Plant General Manager – Power & Water Operations
Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
About the Role
ACWA is seeking an experienced Plant General Manager to lead the safe, reliable, and efficient operations of large-scale power generation and water desalination assets.
This role is responsible for providing overall leadership across plant operations, maintenance, commercial performance, HSSE, and stakeholder management, ensuring the plant consistently delivers against operational, financial, and contractual targets.
The successful candidate will oversee large operational teams, drive performance improvements, and ensure uninterrupted production while maintaining the highest standards of safety, compliance, and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Plant Leadership & Operations
- Lead all plant operations and maintenance activities to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient plant performance
- Drive operational excellence, plant availability, production efficiency, and long-term asset reliability
- Provide technical leadership and support for troubleshooting, RCA investigations, and performance improvement initiatives
- Oversee major and minor plant modifications while ensuring compliance with operational and safety standards
- Ensure full compliance with contractual obligations, operational KPIs, and production targets
Strategy & Performance
- Develop and implement plant operational strategies aligned with wider business objectives
- Prepare operational, financial, and performance reports for senior leadership and board-level stakeholders
- Monitor plant performance, identify risks and opportunities, and implement corrective actions where required
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives across operations, maintenance, reliability, and cost optimization
Financial & Commercial Management
- Manage plant budgets, financial performance, and cost control activities
- Ensure achievement of revenue, profitability, and productivity targets
- Maintain strong understanding of commercial agreements, contracts, and project obligations
People Leadership
- Lead, develop, and mentor multi-disciplinary operational teams across the plant
- Drive workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development initiatives
- Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence
HSSE & Compliance
- Ensure full compliance with all Health, Safety, Security & Environmental standards and policies
- Support IMS implementation, audits, certifications, and compliance activities
- Promote a strong safety culture across all plant activities and contractor interfaces
Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with project companies, shareholders, OEMs, contractors, regulators, and local authorities
- Act as the key operational representative for the plant across internal and external stakeholders
Requirements
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering
- 15+ years of experience managing large-scale power generation and/or water desalination plants
- Proven leadership experience across operations and maintenance within utility, industrial, or infrastructure environments
- Strong operational understanding of plant reliability, maintenance, and production optimization
- Experience managing operational budgets, commercial performance, and contractual obligations
- Strong leadership capability managing large multi-disciplinary teams
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills
- Strong commitment to HSSE, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
Why Join ACWA
- Opportunity to lead strategic energy and water infrastructure assets
- Exposure to large-scale utility operations across international markets
- Join one of the world's leading energy and water developers
- Play a key role in delivering reliable and sustainable infrastructure solutions
