26-095.B - Director, Operations Controls

Harvest Midstream Company; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvest Midstream Company is seeking a Director, Operations Controls to lead the safe, reliable operation of the liquids and natural gas pipeline control room and scheduling functions. You will set direction, standards, and performance expectations for the Operations Controls organization and own its results and development.

The role emphasizes proactive risk management, regulatory compliance, and building a high-performing team, with collaboration across Operations, Engineering, IT/OT,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in pipeline or energy ops with control room experience.
• 5+ years leading 24/7 operations teams.
• Strong knowledge of gas/liquids pipeline operations and hydraulics.
• Experience with regulatory compliance and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee 24/7 pipeline control room operations and scheduling.
• Lead safety culture and ensure regulatory compliance across controls.
• Develop and implement performance standards and KPIs.
• Drive optimization of operations, energy use, and throughput.
• Collaborate with IT/OT, Engineering, Integrity, and Commercial teams.
• Plan readiness for system expansions and major changes.
• Build leadership capability and succession planning.

Skills

Leadership

Operational risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

Pipeline control room operations

Regulatory compliance

Analytical thinking

Communication

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

SCADA systems

Leak detection systems

Hydraulic modeling

Energy optimization tools

Job description

Job Objective:
The Director, Operations Controls is accountable for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of Harvest's liquids and natural gas pipeline control room and scheduling functions. The Director sets the strategic direction, standards, and performance expectations for the Operations Controls organization and owns its results, capability, and development.
This is a technical and people leadership role focused on proactively managing operational risk and compliance, optimizing operational performance, developing a high-performing team, and building strong partnerships across the organization to support Harvest's business objectives.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Accountable for safe, reliable, and efficient 24/7 pipeline control room operations and scheduling across pipeline, rail, marine, and truck for natural gas, crude oil, and NGL.
• Champion a culture that proactively evaluates and prioritizes operational risks across control room and scheduling activities, such as alarm management, human factors and fatigue, communications, and abnormal operating conditions, and builds a clear value proposition for mitigation. Place particular emphasis on leak detection, advocating for specific priorities and partnering with IT and external service providers to evaluate pipeline risk against detectable leak performance and to prioritize improvements in leak detection systems, instrumentation, and procedures.
• Lead the organization through normal and abnormal operating conditions, guiding the team to plan day-to-day activities effectively, develop alternative solutions when unplanned events occur internally or externally, and communicate in a timely manner with customers, shippers, and connecting parties to minimize throughput loss and customer impact.
• Build strong partnerships across the organization, including field operations, Engineering, Integrity, Commercial, Supply and Trading, and IT/OT, to align priorities, integrate commercial and operational plans, and resolve issues collaboratively.
• Drive optimization across the operation, such as energy optimization and power cost management, DRA strategy, capacity and storage utilization, and schedule efficiency, to reduce cost and maximize throughput.
• Set the strategic direction and lead the continuous improvement and innovation roadmap for control room and scheduling operations, establishing the operating philosophy, standards, and procedures consistent with control room management and other regulatory requirements, and advancing processes and technology in partnership with IT/OT and Cybersecurity on systems such as SCADA, leak detection, hydraulic modeling, and scheduling platforms.
• Build technical capacity across the organization in areas such as pipeline hydraulics, system behavior, leak detection, nominations and commercial constraints, and abnormal and emergency operations.
• Partner with the Alaska control room to drive standardization and shared best practices, creating consistency and efficiency across the Harvest portfolio.
• Establish key performance indicators, such as safety, reliability, operating discipline, leak detection performance, scheduling accuracy, customer service, and energy and DRA efficiency, and hold the organization accountable for results.
• Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with applicable regulations, company policies, and industry standards, including oversight of risk assessments, incident investigations, emergency exercises, audits, and corrective actions.
• Build organizational capability through staffing, qualification, succession planning, and leader development, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Prepare the organization for system expansions, commissioning and major operational changes through effective readiness planning and management of change.

Other Job Responsibilities

• Demonstrate commitment to company core values - Integrity, Ownership, Urgency, Alignment, and Innovation - in all daily responsibilities and interactions.
• Actively support and contribute to the company's mission and vision through reliable, high-quality work

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in pipeline, midstream, or energy operations, including significant experience with pipeline control room or related operational functions.
• 5+ years of leadership experience with responsibility for operating, technical, or 24/7 teams.
• Strong knowledge of natural gas and/or liquids pipeline operations, pipeline system behavior, hydraulics, alarm management, leak detection, energy optimization, DRA management, and abnormal and emergency operating conditions.
• Working knowledge of applicable DOT/PHMSA regulations, including Control Room Management requirements under 49 CFR Parts 192 and/or 195.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational risk, regulatory compliance, operating procedures, incident response, management of change, and continuous improvement.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and collaborate effectively with Operations, Engineering, Integrity, Commercial, IT/OT, and other business functions, with the ability to integrate commercial and operational considerations into business decisions.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and organizational skills, with demonstrated ability to lead effectively in complex and time-sensitive operating environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change, evaluate and adopt new technologies, and drive process improvements that enhance operational performance.
• Experience developing leaders and technical capability, establishing performance expectations, supporting succession planning, and building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Education Requirements, Certifications, Licenses, and Registrations

• Bachelor's degree in engineering preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant industry experience.