About Waga Energy
Waga Energy was established to further our founders' commitments to preserving the common good and acting collectively to ensure a sustainable future.
Committed to the fight against global warming and to a sustainable energy transition, Waga Energy has developed a breakthrough technology to recover landfill gas into biomethane, also called Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). Our WAGABOX landfill gas upgrading units deliver high-quality biomethane, regardless of the quality of the raw biogas. The biomethane produced by the WAGABOX can be injected directly into the gas grid or used as fuel for vehicles. Waga Energy builds, owns, operates, and maintains the WAGABOX units under long-term contracts with landfill owners, and biomethane sales revenue is shared
Already in operation at dozens of landfill sites worldwide, this revolutionary landfill gas purification solution has been producing clean, local renewable energy since 2015. Waga Energy is committed to a mission of driving a sustainable energy transition by making RNG accessible to all.
Guided by the values of Boldness, Mastery, and Cooperation, Waga Energy employees in Europe, North America, and other locations are united by a common purpose: maintaining a livable planet for future generations.
About the Position - Responsibilities & Duties
Waga Energy is currently seeking candidates for the position of Lead Operator to oversee a group of landfill biogas to renewable natural gas plants (i.e., WAGABOXES) located in Wheatland, CA, Vacaville, CA, Bakersfield, CA and Eugene,OR. We’re currently seeking candidates centrally located in the Sacramento, CA area.
The candidate selected for this role will work from home and travel extensively, approximately 50%, to the WAGABOX sites listed above. Travel to other sites may also be required. The selected candidate will also be required to spend 3-4 days at Waga Energy’s corporate office in Bala Cynwyd, PA (Philadelphia area) for new hire orientation followed by approximately 1 week of technical training at one of the WAGABOX sites listed above or a site located in New York.
The Lead Operator serves as an operations supervisor responsible for overseeing the safe, compliant, and efficient operations of an assigned pool/group of WAGABOX units while providing hands-on operations and maintenance support to Plant Operators as needed. This role serves as the primary point of coordination between his/her assigned plants and headquarters/office- based operations & maintenance team members.
Associated responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:
WAGABOX Operations & Maintenance Oversight
Ensuring Plant Operators complete all assigned operations & maintenance tasks in a safe, timely, effective manner in accordance with established policies and procedures while maintaining compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and maximizing production/up time.
Serving as the primary Waga Energy representative for assigned WAGABOX sites both internally (within Waga Energy) and externally (i.e., landfill partners, contractors, vendors, suppliers, and other stakeholders).
Serving as the first point of escalation for operations & maintenance issues, troubleshooting support, and decision-making at the site level for assigned WAGABOX sites.
Ensuring the proper coordination and execution of ongoing preventive maintenance and annual maintenance activities for assigned WAGABOX units in accordance with established schedules, policies, and procedures including coordinating unit shutdowns and providing hands-on support as needed.
Monitoring the performance of assigned WAGABOX units, identifying trends, and coordinating with the Operations & Maintenance Director to implement improvements to maximize production/up time and reliability.
Proactively identifying operations and maintenance related risks and coordinating with the Operations & Maintenance Director to implement mitigation strategies.
Communicating the operational status of assigned WAGABOX units to the Operations & Maintenance Director via daily, weekly, and/or monthly reports.
Promoting, maintaining, and serving as a “champion” of a strong safety culture and a safety focused work environment to include implementing established site safety plans for all assigned sites and reporting any plan breach to the Operations & Maintenance Director.
Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives to enhance team performance, operational efficiency, and overall company success.
Performing the duties of a Plant Operator, as needed, to support site operations to include:
Overseeing the daily operations of assigned WAGABOX units (i.e., conducting daily maintenance rounds, completing daily checklists of monitoring items, etc.).
Diagnosing unit performance issues and performing corrective electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic maintenance tasks as well as other corrective maintenance tasks as needed.
Performing preventive maintenance activities based on established schedules (ex. oil, carbon, and sensor changes, etc.).
Serving as the on-site contact person for all site visitors (i.e., contractors, suppliers, vendors, etc.) and supporting visitors’ work activities as needed.
Assisting with the procurement of equipment, supplies, tools, etc. including coordinating with outside manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, etc.
Effectively utilizing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) to track work activities.
Participating in unit pre-commissioning and commissioning activities.
WAGABOX Operator Supervision
Assisting with the onboarding and training of new Plant Operators for assigned WAGABOX units.
Coordinating and monitoring Plant Operator workload and performance to include:
Planning and assigning operations & maintenance activities based on operational priorities, individual expertise, and workload capacity.
Managing schedules to ensure continuous operator coverage across assigned sites (i.e., vacation coverage, etc.).
Optimizing operations and maintenance processes and procedures to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of Plant Operator work activities.
Providing Plant Operators with regular, ongoing technical & methodological support to ensure the achievement of established operational goals and objectives.
Advocating on behalf of Plant Operators to ensure they have the tools, resources, and support necessary to perform their duties safely and efficiently.
Collaborating with the Operations & Maintenance Director to support Plant Operator skill development and career growth.
Providing performance feedback to the Operations & Maintenance Director to support the annual performance evaluation and goal setting process.
About You - Qualifications & Skills
The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with:
A minimum of 7 years of mechanical/electrical maintenance experience in a plant/industrial operations environment within the oil, gas, or chemical industry. Experience working in landfill gas, biogas, or natural gas processing is preferred.
Related technical or vocational education/training. Additional years of experience will be considered in place of formal education/training.
Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with the ability to troubleshoot and repair equipment.
Experience with industrial safety procedures and regulations including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and confined space entry.
Excellent written & verbal communication skills including the ability to effectively build and maintain internal and external relationships.
Experience with CMMS platforms and maintenance planning.
Ability to perform physical tasks associated with the role, including lifting, carrying, and working in varied environmental conditions.
Experience supervising field-based or remote site personnel is a plus as is familiarity with gas treatment technologies, process systems, and/or compression systems.
Culture
Faced with the urgent need to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the employees of Waga Energy have committed themselves to take meaningful action to contribute to sustainable energy transition and the construction of a more environmentally friendly society. In serving as members of this committed team of professionals, Waga Energy employees are supported in meeting their professional development and career advancement goals within a fair, ethical culture focused on cooperation, humility, integrity, respect, and teamwork.
Benefits
Waga offers a competitive annual salary and benefits package including 20 days of paid time off, 11 paid holidays and paid parental leave along with health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance and a 401k plan with company matching contributions.
Recruiting Process
Waga Energy's recruiting process typically includes the following steps:
Interview with human resources representation via Teams.
Candidate completes Predictive Index (PI) behavioral assessment.
Interview with department manager via Teams.
Interview with project management representation in person.
Waga Energy is an equal opportunity employer.
Note to Recruiters/Staffing Agencies: Waga Energy, Inc. is currently managing all recruiting efforts internally and is not accepting inquires or candidate recommendations from external agencies.
