Energy Recruiters has partnered with Calgren to support their search for Vice President of Operations. In this executive leadership role, you will lead all site operations, including ethanol, RNG, CHP, CNG, maintenance, engineering, EI&A, HS&E, and lab functions through driving operational excellence, cultural evolution, and readiness for large-scale CCS integration.
Vice President of Operations
Calgren operates a diversified energy and carbon platform in California’s Central Valley, including:
- 55 MGY ethanol facility
- 1M MMBtu/year dairy RNG cluster
- CHP plant exporting to the grid
- CNG fueling station
- 2M ton/year CCS project in development
We are seeking a Vice President of Operations to serve as the operational executive pillar reporting directly to the CEO.
Role Overview
The VP of Operations will lead all site operations, including ethanol, RNG, CHP, CNG, maintenance, engineering, EI&A, HS&E, and lab functions. This leader will drive operational excellence, cultural evolution, and readiness for large-scale CCS integration.
You will carry full operational P&L responsibility for the Pixley platform, including margin management and commodity risk oversight. The VP will partner closely with the CEO on:
- Corn procurement strategy and cost management
- Ethanol pricing exposure and margin optimization
- Wet distillers' grain (WDG) co-product relative value and corn realization
- Operational yield performance and cost control
The VP will ensure operational decisions align with the commodity risk management strategy and overall profitability.
Location: Pixley, CA (On-Site)
What We’re Looking For
- B.S. in Chemical Engineering (required)
- 10+ years in energy, biofuels, refining, or chemical manufacturing (15+ preferred)
- 5+ years leading production and/or maintenance teams
- Strong process engineering foundation
- Demonstrated financial literacy and P&L responsibility in a commodity-driven business
- MBA or demonstrated executive-level business capability
- Proven culture-builder and systems-oriented leader
We are seeking a leader who began as a hands-on engineer in an operating facility and progressed into plant leadership within energy or chemical manufacturing.
Compensation
- Base Salary: $240,000–$265,000
- Discretionary annual bonus opportunity of up to 50%, based on company profitability and individual performance
- Above-market employer contribution to health insurance
- Safe harbor 401(k) match
This is a unique opportunity to lead a carbon-integrated energy campus at the forefront of renewable fuels, commodity margin management, and carbon monetization.
Contact
Matt Shannon at matts@er-inc.com or 937.741.3778