Red Sea Global
Senior Manager - Operations (District Cooling Plant)
- Permanent
- Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
- Experience 10 - 15 yrs
Job overview
Date posted
07/10/2025
Location
Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
Salary
Undisclosed
Compensation
Job description
The Senior Manager – Operations (District Cooling Plant) within the Technical Services Division and Dry Utilities Department at The Red Sea Utility Company oversees operational excellence, performance optimization, and strategic development for one or more district cooling plants, ensuring reliable and efficient cooling service delivery. The role leads daily plant operations, applies industry best practices and KPIs, and monitors performance using SCADA and other monitoring systems to initiate corrective actions. Responsibilities span strategic planning and optimization to improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and enhance system reliability; capacity planning in coordination with planning and engineering; and comprehensive team leadership of operators, engineers, and technicians. The position manages preventive and predictive maintenance programs, asset life-cycle management, and vendor/contractor performance, including technical evaluations and contract compliance. It administers operational budgeting (energy costs, manpower, maintenance) and produces regular reports on plant performance, incidents, efficiency, and regulatory compliance (including functional MIS reporting) for senior management. The role enforces health, safety, and environmental compliance, leads incident investigations and root cause analysis with corrective actions, and coordinates with utility providers, end users, and internal stakeholders for aligned operations. It mandates adherence to functional policies, processes, standard operating procedures, and reporting standards; applies safety, quality, and environmental management controls; and drives continuous improvement aligned to international best practice, business process efficiency, cost reduction, and productivity improvement. Technical proficiency includes SCADA, CMMS, energy management tools, chilled water systems, automation controls, and deep knowledge of district cooling technologies, with preferred certifications such as PMP, CEM, and NEBOSH.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Oversee day-to-day operations of district cooling plant(s) to ensure uninterrupted, efficient cooling service delivery aligned with KPIs and industry best practices.
- Monitor plant performance using SCADA and other monitoring systems, analyze trends, and initiate corrective actions to maintain reliability and efficiency.
- Develop and implement short- and long-term operational strategies to improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and enhance system reliability.
- Lead plant capacity planning and optimization initiatives in coordination with planning and engineering teams to meet current and future demand.
- Lead, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary operations teams (operators, engineers, technicians), defining roles, setting performance expectations, and driving continuous technical development.
- Oversee preventive and predictive maintenance programs and ensure optimal asset life-cycle management in coordination with maintenance and engineering departments.
- Prepare and manage operational budgets covering energy costs, manpower, and maintenance expenditures; produce periodic performance, incident, efficiency, and compliance reports for senior management.
- Ensure strict adherence to health, safety, and environmental regulations and company policies; lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, and implementation of corrective actions.
- Coordinate with utility providers, end users, and internal stakeholders as the key point of contact for operational issues and escalations to ensure aligned operations.
- Implement and enforce functional policies, processes, standard operating procedures, and reporting requirements to maintain controlled and consistent operations.
- Provide required data for accurate and timely functional MIS statements and reports to meet corporate and functional standards.
- Apply safety, quality, and environmental management policies and controls to ensure employee safety, legislative compliance, and responsible environmental performance.
- Identify and execute continuous improvement opportunities in systems, processes, and practices in line with international best practice for business process enhancement, cost reduction, and productivity improvement.
- Manage vendor and contractor performance, conduct technical evaluations, ensure contract compliance, and drive service quality improvements across suppliers and service providers.
Experience & skills
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering (Master’s preferred).
- Bring a minimum of 10–12 years of experience in utility operations with an EPC contractor background, including at least 5 years in a senior operations management role within district cooling or a related energy sector.
- Demonstrate in-depth understanding of district cooling technologies, chilled water systems, and automation controls, with proficiency in SCADA, CMMS, and energy management tools.
- Exhibit strong leadership and team management capabilities with proven experience mentoring multidisciplinary operations teams.
- Show strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, including leading root cause analysis and incident investigations with corrective actions.
- Demonstrate sound knowledge of relevant health, safety, and environmental standards and the ability to enforce HSE compliance across plant operations.
- Present competency in preventive and predictive maintenance, asset life-cycle management, capacity planning, budgeting, and performance reporting (including MIS).
- Possess preferred certifications such as PMP, CEM, or equivalent and NEBOSH or comparable safety certifications.