Injection Operations Manager

Charm's Basco LA site is the world's first operational bio-oil Injection well — and the platform from which we will scale carbon removal to the next sites. The site has matured into a technically complex facility: multi-feed bio-oil blending, active filtration development, automated PLC state-machine logic, real-time process monitoring, and a growing sample/lab program. As we scale 24/7 operations, the site needs a senior, engineering-trained leader seated locally to own day-of-shift technical decisions and the operator cadence.

The Injection Manager is the senior on-site technical and administrative owner of the Basco facility. They make the call on filtration strategy, viscosity/heating, recirculation vs. injection, and escalation. They run the abnormal-situation playbook (hypothesize → test → decide → write up). They own the weekly cadence — schedule, timecards, training, SOP redlines, hiring, daily orders — and partner with the on-site Operations Supervisor (who leads the crew in the field). They are the single counterpart on-site for our Colorado controls/automation/process engineering team.

This role reports to John Zalewski (COO) and is scoped to lead a crew of 6–12 operators across shifts. The role is built for someone who wants to deeply own one site for 1–2 years and then carry that playbook either into a leadership role at our Colorado HQ or into the founding leadership of our next well-site.

• Daily and shift-handover communication standard so that off-shift engineers can pick up the state of the plant from the notes alone.

• Technical leadership: make the call on filtration strategy, viscosity/heating, recirculation vs. injection, escalation, and stop-work. Lead structured troubleshooting on abnormal events — form hypotheses, design on-site tests, capture before/after data, write up root-cause findings.

• Own the on-site interface for PLC, HMI, automation, and downhole-sensor changes — receive, validate, and execute changes from the controls/automation team without losing context.

• Drive a sample, lab, and data-quality program that gives the engineering and regulatory teams what they need on the first ask.

• Crew partnership: shared safety ownership with the on-site Operations Supervisor; coach operators on diagnostic thinking — not just what to do, but why and what to watch for.

• Operational cadence: publish the weekly operator schedule on a fixed cadence; manage PTO/coverage proactively; own ADP/payroll and timecard accuracy, PTO/overtime approvals, training matrix, SOP redlines, and operator development plans as a fully independent partner to the People Team.

• Hiring and team development: serve as on-site hiring manager for operator-level roles; source, interview, and provide structured, EEO-compliant written feedback on every candidate; run 30/60/90-day development checkpoints; build the bench that lets the site run 24/7 without overtime dependency.

• Build the next-site playbook: capture SOPs, training, abnormal-event write-ups, and lessons learned in a form that transfers to the next site.

• BS in Chemical, Mechanical, Petroleum, or related engineering discipline — or equivalent demonstrated technical depth from field experience.

• 7+ years of operating experience in produced-water injection, SWD, EOR, chemical process plants, midstream liquids handling, refining, or comparable fluid-systems operations.

• Demonstrated experience leading structured troubleshooting on abnormal events: pump/filter/viscosity/pressure/flow issues, with written examples you can walk us through.

• Direct supervisory experience leading a crew of 6–12 operators across shifts.

• Comfort owning the administrative side: schedules, timecards, training, SOP discipline.

• Ability to prioritize and multi-task in a fast-paced, ambiguous, novel-process environment, including the ability to communicate clearly in writing when things are uncertain or going badly.

• Ability to relocate or commit to long-stay rotation in rural Louisiana for the full 1–2 year term.

• Valid driver's license; ability to pass pre-employment background, drug, and physical screening; OSHA-eligible.

• Hands-on experience in Upstream oilfield operations — Class I, II, V, or VI injection wells, including downhole pressure/temperature interpretation.

• Hands-on experience in Downstream oil operations — refineries or terminals with tanks, pumps, compressors, filters, and associated control equipment.

• Experience with PLC/HMI-controlled facilities and working with controls engineers on change management.

• Direct experience as a hiring manager in a payroll-regulated environment (ADP, Kronos, UKG, or similar). Comfort owning timecard approval, PTO/overtime approval, and candidate feedback documentation as non-negotiable weekly work.

• Experience writing and improving SOPs, MOCs, and incident/abnormal-event reports.

• Track record of building an operations team from a small core into a 24/7 organization.

• Comfort with novel processes — bio-oil and biogenic feedstocks are not standard hydrocarbon streams; you should be excited by that, not put off.