What are the responsibilities and job description for the Optimization Engineer position at Western Midstream?
Job Summary
Western Midstream seeks a highly driven Optimization Engineer for its Southern Plants Team in Midland, TX or The Woodlands, TX. This role is accountable for proactively engaging with Operations to identify, prioritize, and execute optimization opportunities that improve financial performance, regulatory compliance, and process safety. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who actively seeks out operational challenges, takes ownership of solutions, and effectively manages multiple concurrent initiatives in a fast-paced operating environment. The position requires hands-on technical execution, including process simulations, engineering calculations, and regular field engagement, supported by a strong background in refinery and/or gas processing operations.
Success in this role requires decisive leadership and strong interpersonal communication skills. The Optimization Engineer is expected to engage directly and frequently with Operations and stakeholders, build trust through in-person collaboration, and drive alignment and buy-in to deliver sustained optimization results. This role demands active presence and influence in the field and control room, not reliance on email or electronic messaging alone.
The ideal candidate will independently perform required operations engineering work while working closely with operations personnel and project engineers to rigorously evaluate, prioritize, and implement improvement opportunities across multiple assets and workstreams.
Qualifications
Western Midstream seeks a highly driven Optimization Engineer for its Southern Plants Team in Midland, TX or The Woodlands, TX. This role is accountable for proactively engaging with Operations to identify, prioritize, and execute optimization opportunities that improve financial performance, regulatory compliance, and process safety. The successful candidate will be a self-starter who actively seeks out operational challenges, takes ownership of solutions, and effectively manages multiple concurrent initiatives in a fast-paced operating environment. The position requires hands-on technical execution, including process simulations, engineering calculations, and regular field engagement, supported by a strong background in refinery and/or gas processing operations.
Success in this role requires decisive leadership and strong interpersonal communication skills. The Optimization Engineer is expected to engage directly and frequently with Operations and stakeholders, build trust through in-person collaboration, and drive alignment and buy-in to deliver sustained optimization results. This role demands active presence and influence in the field and control room, not reliance on email or electronic messaging alone.
The ideal candidate will independently perform required operations engineering work while working closely with operations personnel and project engineers to rigorously evaluate, prioritize, and implement improvement opportunities across multiple assets and workstreams.
Qualifications
- 8 years or more engineering experience supporting oil, gas or chemical processing facilities
- 3 years or more experience working as an operations support engineer with field experience
- Familiarity with common gas processing technologies (GSP, RSV, SCORE)
- Experience with gas processing simulation software (Symmetry, HYSYS, ProTreat, ProMax)
- Familiarity with gas compression simulation software (Ariel) is a plus
- Experience working with gas processing equipment (brazed aluminum heat exchangers, demethanizers, screw compressors, reciprocating compressors, mole sieve adsorbers, slug catchers, refrigeration units, turboexpanders) is required
- Experience with process controls is desirable
- Recommend and execute capital projects to improve safety, environmental compliance, and plant profitability. This will include process simulation, cost estimation and economic calculations.
- Monitor daily operation of the plants to ensure safe, compliant, and profitable operation
- Participate in Process Hazard Analyses and Management of Change reviews
- Compare process simulation results to plant data to troubleshoot operational issues
- Make recommendations for execution of preventative maintenance activities based on plant data
- Make technical recommendations to maximize NGL recoveries, and / or minimize energy use
- Assist operations in tuning control loops and changing control schemes to improve plant operability
- B. S. Degree in Engineering required
- P.E. Certification is a plus, but not a firm requirement
- Approximately 25% of working days to be spent at the plant site (near Mentone, TX)
- This position will work 9 hours Monday – Thursday and 4 hours on Friday. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursday will be worked in the office, while Wednesdays and Fridays will be worked from home. To work from home, the candidate must have the ability to remotely access corporate IT systems reliably.