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Operations Manager
WA - Tacoma
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Assume Ownership of Reliable Refinery Operations and Make Your Mark in a Broad, Important Role

Take Your Career to the Next Level at a Growing Company with a Great Culture

Deep refinery operations experience, exceptional organizational skills and a strong sense of ownership and accountability. If this describes you, this position offers you several significant opportunities: No doubt you've heard of Tacoma. But did you know that, while the cost of living is higher than the national average, there is no state income tax in Washington? This progressive and dynamic city is regularly ranked as one of America's most livable cities; in 2018, for example, Sunset Magazine included it on their list of "20 Game-Changing Places to Live." Relocation assistance is available to highly qualified candidates.

U.S. Oil & Refining, a Par Pacific company, is an industry leader in the production and supply of high-quality motor, aviation and marine fuels and asphalt in the Puget Sound market. We have a refinery capacity of 42,000 bbls per stream day, and total storage capacity of 2.7 million bbls, with 1.4 million bbls of crude and the remainder products. We also offer biofuels in various blends at our loading rack.

Pictured: USOR features attractive assets (refinery, marine terminal, rail loading terminal, and refined product and crude oil storage) and a strategic Pacific Rim location. In what William Pate, President and CEO of Par Pacific Holdings, calls a "transformative acquisition," USOR will connect existing Par Pacific assets in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies.

The Requirements

To meet the basic qualification for this role, you will have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship. In addition, to be a good fit for the Operations Manager opportunity, you will have:
  • A bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Quick question for you - click here
  • 10+ years of related experience, including a strong background in refinery operations. Strength on the crude oil side is a plus.
  • Experience with regulatory compliance.
  • Experience with emergency and incident response.
Just as important will be the ability to:
  • Foster an environment that allows others to participate in the development of goals and objectives aimed at improving the business.
  • Communicate in a manner which ensures that others understand the situation at hand, so that they may take action in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Champion the cause for detailed problem solving and advocate formal processes to achieve this end. You'll also need strategic thinking to solve complex problems and facilitate long-range programs.
  • Encourage an efficient learning environment and develop plans for raising the skills and knowledge of the department.
  • Encourage "out of the box" thinking in order to flush out ideas that can set us apart from our competition.
  • Set personal priorities using a rational basis and teach others to do the same.
  • Hear and understand the positions of various stakeholders, and reconsider and change your own position to improve outcomes.
  • Understand the organization’s strategic resource requirements, identify people with necessary skills and quickly assemble these resources to address current priorities.
You also will need to be willing and able to be on-call at all times, and able to respond immediately via phone or in person, as appropriate. Issues may be related to HR, environmental compliance, process and other areas.

Pictured: U.S. Oil is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees and contractors and strives to provide a safe working environment and assure that all operations are conducted in accordance with recognized industry standards. The Process Safety Management (PSM) Program at USOR is an important part of the overall refinery safety program.

The Role

Reporting to the Refinery Manager, you will oversee 11 Supervisors and 50+ Operators on 4 rotating shifts. You'll supervise, lead and champion the Operations Team, whose primary objective is to achieve the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operations of the refinery through proactive maintenance, adherence to established procedures and good practices, development of the ability to anticipate problems in advance and/or respond to problems quickly, and adoption of a culture of continuous improvement.

Your responsibilities will fall into four main areas. In the area of operations, you will:
  1. Participate with Planning and Marketing in developing a short-term plan for the refinery through bi-weekly meetings.
  2. Monitor refinery operations to assure the plan is being followed, including product specifications vs. actuals and unit run rates vs. plan.
  3. Work to continually improve the bottom line and assure the refinery is being run in the most optimum manner. Work to reduce fixed and variable costs.
  4. Assure equipment is properly maintained and work with Maintenance to reduce repetitive downtime on equipment. Assist Maintenance in turnaround planning and training of operators on proper equipment use.
  5. Ensure equipment is being operated in compliance with environmental regulations.
  6. Coordinate manufacturing daily activities, including leading a daily morning meeting.
In the administrative area you will:
  1. Develop and control the annual OPEX budget through monthly monitoring.
  2. Directly supervise Area Superintendents and Shift Supervisors to develop the operators' vacation, training, and work schedule.
  3. Work with other refinery department heads and the Refinery Manager in developing overall refinery goals.
  4. Work with HR regarding operator hiring and to ensure they are properly represented, through communication and meetings as needed.
With regard to environmental, health and safety affairs, you will:
  1. Insist on the highest standards in minimizing injuries. Work with Safety Department in improving safety awareness and improving working environment.
  2. Work toward the goal of no environmental violations through communications, training and upgrading of equipment.
  3. Assure that operations personnel are aware of present and possible new environmental and safety regulations via communications and training.
  4. Participate and be a role model in safety and environmental programs, including leading team safety meetings.
  5. Serve as initial incident commander.
Regarding human resources, you will:
  1. Develop succession plans for Area Superintendents, Shift Supervisors and Operators.
  2. Develop pride and commitment within the operators.
  3. Develop, execute and maintain standards of high performance.
  4. Support recruitment and retention efforts.
  5. Support union relations management.
Pictured above: USOR has earned a reputation as a premier supplier of marine fuels in the Puget Sound area. In addition, our deepwater marine terminal on Commencement Bay also handles crude oil, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and vacuum gas oil. Below, we are committed to producing petroleum products in a manner that is protective of the health and safety of our employees, customers, contractors and neighbors.

More Good Reasons

Professional development
As you can see under The Role tab, this is a wide-ranging role, giving you the chance to expand your skills in multiple areas. In addition, you'll add to your turnaround experience, as we have several significant turnaround projects slated. You'll also be able to share ideas and insights with peers at sister refineries in Hawaii and Wyoming.

Broad exposure
While you'll have individual responsibilities, you'll also need to collaborate with others to achieve your goals. This will include leaders in just about all internal departments, as well as government officials, oil industry representatives, engineering firms and customers.

Career options
USOR is a smaller company, so we want to set realistic expectations -- this is not a "fast track" situation. We're looking for a professional who wants to build a progressive career home, and a strong performance could set you up to take on additional responsibilities. Advancement opportunities do arise, both within USOR and in other areas of Par Pacific.

Great culture
We promote a meritocracy in which talent and performance are recognized and rewarded. These are just some of the reasons that the average tenure is 14 years. Within USOR and across Par Pacific you will find people who are driven, hardworking, and entrepreneur-minded professionals.

Opportunistic growth strategy
The addition of USOR to the Par Pacific family is evidence of Par Pacific's success in an ambitious strategic growth plan focused on attractive downstream markets. USOR represents a key part of an integrated downstream network with significantly enhanced scale and diversification. Par Pacific's leadership has deep experience in the energy industry, as well as in leading mergers, acquisitions and integrations.

Next gen fuels
We are called US Oil, but in reality, we are an energy company that has recognized the imperative and embraced the opportunity to begin the transition from fossil fuels. We are developing products that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example:
  • We have processed recycled feedstocks derived from plastic bottles into transportation fuels.
  • We produce asphalt that is 100% recyclable and reusable.
  • We proactively invested in technologies which reduced flaring, emissions and resulted in a 25% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions.
  • We voluntarily installed a marine vapor combustion system to reduce air emissions at our marine docks.
  • Our products include ultra-low sulfur diesel, produced long before the EPA's mandate to do so.
Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive salary and bonus opportunity, we offer a strong comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance; a robust allotment of paid vacation plus paid time off; a 401(k) with company match; educational reimbursement; and more. Employees can also purchase pure gasoline at street prices.

Pictured: In addition to truck/trailer, marine and rail distribution facilities, USOR owns and operates the McChord Pipeline, a six-inch diameter, 14.2-mile intrastate pipeline transporting military grade jet fuel to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Keys to Success

It should be clear by now that this role carries significant responsibility. We're looking for a professional who not only has a deep sense of ownership and accountability, but also one who promotes that in others. You should model a habit of seeing what needs to be done, taking charge and making things happen. In fact, when the Refinery Manager is away, you will be in charge.

You should be comfortable wearing a lot of different hats and switching from one to another several times per day. In particular, when issues come up, you should be the one who remains calm, provides decisive direction and helps others focus.

In addition, in order to be an outstanding Operations Manager, you will:
  • Demonstrate persistence and take action to achieve goals and objectives despite obstacles and resistance to change.
  • Comprehend and translate information effectively to others at different levels in the organization.
  • Work to enhance the personal performance of others and increase your team's value to the organization.
  • Show a willingness to take well-calculated business risks and to do things differently to improve organizational performance.
  • Learn from the actions of others and your own mistakes in an effort to improve the business.
  • Delegate and trust, but also verify.

Assume Ownership of Reliable Refinery Operations and Make Your Mark in a Broad, Important Role

Take Your Career to the Next Level at a Growing Company with a Great Culture

Deep refinery operations experience, exceptional organizational skills and a strong sense of ownership and accountability. If this describes you, this position offers you several significant opportunities: No doubt you've heard of Tacoma. But did you know that, while the cost of living is higher than the national average, there is no state income tax in Washington? This progressive and dynamic city is regularly ranked as one of America's most livable cities; in 2018, for example, Sunset Magazine included it on their list of "20 Game-Changing Places to Live." Relocation assistance is available to highly qualified candidates.

U.S. Oil & Refining, a Par Pacific company, is an industry leader in the production and supply of high-quality motor, aviation and marine fuels and asphalt in the Puget Sound market. We have a refinery capacity of 42,000 bbls per stream day, and total storage capacity of 2.7 million bbls, with 1.4 million bbls of crude and the remainder products. We also offer biofuels in various blends at our loading rack.

Pictured: USOR features attractive assets (refinery, marine terminal, rail loading terminal, and refined product and crude oil storage) and a strategic Pacific Rim location. In what William Pate, President and CEO of Par Pacific Holdings, calls a "transformative acquisition," USOR will connect existing Par Pacific assets in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies.

The Requirements

To meet the basic qualification for this role, you will have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship. In addition, to be a good fit for the Operations Manager opportunity, you will have:
  • A bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Quick question for you - click here
  • 10+ years of related experience, including a strong background in refinery operations. Strength on the crude oil side is a plus.
  • Experience with regulatory compliance.
  • Experience with emergency and incident response.
Just as important will be the ability to:
  • Foster an environment that allows others to participate in the development of goals and objectives aimed at improving the business.
  • Communicate in a manner which ensures that others understand the situation at hand, so that they may take action in a timely and efficient manner.
  • Champion the cause for detailed problem solving and advocate formal processes to achieve this end. You'll also need strategic thinking to solve complex problems and facilitate long-range programs.
  • Encourage an efficient learning environment and develop plans for raising the skills and knowledge of the department.
  • Encourage "out of the box" thinking in order to flush out ideas that can set us apart from our competition.
  • Set personal priorities using a rational basis and teach others to do the same.
  • Hear and understand the positions of various stakeholders, and reconsider and change your own position to improve outcomes.
  • Understand the organization’s strategic resource requirements, identify people with necessary skills and quickly assemble these resources to address current priorities.
You also will need to be willing and able to be on-call at all times, and able to respond immediately via phone or in person, as appropriate. Issues may be related to HR, environmental compliance, process and other areas.

Pictured: U.S. Oil is committed to the safety and well-being of its employees and contractors and strives to provide a safe working environment and assure that all operations are conducted in accordance with recognized industry standards. The Process Safety Management (PSM) Program at USOR is an important part of the overall refinery safety program.

The Role

Reporting to the Refinery Manager, you will oversee 11 Supervisors and 50+ Operators on 4 rotating shifts. You'll supervise, lead and champion the Operations Team, whose primary objective is to achieve the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operations of the refinery through proactive maintenance, adherence to established procedures and good practices, development of the ability to anticipate problems in advance and/or respond to problems quickly, and adoption of a culture of continuous improvement.

Your responsibilities will fall into four main areas. In the area of operations, you will:
  1. Participate with Planning and Marketing in developing a short-term plan for the refinery through bi-weekly meetings.
  2. Monitor refinery operations to assure the plan is being followed, including product specifications vs. actuals and unit run rates vs. plan.
  3. Work to continually improve the bottom line and assure the refinery is being run in the most optimum manner. Work to reduce fixed and variable costs.
  4. Assure equipment is properly maintained and work with Maintenance to reduce repetitive downtime on equipment. Assist Maintenance in turnaround planning and training of operators on proper equipment use.
  5. Ensure equipment is being operated in compliance with environmental regulations.
  6. Coordinate manufacturing daily activities, including leading a daily morning meeting.
In the administrative area you will:
  1. Develop and control the annual OPEX budget through monthly monitoring.
  2. Directly supervise Area Superintendents and Shift Supervisors to develop the operators' vacation, training, and work schedule.
  3. Work with other refinery department heads and the Refinery Manager in developing overall refinery goals.
  4. Work with HR regarding operator hiring and to ensure they are properly represented, through communication and meetings as needed.
With regard to environmental, health and safety affairs, you will:
  1. Insist on the highest standards in minimizing injuries. Work with Safety Department in improving safety awareness and improving working environment.
  2. Work toward the goal of no environmental violations through communications, training and upgrading of equipment.
  3. Assure that operations personnel are aware of present and possible new environmental and safety regulations via communications and training.
  4. Participate and be a role model in safety and environmental programs, including leading team safety meetings.
  5. Serve as initial incident commander.
Regarding human resources, you will:
  1. Develop succession plans for Area Superintendents, Shift Supervisors and Operators.
  2. Develop pride and commitment within the operators.
  3. Develop, execute and maintain standards of high performance.
  4. Support recruitment and retention efforts.
  5. Support union relations management.
Pictured above: USOR has earned a reputation as a premier supplier of marine fuels in the Puget Sound area. In addition, our deepwater marine terminal on Commencement Bay also handles crude oil, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and vacuum gas oil. Below, we are committed to producing petroleum products in a manner that is protective of the health and safety of our employees, customers, contractors and neighbors.

More Good Reasons

Professional development
As you can see under The Role tab, this is a wide-ranging role, giving you the chance to expand your skills in multiple areas. In addition, you'll add to your turnaround experience, as we have several significant turnaround projects slated. You'll also be able to share ideas and insights with peers at sister refineries in Hawaii and Wyoming.

Broad exposure
While you'll have individual responsibilities, you'll also need to collaborate with others to achieve your goals. This will include leaders in just about all internal departments, as well as government officials, oil industry representatives, engineering firms and customers.

Career options
USOR is a smaller company, so we want to set realistic expectations -- this is not a "fast track" situation. We're looking for a professional who wants to build a progressive career home, and a strong performance could set you up to take on additional responsibilities. Advancement opportunities do arise, both within USOR and in other areas of Par Pacific.

Great culture
We promote a meritocracy in which talent and performance are recognized and rewarded. These are just some of the reasons that the average tenure is 14 years. Within USOR and across Par Pacific you will find people who are driven, hardworking, and entrepreneur-minded professionals.

Opportunistic growth strategy
The addition of USOR to the Par Pacific family is evidence of Par Pacific's success in an ambitious strategic growth plan focused on attractive downstream markets. USOR represents a key part of an integrated downstream network with significantly enhanced scale and diversification. Par Pacific's leadership has deep experience in the energy industry, as well as in leading mergers, acquisitions and integrations.

Next gen fuels
We are called US Oil, but in reality, we are an energy company that has recognized the imperative and embraced the opportunity to begin the transition from fossil fuels. We are developing products that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example:
  • We have processed recycled feedstocks derived from plastic bottles into transportation fuels.
  • We produce asphalt that is 100% recyclable and reusable.
  • We proactively invested in technologies which reduced flaring, emissions and resulted in a 25% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions.
  • We voluntarily installed a marine vapor combustion system to reduce air emissions at our marine docks.
  • Our products include ultra-low sulfur diesel, produced long before the EPA's mandate to do so.
Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive salary and bonus opportunity, we offer a strong comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision insurance; a robust allotment of paid vacation plus paid time off; a 401(k) with company match; educational reimbursement; and more. Employees can also purchase pure gasoline at street prices.

Pictured: In addition to truck/trailer, marine and rail distribution facilities, USOR owns and operates the McChord Pipeline, a six-inch diameter, 14.2-mile intrastate pipeline transporting military grade jet fuel to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Keys to Success

It should be clear by now that this role carries significant responsibility. We're looking for a professional who not only has a deep sense of ownership and accountability, but also one who promotes that in others. You should model a habit of seeing what needs to be done, taking charge and making things happen. In fact, when the Refinery Manager is away, you will be in charge.

You should be comfortable wearing a lot of different hats and switching from one to another several times per day. In particular, when issues come up, you should be the one who remains calm, provides decisive direction and helps others focus.

In addition, in order to be an outstanding Operations Manager, you will:
  • Demonstrate persistence and take action to achieve goals and objectives despite obstacles and resistance to change.
  • Comprehend and translate information effectively to others at different levels in the organization.
  • Work to enhance the personal performance of others and increase your team's value to the organization.
  • Show a willingness to take well-calculated business risks and to do things differently to improve organizational performance.
  • Learn from the actions of others and your own mistakes in an effort to improve the business.
  • Delegate and trust, but also verify.
Par Pacific is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact the Human Resources Department at jhill@engage2excel.com.
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