Vision

Reworld is leading the charge to a carbon-negative future through revolutionary sustainable materials management solutions that reduce, reuse, recycle and reimagine waste for the benefit of society and the environment.

Our Business

Reworld partners with businesses by offering cutting-edge engineering and innovative solutions, to help customers reduce, reuse, recycle and recover value from waste streams and meet or exceed their sustainability goals.

Our Value

Reworld's differentiator comes from our ecosystem of technology, facilities and partnerships, trusted by the world's largest organizations to reimagine waste management for a smarter, more sustainable world.

About the role

As an Operations Supervisor, you will play a critical leadership role in the safe, reliable, and environmentally compliant operation of a waste-to-energy and power generation facility. You will provide hands-on leadership for high-pressure boilers, steam generation systems, turbines, electrical generation equipment, and supporting plant systems while ensuring operational excellence, environmental compliance, and workforce safety.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced industrial operations leader looking to expand their impact in a highly technical, mission-critical environment. Candidates with experience in waste-to-energy, thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT), resource recovery, power generation, pulp and paper manufacturing, chemical processing, coal-fired operations, industrial utilities, solid-mass processing, or U.S. Navy steam-generating operations will find significant opportunities for career growth and leadership development. This role directly influences plant safety, reliability, operational performance, employee development, and environmental stewardship.

Reporting directly to the Operations Manager, the Operations Supervisor is responsible for leading plant operations personnel, monitoring plant performance, responding to operational upsets and emergencies, and delivering safe, efficient, and reliable facility operations. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, hands-on industrial environment with changing priorities and must be able to provide leadership coverage for the Operations Manager and Shift Supervisors as needed. This position requires the flexibility to work a modified DuPont rotating shift schedule including days, nights, weekends, holidays, outages, and vacation coverage.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, coach, mentor, and develop operations personnel to maximize safety, accountability, teamwork, engagement, productivity, and operational effectiveness.
• Maintain the highest standards of safety by promoting safe work practices, enforcing safety procedures, identifying hazards, correcting unsafe conditions, and serving as a visible safety leader throughout the facility.
• Ensure the safe, reliable, and environmentally compliant operation of high-pressure boilers, steam generation systems, turbines, electrical generation equipment, thermo-mechanical treatment systems, and supporting plant equipment.
• Monitor, control, and optimize plant systems to maintain safe operations, environmental compliance, and achievement of production targets.
• Respond to alarms, equipment failures, operational upsets, and abnormal operating conditions by directing and implementing appropriate corrective actions.
• Execute plant startups, shutdowns, outages, and operational transitions in accordance with approved procedures and operating standards.
• Manage and prioritize activities during emergency situations while providing clear operational, safety, and environmental direction to plant personnel.
• Coordinate personnel and operational activities during routine operations, abnormal conditions, maintenance activities, and emergency response situations.
• Conduct regular plant rounds and inspections to evaluate equipment performance, plant conditions, and operational compliance.
• Lead shift turnover meetings and operational communications to ensure continuity between shifts and alignment of staffing, resources, and priorities.
• Monitor production performance against established operating targets and drive corrective actions when required.
• Detect, evaluate, document, investigate, and resolve deviations from approved operating plans, procedures, and environmental requirements.
• Identify, elevate and drive resolution of issues affecting safety, environmental compliance, plant reliability, operational efficiency and productivity.
• Approve equipment clearances, lockout/tagout activities, safety permits, and other critical operational safety requirements.
• Respond to injuries, accidents and plant emergencies while ensuring proper communication and documentation.
• Maintain operational consistency through Leader Standard Work, standard operating procedures and established plant processes.
• Interview, hire, onboard, train and develop team members in accordance with company policies and applicable regulations.
• Maintain working knowledge of Auxiliary Operator, Control Room Operator and other operational positions and stand watch as necessary.
• Provide operational leadership coverage for the Operations Manager and Shift Supervisors as required.
• Work a modified DuPont rotating shift schedule including days, nights, weekends, holidays, outages and vacation coverage in support of 24/7 plant operations.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years (+) of supervisory or leadership experience in a heavy industrial environment such as manufacturing, power generation, thermo-mechanical treatment, resource recovery, pulp and paper, chemical processing, industrial utilities, coal-fired operations, or similar industries.
• Hands-on experience in thermo-mechanical treatment, waste management, resource recovery, power generation, industrial utility, chemical processing, pulp and paper, or U.S. Navy steam-generating operations is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success managing personnel and leading crews responsible for operational safety, reliability, productivity, compliance and performance.
• Experience operating, supervising, troubleshooting or maintaining high-pressure boilers, steam generation systems, electrical generation equipment, thermal treatment systems or related industrial process equipment.
• Detailed knowledge of steam-generating plant operations, instrumentation, control systems and distributed control systems (DCS).
• Must possess a valid New Jersey Boiler Operator License (Black Seal, Blue Seal, Red Seal or equivalent) or demonstrate the ability to obtain the required certification within one year of hire.
• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Associate's Degree or Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Power Plant Technology, Industrial Technology, Operations Management or a related discipline preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, decision-making, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, hands-on environment with dynamic priorities and competing operational demands.
• Ability to manage critical operational events calmly, effectively, and decisively.
• Must obtain ASME QRO Provisional Certification within six (6) months of hire and achieve full certification within twelve (12) months of hire.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in confined spaces and enclosed work areas.
• Ability to climb ladders, stairs and industrial structures and work at elevated heights.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to tolerate high temperatures, noise, dust, industrial conditions and outdoor weather environments.
• Must qualify to wear a full-face respirator.

All Reworld positions require a candidate's ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the role while upholding Reworld's Values, including (but not limited to) contributing to a safe and inclusive workplace, delivering results through trust, and building breakthrough capabilities.

Please note that Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.

Pay Transparency

Reworld is committed to paying its staff equitably, and we strive to provide competitive compensation and benefits packages. The range below reflects Reworld's reasonable estimate of base pay for this role based on primary posting location. It is expected that most qualified candidates in this location will fall within the posting range. The final salary offered for this role will be determined based on factors including, but not limited to: experience, education, geographic location, skills and competencies, travel requirements and/or union contracts (if applicable). Pay ranges are reviewed from time to time and may be modified in the future.

The pay range for the primary location of this position is: $118,700.00 - $169,800.00 USD per annum

Reworld provides an industry-leading benefits package that supports the whole person-and their families-through a balanced approach to mental, physical, and financial wellbeing. Regular full-time employees based in the USA have access to comprehensive medical, prescription drugs, dental, and vision coverage, FSA, HSA, short- and long-term disability benefits. Our 401(k) plan is industry-leading, with an up to 7% company match. Additional benefits include Company-paid life and AD&D insurance, EAP, paid parental leave, and educational assistance. For more information regarding these offerings, please visit the Reworld Careers Benefits Page. Reworldreserves the right to amend, suspend or terminate any benefit plan, in whole or in part, at any time.

Our DEI Commitment

Reworld is an Equal Opportunity Employer, has developed an affirmative Action Program (AAP), and will not discriminate against any qualified applicants because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability (including perceived disability, physical, mental, and/or intellectual disabilities), veteran status, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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If you are an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site because of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by going to Reworldwaste.com and clicking on the 'Contact Us' button. Under Inquiries, select 'Careers' in the Interest field, fill out all required fields including your message. In the message section, please note this is a 'Job Application Accommodation Request'.

Attention Staffing Agencies & Search Firms

Reworld may sometimes selectively collaborate with staffing agencies and search firms (Agencies). Reworld will only consider candidates from agencies with whom a signed agreement and a duly authorized work order (for a specific role) has been duly executed. Any unsolicited candidate submissions or candidate submissions from agencies that do not meet these criteria, will be deemed invalid and ineligible for any fees.