Refinery Economics & Planning Manager

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

Job Type

Full-time

Job Description Summary

We are seeking an experienced Refinery Economics & Planning Manager to lead the optimization of refinery operations and drive profitability. This role is responsible for directing short- and long-term planning, feedstock selection, product slate optimization, economic modeling, and coordination across commercial, operations, logistics, and technical teams to maximize margins while controlling costs.

The Refinery Economics and Planning Manager will manage a team of analysts, economist/optimization engineers and work closely with Operations, Supply, Trading, Engineering, Finance, and Commercial teams. This role serves as a key link between refinery operations and commercial strategy, providing leadership with actionable recommendations for crude selection, operating plans, product optimization, and strategic decisions. This role is a member of the refinery senior leadership team and helps shape overall strategy and direction across all areas of the refinery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the refinery economics and planning function, including short-term optimization, production planning, forecasting, and longer-range economic analysis.
• Provide leadership, direction, and development to economists, planners, schedulers, and analysts.
• Analyze refinery economics to identify opportunities to improve margins and profitability.
• Evaluate crude oil options based on price, quality, transportation costs, refinery configuration, and expected product yields.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of refinery economic models, linear programming models, forecasts, and optimization tools.
• Direct short- and long-term refinery production planning and ensure plans appropriately reflect operating constraints, maintenance requirements, market conditions, and commercial objectives.
• Perform economic evaluations of operating changes, capital projects, maintenance decisions, and optimization opportunities.
• Analyze refinery yields, operating costs, product values, and margin performance against forecasts and budgets.
• Partner with refinery Operations and Engineering teams to understand unit constraints, capabilities, and potential optimization opportunities.
• Prepare refinery margin forecasts, economic scenarios, and sensitivity analyses for management.
• Present economic recommendations, risks, opportunities, and performance results to refinery and senior leadership.
• Establish planning processes, performance measures, and continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen refinery decision-making and profitability.
• Mentor and develop team members. Provides leadership, guidance, and development to junior and senior members of the team. Works with other refinery leaders to develop a robust talent pipeline.
• As a member of the site senior leadership team, provide guidance and direction to shape strategies and policies across the organization.

Skills, Knowledge, Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline required. A degree in Chemical Engineering is preferred; an MBA or relevant advanced degree is highly desirable.
• 5–8 years of progressive experience in refinery economics, downstream energy planning, or petroleum commodity analysis, including at least 2 years in a lead or supervisory role.
• Strong working knowledge of refinery operations, crude quality economics, LP planning methodology, and refined product markets.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, meet hard deadlines, and lead teams through complex, time-sensitive analytical work.
• Experience with LP optimization tools (PIMS) and/or refinery planning software.

Basic Requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States permanently on a full-time basis without requiring sponsorship.
• Must possess and maintain a current valid license to operate a motor vehicle in the United States.
• Must be able to read, speak, and write English fluently.
• Hold or be able to qualify to receive a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card - Information may be found at https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/twic.
• Adhere to site alcohol and drug standards including random drug screenings
• As part of the pre-employment selection process, candidates are required to submit to and receive satisfactory results from all pre-employment background checks including but not limited to drug screening (including a hair sample), medical evaluation, and reference checks.

FLSA Status

Exempt

Work Schedule

9/80 work schedule

Hiring Manager

Senior Vice President of Refining

Expected Start date

By end of 2026

About Vertex Energy

Vertex Energy is a leading energy transition company that specializes in producing high-purity refined fuels and products. Our innovative solutions are designed to enhance the performance of our customers and partners while also prioritizing sustainability, safety, and operational excellence. With a commitment to providing superior products and services, Vertex Energy is dedicated to shaping the future of the energy industry.

About the Site

The Vertex Refining Alabama Site is a 24/7 manufacturing plant in Saraland, Alabama that specializes in the production and distribution of refined products. It employs approximately 180 full-time staff, including both hourly and salaried employees. The United Steelworkers Union (USW) represents the hourly workforce.