Volta Executive, home
Volta Executive
Guides

Illustration photo

Volta Executive

Client case · energy-from-waste

A new plant, fifteen permanent contracts in two months

IDEX and Heineken are opening a plant in Mons-en-Barœul that recovers value from brewer’s spent grain. Volta Executive hires the entire founding team, from the site director to the shift operators, for continuous operation from start-up.

The case in 30 seconds

  • 15

    Permanent roles filled

  • 2months

    overall deadline, met at day 60

  • 48h

    to activate the project team

  • 24/7

    continuous operation from opening

01 · The case in 30 seconds

The assignment brief

A circular plant,a team to build

The assignment as it was entrusted to us, and the team hired, from top to shift floor.

Assignment briefIDEX · Projet Circle × Volta Executive
Client
IDEX, with Heineken, operating partner of Project Circle
Site
Mons-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
Activity
Recovery of brewer’s spent grain: biomass heating plant and green steam, dried proteins for food
Impact
Reduction of 20,000 t of CO₂ a year · European backing for the LIFE FWFB project
Positions
15 permanent contracts, from the site director to the shift operators, for 24/7 operation
Team
Five Volta Executive experts assembled within 48 hours, one point of contact for IDEX: Florian Beurtey, project lead
Timeline
Opening planned for September or October 2025 · assignment from October to December 2025, completed at day 60

The team hired, from top to shift floor

  1. 2ExecutivesSite director, production operations director
  2. 3ManagersMaintenance manager, two shift leaders
  3. 3Specialist techniciansElectrical and automation, mechanical, process and water treatment
  4. 7Shift operatorsOn three-shift rotas, for continuous 24/7 operation

Fifteen permanent contracts, all filled.

02 · The challenge

The context

Opening on a fixed datein a tight labour market

Project Circle is an innovative plant, unique in Europe: it turns spent grain from the Heineken brewery into green energy and food products. It had to start with a full team, running continuously from day one.

  1. A tight industrial labour market

    In the Hauts-de-France, few profiles are available locally in these operations and maintenance trades.

  2. 24/7 operation with continuous firing

    The entire shift team had to be hired at the same time to ensure operational continuity from start-up.

  3. Shortage profiles

    Electrical and mechanical maintenance technicians, automation engineers: profiles very rare on the market, and even more so for a new plant.

  4. A start-up date that cannot slip

    Opening planned for September or October 2025, with a risk of significant contractual penalties in case of delay.

Gloved hands of a technician on a steam pipework valve
Maintenance of a biomass heating plant · illustrative photo

03 · The assignment

The fifteen roles

From the site directorto the shift operators

The complete founding team of the Circle plant, hired in two months for continuous operation.

  1. Site director

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Permanent contract filled

    The scope

    • Responsible for the plant’s P&L
    • Guarantor of industrial performance, safety and relations with Heineken
    • Leading a multidisciplinary team

    The profile

    Executive, executive committee level, one level below the managing director. Reports to the IDEX operations director.

    Management · P&L · Safety

    Permanent contract · annual package of €75k to €95k

  2. Production operations director

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Permanent contract filled

    The scope

    • Overseeing all continuous biomass production
    • Coordinating shift teams
    • Managing performance indicators: OEE, availability, energy yield

    The profile

    Executive, senior operations management.

    Operations · OEE · Availability

    Permanent contract · annual package of €65k to €80k

  3. Maintenance manager

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Permanent contract filled

    The scope

    • Managing the electrical, mechanical and automation maintenance teams
    • Rolling out the CMMS, preventive maintenance plans
    • Spare parts budget, coordination with production

    The profile

    Manager, N-2 level.

    Maintenance · CMMS · Preventive

    Permanent contract · annual package of €50k to €65k

  4. Shift leader, two positions

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Two permanent contracts filled

    The scope

    • Supervising the operators’ team during the shift
    • Handling process incidents, technical decisions on the ground
    • Liaison with site management

    The profile

    Frontline management: the key role for 24/7 continuity.

    Operations · Shift · Frontline management

    Permanent contract · annual package of €42k to €52k

  5. Electrical and automation maintenance technician

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Permanent contract filled

    The scope

    • Preventive and corrective maintenance of MV/LV electrical equipment
    • Siemens and Schneider PLCs, process instrumentation

    The profile

    Shortage profile. B2V and H1V electrical certifications required.

    MV/LV · Automation · Instrumentation

    Permanent contract · annual package of €36k to €45k

  6. Mechanical maintenance technician

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Permanent contract filled

    The scope

    • Rotating equipment: pumps, compressors, conveyors
    • Hydraulics and pneumatics

    The profile

    Shortage profile, experience in a process environment, industry or energy recovery.

    Mechanics · Rotating machinery · Hydraulics

    Permanent contract · annual package of €34k to €43k

  7. Process and water treatment technician

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Permanent contract filled

    The scope

    • Monitoring and optimising the treatment plant and process utilities
    • Physico-chemical analysis, discharge management

    The profile

    Specialist: expertise in industrial effluent treatment essential.

    Process · Water treatment · Discharges

    Permanent contract · annual package of €35k to €44k

  8. Shift operator, seven positions

    IDEX · Project Circle, Mons-en-Barœul

    Seven permanent contracts filled

    The scope

    • Continuous operation and monitoring of the installations: heating plant, drying, protein separation unit
    • Rounds, readings, alarm handling

    The profile

    24/7 operation, shift work on three or four-shift rotas.

    Operation · Shift work · Biomass

    Permanent contract · annual package of €28k to €35k

The headcountTwo executives, three managers, three specialist technicians and seven operators: fifteen permanent contracts, all filled.

04 · The result

The result

Fifteen permanent contracts filled,a full founding team

Overall deadline met: two months, at day 60, for a plant in continuous operation.

  • 15

    Permanent contracts filled, from the director to the operators

  • 2months

    overall deadline, met at day 60

  • 5

    dedicated experts, one point of contact

What the client says

Volta is a highly committed partner alongside Idex. At first, we tested it successfully on hires in a difficult geographic area where we had been without a solution for several months. Having proved satisfactory, we were able to entrust it with more searches and Volta delivered again. It is a partner that takes care to understand the client’s needs properly upfront, which is a guarantee of efficiency and of candidate selectivity.

Yann VincentDirector of energy production units, IDEX Hauts-de-France

A dedicated organisation

Industrial energy projects require a dedicated hiring organisation: a project team activated within 48 hours, four to five partners mobilised at the same time.

Centralised management

Florian Beurtey leads the entire assignment, with regular reporting and an overall view of the project. Centralised management shortens timelines.

On the candidates’ side

“It was the first time I had been approached like this, but his professionalism and seriousness reassured me and made me take the leap!” Pierre Lahaeye, lead shift leader, Project Circle.

05 · The method

The Volta Executive method

Four stages,kept across fifteen roles at once

A 1-hour scoping session and a scorecard, the mapping of the search ecosystem, a shortlist within 10 days, a hire within 3 weeks. The 3 weeks run from scoping to the chosen candidate with the offer accepted, when the five key success factors are in place. The candidate’s notice period, often three months for a manager in post, comes on top.

  1. Day 1

    A 1-hour scoping session and a scorecard

    One hour with the future manager, not just HR. We come out with the three results expected at twelve months, the real budget including variable pay, and a scorecard ranking each skill: essential, necessary, useful, bonus.

  2. Days 1 to 3

    Map the search ecosystem

    The companies, sites and roles where the profile really exists: competitors, suppliers, customers, neighbouring sectors doing the same job under another name. We know how many people fit the scorecard before writing the first message.

  3. Within 10 days

    A shortlist within 10 days

    Three to five candidates approached directly, met, assessed against the scorecard by an engineer, presented with their motivations and real salary expectations. Not a pile of CVs.

  4. Within 3 weeks

    A hire within 3 weeks by direct search

    Two interview rounds at most, with the direct manager. The package and the counter-offer are prepared before the final interview: the offer goes out within 24 hours and the chosen candidate says yes.

A project team in 48 hours

Immediate launch of a dedicated team of five experts, with one point of contact for IDEX, who leads the entire assignment.

All channels at once

LinkedIn Recruiter, CV databases, alumni networks of Mines, Arts et Métiers and AgroParisTech, multiposting on 12 platforms: fifteen roles, from executive to operator.

A 90-day integration follow-up

Systematic support after the start date, for retention and ramp-up of each hire.

First confidential conversation

A similar project?Let's talk.

Dedicated project team activated within 48 hours, energy and industry expertise, 90-day integration follow-up included as standard. Thirty minutes to scope the need, no commitment.

Our full track record

Reply within 48 hours · shortlist within 10 days · hire within 3 weeks

On the same ground