Power Plant Operations Lead — Gas Turbines & 24/7 Ops

SpaceX; Texas; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Power Plant Operations Manager to lead daily operation and performance of power generation systems supporting the Starbase supercomputer. This hands-on engineering leadership role will build and manage the plant operations team, establish procedures, and ensure safe, reliable generation for mission-critical infrastructure.

The ideal candidate has direct power plant operating experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to guide operators through complex situations

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in power plant operations, including gas turbine, combined-cycle, or comparable industrial power generation facilities.
• Experience directing plant operations, leading operating personnel, or supervising control room activities.
• Demonstrated experience with plant startup, shutdown, troubleshooting, and equipment performance monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily power plant operations, including gas turbine startup and shutdown, generation monitoring, load management, and balance-of-plant operation
• Build, train, and manage a team of plant operators and shift supervisors responsible for safe and reliable plant operation
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs), method of procedure documents (MOPs), emergency operating procedures (EOPs), and shift turnover processes
• Monitor operational performance, including plant output, turbine efficiency, heat rate, equipment temperatures, pressures, vibration, and alarm conditions
• Direct operating response to turbine trips, equipment failures, system alarms, and abnormal plant conditions; coordinate safe restoration of generation
• Work directly with engineering and maintenance teams to troubleshoot equipment issues and minimize unplanned downtime
• Coordinate plant operating schedules, planned shutdowns, maintenance clearances, and equipment return-to-service activities
• Oversee plant control room operations and ensure operators are proficient with turbine controls, DCS, SCADA, and associated monitoring systems
• Support commissioning, startup, performance testing, and operational turnover of new power generation equipment
• Lead root cause investigations related to operating events, procedural deficiencies, and equipment performance issues
• Coordinate with electrical infrastructure and supercomputer operations teams on generation availability, load changes, and system reliability
• Ensure operational compliance with plant safety procedures, environmental permits, equipment operating limits, and applicable regulatory requirements

Skills

Power plant operations

Team leadership

Troubleshooting during startup

Safety leadership

Operational performance monitoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Tools

SCADA

DCS

P&ID interpretation

Job description

SpaceX is seeking a Power Plant Operations Manager to lead daily operation and performance of power generation systems supporting the Starbase supercomputer. This hands-on engineering leadership role will build and manage the plant operations team, establish procedures, and ensure safe, reliable generation for mission-critical infrastructure.

The ideal candidate has direct power plant operating experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to guide operators through complex situations