Plant Manager & General Manager Search
The plant manager owns everything that matters at the site: safety, reliability, compliance, the people and the numbers. When that seat is open, or held by the wrong person, the whole operation feels it. PMAA, Inc. recruits plant managers, general managers and operations leaders, and we treat every one of those searches as the high-stakes hire it is.
Our recruiters understand how a plant runs. They know the difference between a leader who has run a combined-cycle plant through a major outage and one who has only read about it, and they screen for it.
Site and Operations Leadership Roles We Fill
- Plant Managers and Assistant Plant Managers
- General Managers and Site Directors
- Generation Managers / Fleet Operations Managers
- Directors of O&M and Operations Managers / O&M Managers
- Maintenance Managers
- Outage Managers
- Directors of Plant Performance
- EHS Managers
- Site and facility leaders for battery energy storage, renewable, data center and critical facilities
Where These Leaders Run Operations
Combined cycle (CCGT), cogeneration and CHP, gas turbine / simple cycle / peaker plants, fossil fuel and steam plants, district energy and utility infrastructure, renewable and hybrid facilities, distributed generation, battery energy storage, and the mission-critical facilities behind data centers. See Power Plant Staffing & Recruiting and Data Center & Critical Facilities Staffing.
What We Screen For in a Plant Leader
- Technical command of the asset: turbines, HRSGs and boilers, balance-of-plant, DCS, outages and LTSA management
- Safety, environmental and compliance discipline: Title V, SPDES, PSM and LOTO programs
- Maintenance strategy and reliability: CMMS (Maximo, SAP, eMaint and others), planning and root cause analysis
- Leadership style and communication ability: with operators and technicians, with corporate, and with regulators and the community
- Commercial and financial ownership of the plant's budget and performance
Every finalist goes through The Proven Vetting Process™, including in-depth technical interviews, an assessment of personality and culture fit, and verification of previous supervisory references.
Retained or Direct Hire: Your Choice
For a plant manager, general manager or fleet leader, most clients choose retained search: research-led, exclusive and confidential, reaching leaders who are succeeding where they are and are not looking. For operations and maintenance managers, many clients use Direct-Hire Services, with qualified candidates in their inbox within 24–48 hours. Replacing an incumbent? See Confidential Executive Search.
Start a Confidential Search Conversation
Every search starts with a conversation about the site and the role, your organization and what success looks like. Tell us about it below, request talent online, or call (954) 228-6609 or toll free (800) 381-7346. Senior leaders exploring a move can submit a résumé.
Start a confidential search conversation. Tell us about the role and we'll reply within one business day
Which recruiting firms specialize in plant manager searches for power plants?
PMAA, Inc. (Professional Management Advisors Associates), a family-run recruiting firm established in 1967, recruits Plant Managers, General Managers, Fleet Operations Managers and Directors of O&M for combined-cycle, cogeneration, peaker, fossil and steam, renewable, BESS and critical facilities, through retained search or direct hire.
Does PMAA recruit plant managers?
Yes. PMAA recruits Plant Managers and Assistant Plant Managers, General Managers and Site Directors, Generation and Fleet Operations Managers, Directors of O&M, Maintenance, Outage and EHS Managers for power plants, energy facilities and critical facilities.
What does PMAA look for in a plant manager?
Technical command of the asset, safety, environmental and compliance discipline, maintenance and reliability strategy, leadership style and communication ability, and ownership of the plant’s budget and performance.
Can a plant manager search be confidential?
Yes. In a retained search we talk only to carefully selected people and reveal the client’s identity at the latest possible stage, so the incumbent and your market are not alerted prematurely.
Should I use retained search or direct hire for a plant leader?
Most clients retain PMAA for plant manager, general manager and fleet leadership roles, and use Direct-Hire Services for operations and maintenance managers, where qualified candidates arrive within 24–48 hours.
How do I start a search with PMAA?
Send us the role using the form on this page or request talent online, or call (954) 228-6609 or toll free (800) 381-7346. We reply within one business day.