Senior Fixed Equipment Engineer

Are you an experienced engineer with hands on knowledge in pressure systems and fixed equipment repair, reliability and maintenance? My client, a global leader in the industrial gas market are seeking either an experienced single contributor who has wealth of experience in maintenance and reliability of pressure systems engineering, or someone with some leadership experience, who has had engineers with a direct report to them in previous roles.

My client, operates a large portfolio of industrial gas plants, including ASU, CO2, H2, Helium plants, serving customers within a wide range of industries. Piping, vessels, and pipelines are critical in the process of producing and delivering the various products that provides to its customers and is crucial component to their success in being a premier supplier of choice to its customers. The primary function of this role is to provide support and overall responsibility for the safe reliable operations of piping systems, pressure vessels, fixed equipment, and pipelines. This position provides direct engineering support for maintenance and repair efforts and subject matter expertise for mechanical integrity, regulatory compliance, strategy ownership, and preventive maintenance program content involving fixed equipment.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Supports the Area Production and Maintenance & Reliability Teams in achieving key outcomes in safety, reliability, efficiency, cost, and customer service.
• Ensures compliance with all safety, health, environmental and quality standards.
• Manages and provides engineering support for all operational ASU, CO2, H2, He, and onsite plants ensuring they are safe and capable thru effectively managed mechanical integrity and preventive maintenance programs.
• Ensures that pipeline, piping and pressure vessel designs and operational activities comply with all relevant, Federal (ie. NRC, FRA, etc.), Local, & Nationally recognized (ie.NBIC, ASME, API, CGA, etc.) statutory code requirements.
• Provides technical oversight and approval for the applicable aspects of Engineering Changes via the EMOC process.
• Provides Piping, Vessel, and Pipeline engineering specification and design for asset replacement, modification, or repair activities.
• Manages and evaluates equipment failure reviews using techniques such as root cause failure analysis.
• Direct and/or lead the assessment of infrastructure equipment as part of the due diligence process associated with the takeover of plant from previous owners.
• Develop contingency plans that ensure that emergent issues are managed effectively and the cost of downtime for any event is minimized. Ensure unplanned events are comprehensively investigated, root cause determined, and lessons learned communicated appropriately.
• Ensure the mechanical integrity of pressure systems is maintained and equipment is fit for purpose thru proper specification, procurement, operation, and maintenance practices.
• Develop appropriate turnaround and life extension strategies and work scopes.
• Supports, evaluates and prioritizes improvement projects for mechanical, fixed equipment, piping, pipelines, and cooling systems as part of the annual budget process.
• Owns, reviews, challenges, and updates the collection of standards and procedures relating to Pipeline Integrity, Mechanical Integrity, RBI, and other condition assessment processes to minimize cost while ensuring equipment is always safe to operate, fit for purpose and remains in compliance with regulatory requirements or best practices.
• Manage, draft, and own all corporate standards and procedures that will contribute to the safety and reliability of fixed equipment and consider the appropriate level of business risk e.g. planned maintenance procedures, overhaul methodologies and root cause analyses of failure.
• Supports the operating site personnel to ensure that they are suitably trained and competent to execute their responsibilities relating to the management of pipelines, piping and vessels. This includes preparation of training material and training staff in the management of regulatory compliance and/or inspections.
• Providing technical support and mentoring to operating site personnel undertaking or managing inspection, maintenance, and repair activities
• Manage compliance of regulatory inspection programs for pressure vessels and pipelines.
• Subject Matter Expert of National Board, ASME and API code interpretations as they relate to equipment and systems as well as understanding state by state requirements under these codes.
• Reviews and either approves or rejects request for postponements of piping and vessel inspection. Responsible to determine whether postponing the inspection would give rise to danger (as specified in the regulations) and hence to determine the validity of any postponement request.
• Manages pipeline and piping & vessel inspections. Conducts both in house inspections and thru 3rd party contractors. Develops scope of work and partners with local plant managers and procurement on contractor evaluation and selection.
• Develops inspection scope procedures and determines appropriate inspection intervals
• Approves all piping and vessel inspection and repair procedures, including welding procedures and techniques.
• Monitors the performance of outsource contractors within the pipeline & piping and vessels sphere of activity to program, quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with legislation.
• Work closely with Procurement on evaluating 3rd party services, preparation of work scopes, specifications, KPI’s and surveillance.

Managerial skills:

• Knowledgeable in plant operations. Can effectively identify and evaluate technical and business process opportunities and translate to financial terms to support investment and business case development
• Continuous improvement drive and ability to implement change in a geographically diverse organization.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple projects and achieve results

Interpersonal skills:

• Demonstrated exceptional operational safety leadership.
• Possesses strong communications skills at all levels.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Other qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to follow through to completion on projects and solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge the status quo and improve existing processes/programs.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Working knowledge of governing codes: ASME B31.3, API, NBIC Part 1-4, CGA Documents, API welding codes.
• Working knowledge of other technical specifications which are regarded by the ruling authorities as mandatory (e.g. codes for welding, basic materials of construction, seismic protection).
• Knowledge of future engineering standard revisions or known revisions which may be in draft form to the applicable National code.
• Knowledge of piping corrosion protection methods and wrapping and coating technologies.
• Air Separation experience and knowledge a plus.
• Professional engineering license a plus