Illustration photo

Open search ·

Confidential opportunity · Energy production · Belgium

Energy production plant director(M/F) a site that runs, a team to complete

A continuously operating energy production site whose team is not yet complete: you hire part of the supervision, have the procedures written and answer for the result.

Jobs
  • 24hours a day

    Continuous operation

  • 10 to 20

    People to manage

  • 10-15

    years of operating experience expected

  • 85-105k€

    Annual gross · Permanent contract managerial grade

Volta Executive · role fileThe company name is given if your profile is selected

The role in 30 seconds

The essentials,before the detail

What you hold

Complete the team · Build the shift organisation · Get the instructions written.

Who you report to

Management.

What you need to know

The team is not complete and part of the supervisory staff is recruited with you.

Before you read on

Minimum required, to be ticked in full

  • 10 to 15 years of operations on an energy-from-waste plant or a biomass power plant, failing that on an industrial boiler or heating plant
  • Real command of combustion and boilers: you talk about them as an operator, not as a manager
  • A site in continuous operation that you have run, with on-call duty and the operating permit held in your own name
  • A technical team recruited, trained and retained: shift leaders and technicians
  • The operating P&L: budget, costs, KPIs, reporting to a management team
  • Daily presence on site in Belgium

Ideal, what puts you ahead

  • An operating organisation structured or rebuilt
  • Experience in managing fuel and its supply
  • Ongoing relations with local residents, elected officials and clients
  • English, for suppliers and partners

Far from the minimum? An open application will serve you better.

The criteria that matter: 10 to 15 years of operations on an energy-from-waste plant or a biomass power plant, failing that on an industrial boiler or heating plant · Real command of combustion and boilers: you talk about them as an operator, not as a manager · A site in continuous operation that you have run, with on-call duty and the operating permit held in your own name.

01 · The company

Confidential assignment

Who is hiring,without its name

An energy player. Its name is given to you if your profile is selected. Volta Executive runs the search end to end.

The type of site · Illustration photo
  • 24hours a day

    Continuous operation

    Shift operation and management on-call duty.

  • 10 to 20

    People to manage

    A team that is not complete when you arrive.

  • 85-105k€

    Gross annual

    Company car on top.

  • 10-15

    years of operating experience expected

    On a combustion or energy installation.

02 · The role

Energy production plant director · Permanent contract (cadre)

What you do,in practice

  1. Complete the team

    You recruit part of the supervisory staff, then shift leaders and technicians. Good profiles are scarce in Belgium and the organisation is still being set up: you have to win them over.

  2. Build the shift organisation

    Shifts, cover, on-call duty, within the local legal framework. You set the framework before the team is complete.

  3. Get the instructions written

    Operating instructions, degraded modes, safety procedures. What is not written does not exist, and it is up to you to get it written.

  4. Hold availability and efficiency

    From the boiler to the steam cycle, planned outages included. The site runs continuously and service commitments are met without interruption.

  5. Put maintenance in place

    Preventive policy on a CMMS, maintenance budget. The tool and the reporting are not yet bedded in: you frame them.

  6. Manage the results

    Operating P&L, cost per MWh, fuel. Every delivery variance is quantified, explained and followed by an action in the month's reporting.

  7. Carry safety and environment

    ATEX, operating permit, emissions under continuous monitoring, local stakeholders. These matters carry your name.

  8. Decide on the spot

    Suppliers, manufacturers, partners: few internal reference points on site, and many decisions to take alone.

The context

The role,unfiltered

The context, what draws a strong profile and the real challenges, written as they are.

On the ground · Illustration photo

🏭 Directeur d'usine · production d'énergie · installation de combustion · Belgique

📍 Le poste, sans filtre

Vous dirigez une installation thermique qui tourne jour et nuit, avec des engagements de service à tenir sans rupture. Vous répondez du site entier, de la réception du combustible au compte d'exploitation, et vous êtes rattaché à la direction industrielle.

L'équipe n'est pas au complet : une dizaine à une vingtaine de personnes à terme, et vous recrutez une partie de l'encadrement puis des chefs de quart et des techniciens. Les procédures, la GMAO et le reporting ne sont pas encore rodés. Sur place, peu de références internes : beaucoup d'arbitrages vous reviennent.

⚠️ Les vrais challenges

  • Compléter l'équipe vite : les bons profils d'exploitation et de maintenance sont rares en Belgique, et il faut les convaincre de rejoindre une organisation qui se pose encore.
  • Des procédures et des outils à poser : ce qui n'est pas écrit n'existe pas, et c'est à vous de le faire écrire.
  • Peu de recul sur l'installation : un historique mince, peu de références sur place, et des décisions à prendre seul.
  • Une charge élevée la première année : recruter, écrire et tenir la marche en même temps.
  • Une prise de poste dans les meilleurs délais : le préavis compte.
  • La responsabilité entière du site : sécurité, environnement, résultat et relations locales portent sur votre nom.

💡 Pourquoi un bon directeur de site quitterait son poste pour celui-ci

  • Vous composez une partie de votre équipe au lieu d'en hériter entièrement.
  • L'organisation, les consignes et le tableau de bord porteront votre marque.
  • Le groupe exploite d'autres installations comparables : leur retour d'expérience est à votre disposition.
  • 85 000 à 105 000 € brut par an et voiture de fonction.

03 · The trade

The trade's value chain

The trade in one lineand the part that falls to you

The trade · Illustration photo
  1. Fuel received
  2. Combustion
  3. Steam
  4. Conversion
  5. Energy delivered

A thermal installation in continuous operation, from fuel to delivered energy. You answer for the whole chain.

Volta Executive · outline diagram, taken from the role brief

04 · The organisation

Your place

A clear place,at the right level

A team of 10 to 20 people that is not complete: you recruit part of the supervisory staff and technicians.

We tell you frankly

The team is not complete and part of the supervisory staff is recruited with you. Procedures, the CMMS and reporting are not yet bedded in, the track record is thin, and you often decide alone. The first year is demanding. The site runs day and night, and the management on-call duty is real. The start is as soon as possible, and notice periods count.

05 · Your first months

What we expect of you

Your first months,step by step

  1. Day 0 to day 30

    Get to know the installation

    Read the contracts, meet manufacturers, suppliers and partners, draw on lessons learned from the group's other sites, map the risks.

  2. Day 30 to day 90

    Complete the supervisory team

    Priority hires signed, shift organisation and on-call duty validated, training plan in place.

  3. Day 90 to month 6

    Write and make reliable

    Instructions and degraded modes written, CMMS populated, first shift leaders trained.

  4. Month 6 and beyond

    Deliver the results

    Availability, cost per MWh, emissions and reporting tracked and explained to management.

06 · You, and the framework

What matters

The must-haves,non-negotiable

  • 10 to 15 years of operations on an energy-from-waste plant or a biomass power plant, failing that on an industrial boiler or heating plant
  • Real command of combustion and boilers: you talk about them as an operator, not as a manager
  • A site in continuous operation that you have run, with on-call duty and the operating permit held in your own name
  • A technical team recruited, trained and retained: shift leaders and technicians
  • The operating P&L: budget, costs, KPIs, reporting to a management team
  • Daily presence on site in Belgium

What makes the difference

  • A plus

    An operating organisation structured or rebuilt

  • A plus

    Experience in managing fuel and its supply

  • A plus

    Ongoing relations with local residents, elected officials and clients

  • A plus

    English, for suppliers and partners

  • Won't work

    No experience of a combustion unit or a boiler

  • Won't work

    Never run a site or a shift team

  • Won't work

    A profile solely in support functions, projects or design office

  • Won't work

    No mobility to Belgium

The salary, plainly

85 to 105k€

gross per year

  • Gross annual, local-law contract
  • Company car
  • Permanent contract under local law, cadre status, full time
  • Belgium, daily presence on site, no structural remote working
  • Management on-call duty
  • Team not complete, heavy workload in the first year

What happens next, in two steps

  1. You send your CVon this page, in two minutes
  2. If your profile matches, we will get in touchFlorian Beurtey, who leads the assignment

This role isn't quite right for you? Do not apply to this role: your CV would be read against its criteria, not yours. Send an open application instead, I read it for my other assignments, most of which are never published.

Do you tick the required minimum? Apply here, you will get a straight answer.

Open application

07 · Your application

Send your CV

Energy production plant director (M/F), Belgium

  • No account needed.
  • Every CV is read against the requirements of the role.
  • If your profile matches, we will get in touch.

Your CV stays confidential.

Drop your CV hereor click to choose it · PDF or Word, 10 MB max

Frequently asked questions

What candidatesask first

What is the role and where is it based?

Energy production plant director on a permanent contract, cadre status, in Belgium. An energy production site in continuous operation whose team is not complete: you recruit part of the supervisory staff, you get the instructions written and you answer for the results.

What is the pay?

€85-105k gross per year, depending on profile and experience.

What are the essential criteria (must-haves)?

10 to 15 years of operations on an energy-from-waste plant or a biomass power plant, failing that on an industrial boiler or heating plant; Real command of combustion and boilers: you talk about them as an operator, not as a manager; A site in continuous operation that you have run, with on-call duty and the operating permit held in your own name; A technical team recruited, trained and retained: shift leaders and technicians; The operating P&L: budget, costs, KPIs, reporting to a management team; Daily presence on site in Belgium.

Which profiles are not a fit?

No experience of a combustion unit or a boiler; Never run a site or a shift team; A profile solely in support functions, projects or design office; No mobility to Belgium. An application outside the criteria receives no reply.

How to apply?

You send your CV on the job page. If your profile matches, Volta Executive will contact you. The client's name is shared if your profile is selected.

Who is hiring?

Volta Executive, a recruitment and executive search firm for industry and energy, founded by Florian Beurtey, an engineer who graduated from the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne and AgroParisTech. The assignment is confidential.

Who is hiring

Volta Executive,an engineer who hires engineers

Volta Executive is a recruitment and executive search firm for industry and the energy transition, in France and internationally: energy-from-waste (EfW, SRF), biomass and cogeneration, district heating, anaerobic digestion, energy efficiency, energy storage, electrical engineering. Florian Beurtey, an engineer from Mines Saint-Étienne and AgroParisTech, who has worked at EDF, Safran and INRAE, leads every assignment and meets every candidate before presenting them.