Plant Superintendent - Richmond, TX
Position Summary:
The Plant Superintendent is responsible for leading the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the cottonseed crush and solvent extraction facility. This role provides operational leadership across production, process safety management (PSM), engineering coordination, reliability, quality, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Plant Superintendent drives operational excellence by ensuring compliance with environmental, health, safety, food safety, and regulatory standards while optimizing plant performance, product yields, asset reliability, and team capability development.
This position also serves as a key operational leader for Total Process Safety (TPS/PSM) initiatives and partners closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, EH&S, and Performance Excellence teams to support sustainable plant operations and strategic business objectives.
Job Responsibilities:
Operations Leadership & Production Execution
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Lead daily operations of the plant, including preparation, pressing, extraction, meal handling, and oil extraction processes to safely achieve production targets, yield performance, and operational KPIs.
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Coordinate manpower, equipment utilization, and raw material flow to execute the production plan efficiently and safely.
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Monitor plant performance, troubleshoot operational issues, and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime and process variability.
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Ensure compliance with operating procedures, process parameters, and operational standards across all production areas.
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Lead daily operational meetings, shift turnover reviews, and operational escalation processes.
Process Safety, Compliance & Risk Management-
Serve as a site leader for Total Process Safety (TPS) and Process Safety Management programs within the solvent extraction operation.
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Ensure compliance with OSHA PSM requirements, NFPA standards, fire protection systems, combustible dust prevention practices, and company process safety standards.
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Lead or support Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), incident investigations, and corrective action tracking.
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Drive process safety culture through employee engagement, audits, risk assessments, and continuous improvement activities.
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Partner with EH&S and Engineering teams to ensure safe operation of solvent extraction systems, utilities, and critical process equipment.
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Maintain emergency response readiness and ensure compliance with fire protection and emergency systems inspection requirements.
Engineering, Maintenance & Reliability-
Collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, and Corporate COE teams on capital projects, process optimization, equipment upgrades, and plant modernization efforts.
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Support root cause analysis (RCA) activities and implement corrective actions to improve safety, equipment reliability, process efficiency, quality, and food safety performance.
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Coordinate planned shutdowns, annual overhauls, inspections, and maintenance activities to minimize operational disruptions.
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Review and prioritize maintenance and engineering work requests based on operational risk and business impact.
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Support implementation of predictive and preventive maintenance strategies.
Quality, Food Safety & Regulatory Standards-
Ensure all areas and processes meet customer specifications, GMP requirements, HACCP standards, and food/feed safety regulations.
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Support implementation and sustainment of quality systems, sanitation standards, and product traceability requirements.
Continuous Improvement & Performance Management-
Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, reliability, productivity, cost reduction, energy optimization, and waste elimination.
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Utilize KPIs, trend analysis, and operational data to drive fact-based decision-making and operational improvements.
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Promote standard work, layered process audits, Gemba walks, visual management, and operational discipline throughout the facility.
Budgeting, Cost Control & Business Planning-
Manage department operating costs, inventories, and production yields to support annual business objectives.
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Monitor material consumption, chemical usage, maintenance spending, and operating efficiency metrics.
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Support budgeting processes, capital planning, and fixed asset management activities.
People Leadership & Workforce Development-
Lead, coach, and develop salaried and hourly operations personnel in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
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Establish clear performance expectations, accountability systems, and employee development plans.
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Promote a culture of teamwork, ownership, engagement, and operational discipline aligned with company values.
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Support workforce training initiatives focused on safety, process operations, troubleshooting, and technical capability development.
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Foster strong cross-functional collaboration between Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, EH&S, and Supply Chain teams.
Day in the Life
A typical day for the Plant Superintendent begins with reviewing production performance, staffing, operating conditions, safety priorities, maintenance needs, and key process metrics across the cottonseed crush and solvent extraction operation. The superintendent may lead or participate in daily operational meetings, shift turnover reviews, and escalation discussions to align teams around production goals, safety expectations, and operational priorities.
Throughout the day, this role stays closely connected to plant operations, partnering with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, EH&S, Supply Chain, and Performance Excellence teams to troubleshoot issues, support process safety requirements, evaluate equipment reliability, and ensure customer, GMP, HACCP, food/feed safety, and regulatory expectations are met.
The role requires strong leadership, technical judgment, and practical problem-solving. One part of the day may involve coaching operations leaders or hourly team members, while another may involve reviewing KPI trends, supporting MOC or PHA activity, prioritizing maintenance work, addressing process variability, or advancing continuous improvement and capital project initiatives.
Job Requirements-
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, Automation, or related technical discipline is preferred. An equivalent combination of technical education and relevant industrial leadership experience may be considered.
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7+ years of progressive leadership experience in agro-industrial, continuous manufacturing operations.
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Experience in cottonseed processing, oilseed crushing, solvent extraction, edible oils, feed manufacturing, chemical processing, or similar continuous process industries preferred.
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Demonstrated experience leading operations in a Process Safety Management (PSM) regulated environment strongly preferred.
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Experience with solvent extraction and hexane-based processing systems strongly preferred.
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Experience managing production teams in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
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Strong understanding of solvent extraction processes, mechanical systems, utilities, and industrial process equipment.
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Knowledge of OSHA PSM, GMP, HACCP, NFPA standards, fire protection systems, and environmental compliance requirements.
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Experience with continuous improvement systems such as Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, or Performance Excellence programs.
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Ability to analyze operational data, process trends, yields, and cost performance metrics.
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Experience with CMMS, ERP, production reporting, and manufacturing management systems.
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Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
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Proven ability to lead through influence, manage change, and drive accountability.
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Strong organizational and problem-solving capabilities.
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Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
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Demonstrated commitment to safety, operational excellence, and employee development.
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Experience leading Management of Change (MOC) and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) activities.
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Previous experience supporting capital project execution and commissioning activities.
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Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills are a plus.
Excited about this role but don’t think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.
ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.
'AJCIND' REF:109308BR
