Robinson Carbon is hiring a Plant General Manager to lead our biochar production facility in Alexandria, Louisiana from the ground up. You'll own the full P&L for the site — safety, production, quality, staffing, and budget — and be the senior operating leader on the ground as we scale from commissioning into steady-state production. We're a lumber company that got into biochar because we know wood, know biomass, and know how to run a plant; we're looking for someone who can build the team and the operating discipline that takes this facility from first production to a reliable, scalable business.
Key Responsibilities
- Plant Leadership: Own overall accountability for safety, production, quality, and cost at the Alexandria facility; set the operating rhythm for the site and hold the leadership team accountable to it
- Team Building: Hire, train, and develop the Production Lead, Process Engineer, Maintenance Technician, and Reactor Operator team; build a plant culture centered on safety and operational discipline
- Production & Budget: Set annual production targets and operating budget; track performance against both and course correct as the plant scales
- Safety & Compliance: Ensure the site meets all EHS, environmental permit, and regulatory requirements; lead incident investigations and drive toward a zero-incident operation
- Capital Projects: Partner with company leadership on capacity expansion, new equipment commissioning, and capital investment planning for the site
- Cross-Functional Coordination: Work with Robinson Carbon's Carbon Science, Strategy, and Systems Engineering functions to align plant operations with credit registration, buyer commitments, and company-wide scale-up plans
- Reporting: Report site performance — production, safety, quality, and cost — to Robinson Carbon leadership on a regular cadence
- Community & Regulatory Relations: Serve as the plant's primary point of contact with local officials, permitting agencies, and the surrounding community
Requirements & Qualifications
- Experience: 7+ years in manufacturing or industrial plant leadership, including at least 3 years in a plant manager or general manager role
- Industrial Background: Experience running a continuous-process or batch industrial facility preferred (biochar, pyrolysis, wood products, chemicals, or similar heavy industrial environment)
- Leadership: Proven track record building and leading a multi-functional plant team, including hourly and salaried staff
- Safety & Compliance: Working knowledge of EHS regulations and environmental permitting for an industrial facility
- Business Acumen: Comfortable owning a plant budget and P&L, and communicating performance to senior leadership
- Startup Mindset: Experience standing up a new facility or production line is a strong plus
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations, or a related field preferred, or equivalent hands-on experience
- Travel: Occasional travel to support other Robinson Carbon sites and corporate meetings
What We Offer
- The opportunity to lead a first-of-its-kind facility from commissioning through scale-up
- Direct partnership with Robinson Carbon's founder and leadership team in shaping the company's operating model
- A chance to lead at the forefront of green energy and carbon sequestration technology