The Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Power Generation is responsible for leading and optimizing all operational aspects of the organization’s power generation assets. This includes thermal (gas, coal), renewable (solar, wind), hydroelectric, and/or combined-cycle plants. The COO ensures plant efficiency, reliability, profitability, safety, and environmental compliance, while aligning with the company’s strategic growth and energy transition goals.
Provide executive oversight of day-to-day operations across all power generation facilities.
Develop and implement operational strategies to ensure reliability, efficiency, and performance of power generation assets.
Drive continuous improvement in availability (UCF), heat rate, emissions control, and overall capacity utilization.
Lead cross-functional teams including Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, HSE, and Asset Management.
Oversee plant performance benchmarking and ensure delivery of key KPIs across all generating units.
Collaborate with the CEO and Board of Directors on investment planning, risk mitigation, and long-term capacity expansion.
Ensure full compliance with national and regional regulatory frameworks (CERC, NERC, ISO, OSHA, EPA).
Spearhead digital transformation initiatives (e.g., predictive analytics, APM, real-time monitoring).
Manage budgets, operational expenditures (OPEX), and plant outage/overhaul planning.
Build a performance-driven leadership culture focused on safety, innovation, and environmental stewardship.
Maximize generation output, minimize forced outages, and achieve best-in-class plant performance metrics.
Translate corporate strategy into plant-level execution plans for capacity growth, modernization, or decarbonization.
Lead lifecycle planning of power plants including expansions, retirements, re-powering, or conversions (e.g., from coal to gas or hybrid models).
Champion clean energy initiatives, emissions reduction, renewable integration, and ESG compliance within the generation portfolio.
Optimize O&M costs, fuel usage, and procurement strategies while maintaining operational risk controls.
Cultivate high-performance teams; promote technical leadership, safety culture, and succession planning.
Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical, Electrical, or Power Engineering; MBA or Executive Education (preferred)
Experience: 20+ years in power generation, with significant leadership experience in thermal and/or renewable energy operations
Certifications: PMP, NEBOSH, or Six Sigma (optional)
Preferred Sector Background: Utility-scale IPPs, Government/PSU, Energy Conglomerates, EPC firms
Deep technical understanding of generation systems (boilers, turbines, generators, DCS)
Proven expertise in large-scale plant operations, reliability improvement, and outage management
Strong grasp of energy markets, regulatory frameworks, and emissions compliance
Executive communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Digital acumen: Familiarity with SCADA, CMMS, ERP (SAP), and APM tools
High resilience, integrity, and strategic foresight
Based at corporate headquarters with frequent travel to generation sites
May be required to manage crisis situations, regulatory inspections, or plant incidents
Expected to represent the company in forums, regulatory meetings, and investor presentations