Air Separation Unit Lead Operator

At Air Products, we reimagine what’s possible. By tapping into the motivation of our people and our collective experience, we create the ideas and innovations that drive us forward. When we come together – where every voice is heard and everyone knows they belong and matter – we create solutions that launch people into space, support lifesaving care in hospitals, and enable the construction of groundbreaking, world scale production facilities.

Reimagine What’s Possible

Company Profile

BHIG—Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases is a regional development and investment joint venture (JV) between Saudi Aramco and Air Products Qudra “APQ”. Our company benefits from the combined strengths of two leading entities. BHIG is positioned to drive industrial innovation and operational excellence across Saudi Arabia and the region. BHIG focuses on supporting clean energy goals through low-carbon hydrogen production.

Purpose

The Air Separation Unit Lead Operator is responsible for managing and supervising the operating staff and activities within the shift and for the operations of Air Separation facility and Common Area for the BHIG Company in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Nature & Scope

The ASU Lead Operator, reporting to the shift supervisor, is responsible for managing and supervising the operators on their designated shift in the Air Separation Facility and Common Area.The Lead Operator will manage the day-to-day operations of his staff, which include, insuring daily operational targets are achieved to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the site to meet the gas and liquid customer’s demand. The Lead Operator will train and support in addition to execute daily tasks if required which include preparing and implementing safety work permits, LOTO, complete operations preventative maintenance activities, housekeeping and assist the maintenance and engineering teams in preparing and executing corrective maintenance activities. The Lead Operator is an extension of the operating team and is considered the ‘specialist’ on shift.

Principal Accountabilities

Safety:

• Provide & maintain a safe work environment. Demonstrate leadership with all company & industry safe work processes to prevent all injuries. Ensure proper implementation and documentation is maintained for safety related activities.

Technical:

• Operate and provide direction to the staff of the Air Separation unit, Common Area and ancillary equipment including trailer loading for the merchant market as prescribed by the Work Instruction Procedures
• Operate and provide direction to the staff of the pipeline network to supply oxygen and nitrogen to the pipeline customers safely and efficiently. The Pipeline operations team will be part of the overall operating team and will also manage the hydrogen, steam, and CO2 pipeline products.
• Provide direction & guidance based on technical feedback from Engineering and Maintenance for troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and test activities.
• Provide Operations support & guidance during the commissioning, startup, and shutdown of the plants & common area. Maintain accurate document control and monitor quality assurance initiatives.
• Provide Operations guidance to ensure safety, reliability and maintainability of equipment, processes, utilities, facilities, controls, and safety/security systems.
• Provide Operations input for scheduled outages.
• Manage plant production efficiently based on data driven decisions to ensure safety and reliability targets are met to achieve maximum profitable.
• Monitor the liquid production and chemical inventory and ensure enough stock is maintained at site.
• Report shift production progress and plant status, providing operational solutions for shortfall areas.

Operations:

• Ensure the safety of all operations personnel by utilizing the BHIG Basic Safety Practice program, which includes Safety Work Permits, LOTO, Confined Space, etc. The position facilitates planning, organizing, auditing, and follow-up, to build BHIG safety culture.
• Ensure all Environmental Regulatory requirements are met.
• Assist in establishing and training the ASU & common area operators while supporting the commissioning, startup, and shutdown activities.
• Ensure BHIG standards, and global best practices for EH&S, productivity, reliability, quality, and overall customer services are met.
• Ensure that all operation team is restrictedly following the SWIMs, procedures, and policies in order to meet the customer’s satisfaction on safety, reliability, product quality, and flexibility of product supply.
• Ensure that all activities performed during the shift time (cycle) in case of shift cycle change) is safely and efficiently handed over to the next shift.
• Provide effective leadership to the ASU & common area operating teams to ensure the ASU and utility is operated safely, efficiently and in compliance with contractual requirements & on-stream guarantees.
• Maintain a proactive approach in the shift by conducting a frequent site and office checks to identify and report any defect at early stage.
• Review the corrective maintenance notification that created within the shift and ensure the quality and right priority is sited as per the guidelines.
• Support & maintain close working relationships with HSSE, engineering and maintenance personnel to continuously monitor & evaluate plant systems & equipment through a Plant Process Advisory Model and ensure the effective optimization.
• Provide operations support and participate in investigations and Root Cause Analysis in order to identify & implement sustainable corrective actions.
• In supporting the Operations Supervisor, act as the Single Point of Contact when dealing with internal issues of the ASU & common area, representing BHIG and coordinating internal resources. Provide timely progress updates to the customer in the absence of the Operations Supervisor.
• Facilitate attainment of operational excellence and customer satisfaction via operations productivity, reliability, quality, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Act as on shift Crisis and Emergency Evacuation coordinator.
• Maintain customer communications and relationships at the ‘board’ level, insuring customer demand rates are satisfied while maximizing the efficiency and profitability of the facility.
• Communication of plant activities with other shifts to maintain continuity between shifts for a safe and reliable operation.
• Be responsible for the review and implementation of production and safety procedures in shift.
• Execute other duties as assigned from reporting managers in a timely and efficient manner.
• Maintain and update the shift schedule on monthly and daily basis.

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in chemical, Mechanical, or Chemical Process Operations preferred. An associate technical degree (2-year certificate) will be considered based on years of experience and competence.

· Experience in process plant operation, demonstrated ASU knowledge a plus, with a minimum of 8 - 10 years of plant operations experience with >2 years in a supervisory role.

o Expectation based on level of experience for the operations team to achieve a ‘Level 1 / Board Level’ status within 2 – 4 years. Operators will be evaluated during the training period and placed at the level of competence accordingly. All the operations team are considered field and board operators when Level 1 is achieved.

· The lead shall have the field and DCS experience.

· The Lead Operator is an extension of the operating team and is considered the ‘specialist’ on shift where he will support all areas (Field & Board).

· Track record of success on safety, health and environmental protection.

· Demonstrated leadership and proven interpersonal skills.

· A strong commitment to employee involvement, team building and diversity.

· Knowledgeable in the coordination of operations and maintenance activities.

· Good leadership, interpersonal and teamwork skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively throughout all levels within the organization and externally.

· Promotes a ‘one team’ environment.

· Ability to communicate and manage customer ‘board to board’ interactions on a daily basis.

· Proficiency in English speaking and writing.

· Knowledge and understanding of local environmental and health and safety requirements.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Duties and responsibilities are not limited to those listed above.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Accountability related to QHSE management system (including compliance and legislative requirements) are identified in Leadership Procedure BHIG-QHSE-PRO-006

Founded in 1940, Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company and has a proud history of innovation, operational excellence, with an unwavering commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. Working together, we are taking our passion and diverse backgrounds forward to reimagine what’s possible and generate a cleaner future for our customers, our communities, and the world.