WELCOME TO VCNA!
We are St Marys Cement, part of Votorantim Cimentos North America (VCNA).
As the North American operations of Votorantim Cimentos, a global building materials and sustainability solutions leader in 11 countries, we are helping to make a positive impact and are transforming our world. We have a culture built on solid partnerships, long-lasting relationships, and opportunities for those who want to learn, grow and be part of a diverse and dynamic culture.
With solutions that include cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates, we help to build homes, highways, hospitals, buildings, bridges, and schools across the Canadian and U.S. Great Lakes region and Northeast United States. Our commitment to excellence can be seen in those who invest and believe in what we do, those who share their lives with us, those who trust in our deliveries and those committed to innovation and a sustainable future.
Every day, we have the chance to accomplish something new, and you're invited to be part of it.
Summary/Job Scope:
Reporting to the VP, Operations Cement, the Commissioning, Startup & Operational Readiness Manager serves as the cross-functional integrator for Finish Mill 4, bringing together the project, Plant Operations, Maintenance, Process, Electrical, Automation, Health and Safety, contractor and OEM teams. The role provides the coordination, governance and operational focus required to ensure systems are ready for commissioning, plant personnel are prepared to assume ownership, and risks or gaps are identified and addressed in a timely manner. The Manager will remain engaged through startup, ramp-up and stabilization to support a safe, efficient and sustainable transition to Plant Operations.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership, Governance and Stakeholder Coordination
- Serve as the primary point of contact for commissioning, startup and operational readiness, providing the VP, Operations Cement with a consolidated view of status, risks, decisions and required support.
- Establish the commissioning and operational-readiness governance structure, meeting cadence, decision-making process, action tracker and escalation path across the project, Plant, contractor, engineering and OEM teams.
- Maintain an integrated readiness dashboard covering safety, construction and system-turnover status, commissioning, staffing, training, procedures, maintenance systems, spare parts, materials, performance testing and handover.
- Clarify interfaces, responsibilities and decision rights among stakeholders; resolve competing priorities and ensure commitments are translated into owners, due dates and measurable deliverables.
- Facilitate timely operational decisions and escalate unresolved safety, technical, commercial, schedule or resource constraints with clear recommendations and impacts.
Commissioning, Startup and Handover
- Develop and maintain an integrated commissioning, startup and ramp-up plan defining system boundaries, sequencing, milestones, responsibilities, readiness criteria and key risks.
- Work with Plant leadership to establish and prepare a multidisciplinary team, using existing Plant resources (mechanics, boilermakers, electricians, etc.), to participate in pre-startup verification and dry commissioning alongside the commissioning team led by the CapEx team.
- As wet commissioning begins, transition leadership to Plant Operations and the Commissioning, Startup & Operational Readiness Manager, with CapEx shifting to a technical support role.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary system walkthroughs, punch-list development and conditional handover, ensuring safety-critical and startup-blocking deficiencies are resolved before operation, and remaining items are clearly assigned and tracked.
- Lead the Plant team through wet commissioning, startup, performance testing, ramp-up and stabilization, while providing concise status reporting and escalating unresolved safety, technical, schedule or readiness issues.
Operational Readiness and Training
- Establish and drive an operational-readiness plan covering operating procedures, staffing, competencies, training, maintenance readiness, spare parts, documentation and plant ownership requirements.
- Identify readiness gaps, assign ownership, bring together the required plant/project/OEM resources and drive actions to completion; escalate when support or decisions are not obtained.
- Work with Plant Operations to establish operating philosophy, startup/shutdown procedures, upset-condition response, operator rounds, checklists, control-room requirements and troubleshooting guidance.
- Coordinate OEM, vendor and internal training and confirm operators and maintainers are prepared to assume control of the mill during wet commissioning.
Maintenance, Reliability, SAP and Spare Parts
- Be accountable for maintenance-system readiness, including equipment/functional-location structures, bills of material, preventive-maintenance plans, task lists, lubrication requirements and required asset information in SAP; data entry may be performed by other assigned resources.
- Review and challenge OEM maintenance recommendations and convert them into practical plant maintenance and condition-monitoring strategies appropriate to Bowmanville operations.
- Review spares supplied with the equipment packages and identify gaps for commissioning, startup, critical operation and long-lead requirements.
- Challenge OEM spare-parts recommendations based on criticality, failure risk, lead time, commonality and availability of standard components, and coordinate required purchases with Procurement, Maintenance and Project Management.
- Identify additional resources or expenditures required for commissioning and operational readiness and provide the technical basis for approval.
Material Readiness, Process Optimization and Performance
- Work with Operations and Process teams to ensure clinker, slag, gypsum, synthetic gypsum and additives can be safely and reliably stored, reclaimed and introduced during commissioning and startup, including risks related to moisture, freezing, compaction and flowability.
- Lead the startup and ramp-up strategy with Process Engineering, Operations and OEM representatives, with emphasis on achieving stable production and reliability as quickly and safely as practical.
- Drive process optimization of throughput, product quality, separator performance, circulating load, specific power, equipment loading, temperatures, vibration and other key operating parameters.
- Coordinate structured troubleshooting and corrective actions with Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Process, contractors and OEMs.
- Plan and coordinate supplier performance testing and reliability demonstrations and remain engaged through stabilization and final operational handover.
Health, Safety, Quality and Documentation
- Provide visible safety leadership and ensure commissioning activities comply with VCNA requirements, applicable legislation, site procedures, permits and lockout/tagout requirements.
- Lead or participate in commissioning risk assessments and pre-startup safety reviews and verify that safeguards, interlocks, alarms and safety-critical deficiencies are addressed before equipment is placed in service.
- Ensure commissioning records, inspection and test documentation, drawings, manuals, operating procedures, maintenance information, vendor documentation and final turnover packages are complete and transferred to the plant.
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Note: Duties and responsibilities listed above may evolve to meet business, operational, and regulatory requirements.
Qualifications:
Education and/or Designations:
- Degree or diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Process, Chemical or a related engineering/technical discipline is preferred; equivalent extensive cement-industry experience will be considered.
Experience:
- Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible cement-industry experience, with preference for 20+ years and multiple major brownfield commissioning/startup assignments.
- Extensive direct experience with cement grinding systems, finish mills, separators, material handling, dust collection, electrical/automation systems, process controls and plant startup.
- Strong experience working with Plant Operations and Maintenance organizations; previous Production Manager, Operations leadership or senior commissioning/startup experience is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary plant, project, contractor and OEM teams through commissioning, startup, ramp-up and operational handover.
- Working knowledge of SAP or comparable maintenance-management systems, including asset structures, preventive-maintenance programs, bills of material and spare-parts integration.
Skills:
- Deep practical understanding of cement manufacturing, commissioning, startup, process optimization, maintenance and reliability.
- Strong ownership mentality with the ability to identify gaps, establish priorities, assign clear accountability and drive actions to completion.
- Ability to challenge OEM recommendations constructively and make sound, practical, risk-based decisions.
- Strong troubleshooting, planning, leadership and communication skills, including the ability to influence across functions and provide concise executive updates.
Work Environment:
- Industrial manufacturing environment with exposure to noise, dust, heat, and heavy equipment.
- Physical effort for this role has been rated Moderate (meaning physical activity (e.g. standing, walking, working in an awkward or constrained physical position or confined/restricted space) can be up to 50% of the workday.
- Required valid driver’s license and passport, with readiness to travel and flexibility with working hours.
- On-site presence required.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
Being part of VCNA is being part of building famous landmarks such as Toronto's CN Tower, Roy Thompson Hall, Maple Leaf Gardens and the Darlington Nuclear Station and Ryerson Centre, St. Regis Chicago and 150 N. Riverside, Louis High-Speed Rail in Chicago and more
- Opportunities to collaborate with teams around the globe and growth opportunities in different areas
- Training, professional development
- Access to Employees Resource Groups (ERGs), including SheBuilds, which fosters mentorship, leadership development and community support
- Tuition reimbursement/assistance
- Competitive wages, vacation and holiday time
- Medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance
- RRSP and DC (CAN) and 401K (U.S.)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): confidential support for you and your family (CAN)
- Educational scholarship program for dependents of regular salaried employees.
- Fertility drug coverage
- Paid Maternity Leave Top Up
- Hybrid work model for certain positions
Employment Type: One-Year Fixed-Term Contract; twelve (12) month contract, through startup and stabilization.
Hourly Rate: $48.64 - $60.80
(Offers will be based on qualifications, experience and education, which will determine where a candidate will fall in line with the above wage range)
OUR PEOPLE
We care about people - all people. At VCNA, we take safety, health and wellness seriously. We're dedicated to giving our employees a safe workplace, our neighbors a safe environment and our customers a high-quality and safe product. Safety first -and always!
Our VC Way reflects who we are, inspiring us to unite our culture and be our best: Our Way of Being: ethical and respectful, Our Way of Working: together with excellence and Our Way of Thriving: with the courage to transform.
INCLUSION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT
We have a results-oriented culture that values being open, honest, and authentic. It's part of our DNA. We are continually expanding our diverse and inclusive team by providing opportunities for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability or economic status - a workplace where you can express your individuality and be your best self!
