Lead Operator

Air Products; Riyadh Region; On-site; SAR 180,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Air Products in Saudi Arabia seeks an experienced HYCO Lead Operator to manage day-to-day DCS and field operations of the HYCO facility. You will ensure production targets, safety and environmental compliance, and lead shift activities in the supervisor's absence.

You will coordinate with maintenance, perform safety permits, and drive plant performance improvements while maintaining strong customer relations and adherence to plant standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of DCS operation and field operation experience.
• Experience leading a DCS operations team in a refinery or similar plant.
• Proficiency with DCS platforms such as Yokogawa Centum VP and Siemens PCS 7.
• Strong communication in English and ability to coordinate with customers and teams.

Responsibilities

• Operate the Hydrogen plant's DCS and field systems safely and efficiently.
• Lead shift responsibilities in the absence of the Shift Supervisor.
• Ensure safety, reliability, and environmental compliance in daily operations.
• Coordinate with maintenance for turnarounds and routine maintenance.
• Communicate plant status, production progress, and deviations to the Shift Supervisor.
• Support start-up sequences, plant isolation, and commissioning activities as required.
• Maintain logs of operating parameters and perform root-cause analysis for abnormalities.
• Engage with customer interfaces and ensure alignment of product supply and demand.

Skills

DCS operation

Lead operations

Safety compliance

Process troubleshooting

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering

Associate technical degree (2-year certificate)

Tools

Yokogawa Centum VP

Siemens PCS 7

Job description

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

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

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.

Reimagine What’s Possible

THE HYCO Lead Operator, reporting to the HYCO Shift Supervisor, is accountable for the day-to-day DCS & Field Operation of HYCO facility, ensuring the production requirements set by the customer are achieved. HYCO Lead Operator is responsible for the safe, efficient and stable operation of the entire Hydrogen Manufacturing Unit from a centralized control room using DCS. This includes monitoring, controlling and optimizing to meet production targets, quality specifications and environmental regulations. This includes actively supporting plant performance, process optimization and production stability while maintaining strong focus on safety & compliance. The HYCO Lead Operator will execute daily tasks which include preparing and implementing safety work permits, LOTO, completing operations preventative maintenance activities, and assist the maintenance and engineering teams in preparing and executing corrective maintenance activities. Lead operator will handle the Shift lead responsibility in absence of Shift supervisor ensuring the business continuity.

Principal Accountabilities

Safety, Health & Environment

• Maintain a safe & stable environment. Demonstrate leadership with all Company & Industry safe work processes to prevent all injuries. Ensure proper documentation is maintained for safety related activities.
• Enforce and adhere to all Safe Work Permits and Lock-out Tag-out and management of change procedures.
• Be the first line of response for process emergencies. Execute emergency operating procedures, initiate plant trips if necessary and direct field operators.
• Monitor status of Safety Instrumented System (SIS) and Fire & Gas Systems. Understand the cause & effect chart for all safety interlocks.
• Ensure all plant emissions (from reformer stack, vent streams) comply with environmental permits. Properly manage waste streams.
• Ensure the safety of all operations personnel by utilizing the BHIG Basic Safety Practice program

Technical & Operations

• Operate the Steam Methane Reformer based hydrogen plant with CO2 Removal section & CO2 compression, PSA with Tail Gas compression, Membrane Unit and related utilities as prescribed by the Work Instruction Procedures
• Operate the pipeline network to supply Hydrogen, steam and CO2 to customers’ pipelines safely and efficiently.
• Report production progress and plant status to the Shift Supervisor and suggest solutions for any shortfalls. Manage plant production efficiently based on input provided by Plant Management to ensure safety and reliability targets are met to achieve maximum profitability.
• Ensure BHIG standards, and global best practices for EH&S, productivity, reliability, quality, and overall customer services are met.
• Meet the customer’s requirements regarding safety, reliability, product quality, and flexibility regarding product supply. Maintain customer communications and relationships at the ‘board’ level, ensuring customer demand rates are satisfied while maximizing the efficiency and profitability of the facility.
• Follow the Site Work Instruction Manuals for production & supply of Product H2, CO2 & Steam along with other operating and maintenance procedures and checklists to meet the customer’s satisfaction with safety, reliability, product quality, and flexibility of product supply while compliance with requirements.
• Maintain a relationship with the customer’s counterparts from other Refinery Units where from BHIG either receiving Feedstock, Utilities & Power or supplying Hydrogen and Steam to different Refinery Units on a regular basis through Refinery Shift Superintendent to ensure alignment of expectations for BHIG and the customers current and future product demand.
• Constantly monitor all process variables (flows, temperatures, pressures, levels, analytical values) via DCS to ensure they are within defined operating limits.
• Manipulate control loops, setpoints and cascades to maintain sable operations of all integrated units.
• Use historical data and trends to predict equipment performance degradation, identify inefficiencies and prevent potential trips and failures.
• Execute & supervise the detailed start up sequence for the entire plant or individual units/loops form a cold condition, warm condition or hot stand by condition, ensuring a smooth & safe transition to full load normal operations. Assist in the commissioning activities of the facility
• Maintain constant communication with field operators, providing instructions for equipment adjustments, isolations and rounds.
• Liaise with the maintenance team to co-ordinate equipment preparation for maintenance (isolation, purging & blinding) and safe taking equipment back in line.
• Conduct detailed and accurate shift handovers with incoming operators, highlighting any abnormalities, ongoing work and special instruction. Follow shift turnover protocols to ensure a safe and efficient handover to the following shift.
• Maintain accurate and timely logs of operating parameters, significant events and production data. Fully accountable to ensure his logs and that his operator’s logs are accurate and compliant with published matrix.
• Identify the root cause of process deviations and equipment malfunction. Work with engineers to implement long-term solutions.
• Suggest and participate in operational improvements and de-bottlenecking projects to enhance safety, reliability and profitability.
• Ensure compliance with all CM, PM tasks & Environmental Regulatory requirements.
• Support and prepare for Shutdown Planning and Turnaround Planning.
• Provide coaching and motivation with the field operations team to achieve operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
• Establish & maintain close working relationships with engineering and maintenance personnel to continuously monitor & evaluate plant systems & equipment performance.
• Ensure compliance with process safety, MOC’s, and OPHR requirements.
• Provide operations support and participate in investigations and Root Cause Analysis to identify & implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Facilitate attainment of operational excellence and customer satisfaction via operations productivity, reliability, quality, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Communication of plant activities with other shifts to maintain continuity between shifts for a safe and reliable operation.
• Execute other duties as assigned by reporting managers in a timely and efficient manner.

Minimum Requirements And Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical, Mechanical, or Chemical Process Operations with 10 years’ experience preferred. An Associate Technical Degree (2-year certificate) will be considered based on years of experience and competence.
• Experience in DCS Operation & Field Operation, with minimum of 5 years’ Lead DCS Operations
• Experience in SMR based Hydrogen or Ammonia or Methanol or Syngas plant as DCS Operator.
• Proficiency with DCS platforms (e.g. Yokogawa Centum VP, Siemens PCS 7)
• Deep understanding of Chemical Engineering Principles, thermodynamics and process control. Wide technical knowledge in operations, engineering, and maintenance activities
• Ability to maintain high level of awareness and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Strong problem solving and diagnostic abilities.
• Clear, concise and effective verbal and written communication. Proficiency in English speaking and writing. Ability to communicate with the customer at the board level daily. Able to communicate between operations and maintenance teams.
• Deep understanding of Chemical Engineering Principles, thermodynamics and process control
• A strong commitment to employee involvement, team building and diversity.

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.