Senior Specialist, HSSE Technical - OQ8

OQ; al-Wusta; On-site; OMR 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

OQ is seeking an experienced HSSE professional to provide technical expertise and specialist support to ensure refinery operations comply with health, safety, environmental, and process safety standards.

You will lead risk management initiatives, incident investigations, regulatory compliance activities, safety studies, assurance programs, and continuous improvement to strengthen operational safety and environmental stewardship across the refinery.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in HSSE or related fields.
• Experience in refining, petrochemical, oil & gas, energy, or heavy industrial environments.
• Proven track record leading Occupational Safety, Environmental Compliance, and Major Accident Hazard Management programs.

Responsibilities

• Serve as refinery's technical authority for health, safety, environmental, and process safety matters.
• Lead hazard analyses (HAZOP, HAZID, SIL, LOPA, Bowtie) to identify and mitigate major hazards.
• Develop, implement, and continuously enhance Occupational Health, Environmental Management, and Risk Management frameworks.
• Monitor the integrity and effectiveness of critical safety barriers and controls through audits and inspections.
• Lead high-potential incident investigations and root cause analyses.
• Ensure compliance with environmental permits, emissions, waste management regulations, and sustainability commitments.
• Conduct HSSE audits, contractor evaluations, and management system assessments.
• Analyze operational risk profiles and HSSE performance indicators to identify emerging risks and improvements.
• Support refinery emergency preparedness, drills, scenario assessments, and business continuity exercises.
• Develop HSSE standards, procedures, and safe work practices for refinery operations.
• Partner with operations and maintenance to strengthen permit-to-work, isolation management, and safety culture.
• Engage with regulators, auditors, and industry forums to maintain compliance and benchmark performance.
• Lead HSSE improvement projects to reduce process safety events and injuries.
• Mentor technical personnel on risk management and process safety fundamentals.
• Support sustainability initiatives and resource efficiency efforts.
• Provide input for refinery turnarounds, shutdowns, and high-risk operations to ensure safe execution.
• Promote a strong HSSE culture through leadership and workforce engagement.

Skills

Hazard analysis

HAZOP/HAZID

Risk management

Incident investigation

Regulatory compliance

Safety audits

ISO 45001

CCPS RBPS

Emergency response

Leadership

Training and coaching

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety, Process Safety, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Reporting to

Head, HSSE Technical & Process Safety

Job purpose:

Provide technical HSSE expertise and specialist support to ensure refinery operations comply with applicable health, safety, environmental, and process safety standards. Lead and support risk management initiatives, incident investigations, regulatory compliance activities, safety studies, assurance programs, and continuous improvement efforts to strengthen operational safety, environmental stewardship, and process safety performance across the refinery.

The position will act in accordance with the OQ8’s Mission, Vision, Values & Strategies, as well as, policies, guidelines and standards, supported by an IT Technology platform, HSE standards, Oman’s government & other legal justifications, and best international practices in consonance with national objectives .

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the refinery's technical authority for health, safety, environmental, and process safety matters, providing expert guidance to operations, maintenance, engineering, projects, and turnaround teams to effectively manage operational risks and regulatory obligations.
• Lead and facilitate comprehensive hazard analyses, including HAZOP, HAZID, SIL assessments, LOPA, Bowtie Analysis, and other risk studies, ensuring effective identification, mitigation, and management of major accident hazards.
• Develop, implement, and continuously enhance Occupational Health, Environmental Management, and Risk Management frameworks in alignment with corporate standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Monitor the integrity and effectiveness of critical safety barriers and controls, validating performance through assurance activities, field verification, audits, inspections, and management reviews.
• Lead high-potential incident investigations and root cause analyses, utilizing recognized methodologies to identify systemic failures, develop sustainable corrective actions, and strengthen organizational learning.
• Ensure compliance with applicable environmental permits, emissions requirements, waste management regulations, and sustainability commitments through continuous monitoring, assessment, and reporting.
• Conduct HSSE compliance audits, contractor evaluations, management system assessments, and operational readiness reviews to verify effective implementation of HSSE requirements across refinery activities.
• Analyze operational risk profiles, HSSE performance indicators, incident trends, and leading and lagging metrics to identify emerging risks and recommend strategic improvement initiatives.
• Support refinery emergency preparedness and crisis management programs by participating in emergency response planning, drills, scenario assessments, and business continuity exercises.
• Develop and maintain HSSE standards, procedures, technical specifications, guidance documents, and safe work practices to ensure consistent application across refinery operations.
• Partner with operations and maintenance teams to strengthen operational discipline, permit-to-work compliance, isolation management, confined space safety, contractor safety, and workforce risk awareness.
• Engage with regulatory authorities, external auditors, certification bodies, and industry forums to maintain compliance, support inspections, and benchmark refinery HSSE performance against industry standards.
• Lead HSSE improvement projects and strategic initiatives aimed at reducing process safety events, occupational injuries, environmental impacts, emissions, and operational risks.
• Mentor and coach technical personnel, supervisors, and contractors on risk management principles, process safety fundamentals, incident prevention, and HSSE best practices to foster a proactive safety culture.
• Support sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives by identifying opportunities for resource efficiency, emissions reduction, waste minimization, environmental risk mitigation, and compliance enhancement.
• Provide specialized technical input for refinery turnarounds, shutdowns, start-ups, commissioning activities, and high-risk operations to ensure safe execution and effective risk control.
• Promote a strong HSSE culture through visible leadership, workforce engagement, behavioral safety initiatives, and continuous improvement programs that strengthen individual accountability and operational excellence.

Key interactions

Internal: All HSSE Teams, OMT, Project Turnaround Team, ERT, Executive & Functional Leadership

External : Government Authorities and Regulatory bodies (e.g. OPAL), Environmental & Safety Regulators, External Auditors, Contractors & & Service Providers, etc.

Notable Working:

Office environment, intensive computer screen use, Travel

Education requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety, Process Safety, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline

Language requirements

Excellent knowledge of written, read, and spoken English (required)

Competencies, Certification and skills

• 8 years of experience
• experience in refining, petrochemical, oil & gas, energy, heavy industrial environment, or similar process industries
• Proven track record in leading Occupational Safety, Environmental Compliance, and Major Accident Hazard Management programs at a facility or corporate level.
• Strong experience engaging and interfacing with regulatory authorities, certification bodies, external auditors, and industry stakeholders on technical HSSE matters.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing and maintaining Health, Safety, Environmental, in complex operational environments.
• Hands-on experience conducting hazard identification and risk assessments, including HAZOP, HAZID, JSA, LOPA, Bowtie Analysis.
• Experience in incident investigation and root cause analysis utilizing recognized methodologies such as TapRooT®, RCA, ICAM, or equivalent techniques.
• Proven involvement in HSSE audits, compliance inspections, contractor safety management, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Working knowledge of international standards and industry best practices, including OSHA PSM, CCPS Risk-Based Process Safety, ISO 45001, ISO 14001, API, and NFPA standards.
• Strong capability in analyzing HSSE performance data, developing reports, and recommending risk reduction and performance improvement initiatives
• Risk Assessment & Hazard Analysis (HAZOP, HAZID, Bowtie)
• Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• Occupational Health & Industrial Hygiene
• Environmental Compliance & Sustainability Management
• Emergency Response & Crisis Management
• Safety Management Systems (ISO 45001)
• Refinery Operations and Process Understanding
• Regulatory and Legal Compliance Management
• Contractor HSSE Management
• Data Analysis, Trending and Performance Reporting
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• Technical report writing and presentation skills
• Stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Risk-based decision-making
• Facilitation of workshops and safety studies
• Effective communication and coaching abilities
• Project and Change Management Skills
• Leadership and team collaboration
• Strategic thinking with strong attention to detail
• Proficiency in MS Office and HSSE management systems

Preferred Certifications

• NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
• Graduate Safety Practitioner (GradIOSH) or Chartered Member of IOSH (CMIOSH)
• Certified Process Safety Professional (CCPSC)