Senior Vice President, Plant Operations

Overview

The Senior Vice President of Plant Operations provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for approximately 200 employees across 11+ generating sites in Georgia. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the SVP is responsible for delivering top-quartile operational performance, executing large-scale capital projects, ensuring safety culture accountability at an enterprise level, and the readiness, resiliency, reliability, and long-term sustainability of the fleet.

This role is a highly influential operational leadership position within OPC and will shape the organization’s growth over the next decade, including commissioning new plants, expanding the portfolio, and developing the next generation of operational leaders.

The role is integrated with the broader family of companies (OPC, GSOC, GTC), works with system operations, engineering, construction/project management, and corporate functions, and engages with Member EMC managers, OPC senior leadership, and Board committees (e.g., construction, risk management/compliance).

The SVP will oversee a portfolio of generation resources, including a new 1,425 MW combined-cycle plant, a new 240 MW combustion turbine unit at an existing plant, dual-fuel upgrades at multiple plants, and future projects such as additional gas capacity.

• Executive & Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for OPC s gas fleet and the Rocky Mountain Pumped-storage Hydroelectric facility.
• Ensure all units are safe, available, reliable, and performing at upper-decile industry levels.
• Lead a large, geographically dispersed workforce (approximately 200 employees), including plant managers, operations managers, engineering, and maintenance teams.
• Build and maintain a high-performance, safety-first culture rooted in technical excellence and accountability.

• Portfolio Optimization & Asset Strategy

• Drive operational strategy across OPC s fleet including modernization, lifecycle planning, outage strategy, and resiliency upgrades.
• Evaluate and prepare for emerging technologies such as hydrogen-cofiring, SMRs, battery storage, and biomass.
• Monitor market, regulatory, and Member-driven trends to inform asset strategy and investment decisions.

• Capital Program Management

• Oversee construction, commissioning, and integration of major new generation assets, and future utility-scale BESS projects, including:
• 1,425-MW two-unit combined-cycle plant
• 240-MW combustion turbine unit
• Fleet-wide dual-fuel upgrades
• Rocky Mountain pumped-storage reinvestment program
• Ensure capital projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with strategic objectives.
• Partner with Construction & Project Management to ensure projects meet schedule, budget, and performance milestones; monitor risk, cost, and change-management plans.
• Contribute to long-term resource planning and portfolio strategy, including evaluation of SMRs/advanced nuclear, biomass opportunities, battery storage, and other technologies as they become economic and practical for OPC and its Members.
• Ensure new assets are operationally ready, winter-resilient, and integrated with dispatch and market strategies.

• Cross-Functional & External Engagement

• Collaborate extensively with related organizations, GSOC and GTC, to ensure alignment on system operations, planning, and construction.
• Present plant operations updates at monthly EMC manager meetings and engage with OPC Member systems as needed.
• Participate in Board committee updates, including the Construction Project Committee and RMCC (Risk Oversight).
• Serve as a visible, trusted leader across the entire cooperative community.

• Organizational Development & Culture Stewardship

• Identify, develop, and mentor internal high-potential leaders.
• Shape culture through leadership transitions, including replacement of long-tenured staff at key generating sites (e.g., Rocky Mountain).
• Ensure succession planning, workforce development, and employee engagement efforts support a long-term talent pipeline.

• Performance, Safety & Compliance

• Own overall safety performance for Plant Operations, leading a culture that delivers on corporate safety…