Refinery Economics & Planning Leader

Vertex Energy Inc.; Saraland (AL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertex Energy is seeking an experienced Refinery Economics & Planning Manager to lead optimization of refinery operations and drive profitability at the Saraland site. You will direct short- and long-term planning, feedstock selection, and economic modeling while coordinating across commercial, operations, logistics, and technical teams to maximize margins and control costs.

You will manage a team of analysts and optimization engineers, serving as a key link between refinery operations and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• 5–8 years of refinery economics/energy planning with at least 2 years in a lead role.
• Strong knowledge of refinery operations, LP planning, and product markets.
• Ability to manage priorities, meet deadlines, and lead time-sensitive analysis.
• Experience with LP optimization tools (PIMS) and/or refinery planning software.

Responsibilities

• Lead the refinery economics and planning function, including short-term optimization and long-range analysis.
• Provide direction to economists, planners, schedulers, and analysts.
• Analyze refinery economics to identify margin improvement opportunities.
• Evaluate crude options based on price, quality, transport costs, and yields.
• Oversee development/maintenance of economic models, forecasts, and optimization tools.
• Direct production planning and ensure alignment with constraints and commercial objectives.
• Perform economic evaluations of operating changes and capital projects.
• Analyze margins, operating costs, product values, and forecast accuracy.
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to understand unit constraints and opportunities.
• Prepare margin forecasts, scenarios, and sensitivity analyses for leadership.
• Present economic recommendations and risks to refinery and senior leadership.
• Establish planning processes and continuous improvement for decision-making.
• Mentor and develop team members and help build a talent pipeline.

Skills

Leadership

Economic modeling

Forecasting

Team development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline

Tools

PIMS

Refinery planning software

Job description

Vertex Energy is seeking an experienced Refinery Economics & Planning Manager to lead optimization of refinery operations and drive profitability at the Saraland site. You will direct short- and long-term planning, feedstock selection, and economic modeling while coordinating across commercial, operations, logistics, and technical teams to maximize margins and control costs.

You will manage a team of analysts and optimization engineers, serving as a key link between refinery operations and