Biodiesel Operations Manager

Managing a biodiesel plant means the day rarely goes as planned. Morning starts with feedstock deliveries and tank levels; afternoons shift to production troubleshooting or regulatory documentation. Commodity price swings in soy oil or tallow can redirect your attention fast — a supplier shortfall or a spec failure mid-batch tends to take priority over whatever you had scheduled.

The job spans more departments than the title suggests. You're coordinating with procurement on feedstock contracts, quality on batch certifications, and a sales team making delivery promises based on your production schedule. The harder-than-expected part is often the compliance layer — RIN reporting, ASTM quality standards, and environmental permits create a documentation overhead that consumes days when something goes out of spec.

People with chemical or industrial process backgrounds tend to ramp fastest. Comfort with both the plant floor and the business side matters — you need to troubleshoot a centrifuge and then explain the margin impact to ownership. Those who thrive tend to have a high tolerance for commodity market volatility shaping operational decisions they can't fully control.