Operations Director: STL Anaerobic Digestion

Company Overview

STL energy is an innovative and dynamic organization operating within the agricultural sector in Herefordshire. Our core values emphasize efficiency, personal responsibility, and collaboration, driving us to develop sustainable energy solutions that make a positive impact.

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Operations Director for our STL Anaerobic Digestion facility. In this pivotal leadership role, you will oversee all operational aspects of the anaerobic digestion process, ensuring optimal performance, safety, and compliance. You will lead a team of supervisors and operational staff, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement to advance our sustainable energy initiatives.

This is a hands\-on leadership role responsible for the day\-to\-day running of STL Energy’s Anaerobic Digester Plants. The plants operate continuously, so the role combines operational management, maintenance planning, and people leadership with genuine on\-the\-tools involvement when needed. The successful candidate will be the senior person on site, accountable for keeping the plant running safely, efficiently, and compliantly, while managing a team and a parts/spares budget.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance \& Plant Reliability

• Coordinate the planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedule for all plant assets — CHP engines, GEU and CO2 liquefaction systems, pumps, mixers, gas handling and safety systems, feed and digestate handling equipment — ensuring servicing is planned, resourced, and completed on time.


• Lead the response to breakdowns and emergency repairs, including out\-of\-hours callouts, diagnosing faults quickly and coordinating the fastest safe route back to full operation.


• Manage relationships with equipment manufacturers, service contractors, and specialist engineers (CHP, electrical, gas safety, controls/SCADA), including negotiating service contracts and call\-out terms.


• Maintain accurate maintenance records and asset history for all critical plant, supporting warranty claims, insurance requirements, and permit compliance.


• Identify recurring failure patterns and drive reliability improvements to reduce downtime and unplanned costs.

• Coordinate the spares inventory: set minimum stock levels for critical and long\-lead\-time parts, and ensurethe right spares are on site to minimise downtime.


• Manage supplier relationships and raise purchase orders for parts, consumables, and specialist tools within budget.


• Balance stock\-holding costs against breakdown risk, and continuously review the critical spares list as plant and risk profile evolve.

• Manage the day\-to\-day work of the site teams, including shift/rota planning to ensure 24/7 cover and emergency response capability.


• Plan and allocate daily/weekly tasks across feedstock intake, plant monitoring, routine maintenance, and housekeeping.


• Manage holiday, absence, and overtime cover to keep the plant adequately staffed at all times.


• Recruit, induct, train, and develop site staff, and manage performance and conduct issues as they arise.


• Coordinate contractors and visiting engineers working on site, ensuring proper induction, permits to work, and supervision.

• Implement and maintain the site H\&S management system, including risk assessments, safe systems of work, and permits to work (confined space, hot work, working at height, isolation/LOTO), in coordination with the STL Health and Safety Director


• Ensure compliance with ATEX/DSEAR requirements given the plant's gas\-handling and explosive\-atmosphere zones.


• Help the H\&S Director to investigate accidents, near\-misses, and environmental incidents on site, complete RIDDOR reporting where required, and implement corrective actions.


• Implement and maintain environmental permit conditions on site, including feedstock intake records, digestate storage and spreading records, emissions monitoring, and odour management.


• Prepare and submit routine regulatory and permit\-related reports (e.g. to the Environment Agency/SEPA and HSE) and act as the site's day\-to\-day point of contact during inspections.


• Maintain the site's emergency response arrangements, including gas release, fire, and spillage procedures, and ensure the team is trained and drilled on them.


• Report site HSE performance, incidents, and compliance status to the H\&S Director

• Proven supervisory experience in managing large\-scale industrial or energy operations


• Strong management skills with the ability to lead diverse teams effectively


• Demonstrated leadership qualities with a proactive approach to problem\-solving and decision\-making


• Excellent communication skills for liaising with internal teams and external partners


• Knowledge of anaerobic digestion processes or renewable energy technologies is highly desirable


• Ability to analyse complex data sets and implement process improvements accordingly

Education:

• A\-Level or equivalent (preferred)

• English (required)

• Driving Licence (preferred)

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