Shift Leader - CPP

About the Job

The Shift leader CPP is accountable for the overall safe, disciplined, and efficient operation of the entire coal power plant during an assigned shift. This leadership role supervises the Control Room Operators (CROs) and Field Operators to ensure maximum plant availability, reliability, and generation efficiency. The position ensures strict compliance with safety protocols, environmental regulations, operational procedures, and management directives while managing emergencies and shift-level cross-departmental coordination.

What you will be doing

• Take full responsibility for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the power plant throughout the shift, especially in the night shift where he makes the final decisions.
• Supervise and direct overall shift operations of the CFB boiler, turbine, generator, and all auxiliary systems through the operational team.
• Enforce strict compliance with approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), operating limits, and management directives across the shift.
• Check and monitor the availability of Coal to ensure an uninterrupted and sustainable supply for continuous Boiler Operation.
• Ensure adequate water supply & quality for the CFB boiler by closely monitoring and supervising water treatment operations.
• Ensure maintenance of housekeeping of the workshop, control rooms, and plant floors to maintain a safe, clean, and professional working environment.
• Authorize and oversee critical plant maneuvers, including unit start-ups, controlled shutdowns, load adjustments, and equipment test runs.
• Lead emergency response actions during plant transients, trips, or grid disturbances to protect personnel safety and equipment integrity.
• Implement and audit plant HSE policies, Permit-to-Work (PTW) systems, and Lockout/Tag out (LOTO) isolation protocols during the shift.
• Exercise stop-work authority for any operation deemed unsafe, initiating immediate corrective actions and escalating to the CPP Operations Manager.
• Lead shift safety briefings, toolbox talks, hazard identification rounds, and initial incident investigations.
• Coordinate shift activities with Maintenance, Electrical, Mechanical, and Instrumentation teams for immediate defect rectifications and equipment isolation.
• Manage shift handovers, ensuring accurate transmission of plant status, ongoing maintenance, operational risks, and upcoming generation targets.
• Optimize plant parameters (heat rate, specific coal consumption, auxiliary power) to ensure cost-effective power generation.
• Review process trends, log sheets, and DCS alarm logs continuously to identify and mitigate early signs of equipment degradation.
• Validate operational data, ensuring hourly logs, shift reports, and event records are complete, accurate, and timely.
• Manage shift deployment, leave schedules, and overtime for the operations team to maintain required control room and field coverage.
• Efficiently coordinate the shift towards optimized performance to reduce operational costs.
• Lead the shift in a manner that team members stay engaged and motivated.
• Direct control room operators, field operators, maintenance, and technical personnel in investigating and resolving operational problems efficiently.
• Mentor and evaluate the performance, competencies, and training needs of CROs, Field Operators, and junior staff.

Requirements

Critical Experience

• Experience leading a shift operations team in a Distributed Control System (DCS) based coal power plant.
• Experience managing complex plant emergencies, blackouts, grid islanding, and equipment trips safely.
• Experience administering industrial Permit-to-Work (PTW) and Lockout/Tag out (LOTO) safety systems.
• Experience monitoring and analyzing overall plant efficiency parameters, including heat rate and auxiliary consumption.

Critical Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of utility-scale coal-fired power plant operations and thermodynamics.
• Boiler systems (CFB technology, combustion dynamics, draft systems, emissions control).
• Steam turbine systems (thermal stress management, governing systems, vacuum systems).
• Generator operations (excitation systems, synchronization, grid code compliance, protection relays).
• Balance of Plant (BOP) (water treatment chemistry, coal handling, pneumatic ash handling, cooling towers).
• Safety systems (interlock logic, boiler protection, emergency trip systems)

Educational Qualification

• OND in Electrical/Mechanical engineering with Minimum of 4 Years in Coal Power plant operations experience.
• Occupational Health & Safety (HSE) Certification

Benefits

At HBM Nigeria, our people are passionate about finding better ways to build. We embrace innovation, continuous improvement and a pioneering spirit, while working as trusted partners to create better solutions and experiences for our customers, communities and colleagues.

Your HBM Nigeria Experience

At HBM Nigeria, there is endless opportunity for you to play your part. Whether you are in a technical, managerial, or frontline role, you can shape a career that works for you. With us you’ll have the chance to embrace the passion we share for our planet. You’ll be encouraged to seek out diverse perspectives, share your ideas and build the skills and connections you need to perform at your best. Because it’s only when we work together in a culture where everyone thrives that we can build the world we all want to live in.