Engineer, Facility Risk

NextDecade Payroll Services, LLC; Brownsville (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

NextDecade is seeking a Facility Risk Engineer in Brownsville, TX. The role supports safe LNG train operations, performing risk assessments, developing mitigations, and ensuring compliance with risk procedures.

You will work with process safety, maintenance, and HSSE teams, interfacing with contractors as needed. The position requires a engineering degree with 5+ years in oil, gas, or petrochemical sectors, TWIC eligibility, and strong risk assessment capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, or related)
• 5+ years’ experience in Oil & Gas, Chemical, or Petrochemical industries
• Demonstrated risk assessment experience and techniques
• Ability to obtain TWIC credentials
• Knowledge of barrier management and bowties
• Experience with KPI tracking and NextDecade RGLNG plans

Responsibilities

• Lead safety culture and PSF concepts within Production shift teams
• Coordinate risk assessments for SIMOPS, high‑risk work, and permit risk reviews
• Monitor and verify implementation of controls identified in risk assessments
• Manage barrier integrity and data visualization for alarms, inhibits, and leaks
• Audit compliance with NextDecade standards and procedures
• Support incident investigations and training on risk assessment methods

Skills

Risk assessment

Barrier management

Process safety

LNG hazards

Safety leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

It’s fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they’re doing! We’re committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE

Facility Risk Engineers support safe operations by analyzing operational risks related to the ongoing operations of the LNG trains. They assist Production Shift Managers and HSSE teams in determining practicable short-term mitigations to maintain facility operations during barrier impairments. The role encompasses short- and medium-term risk management, including conducting risk assessments, developing mitigation plans, and ensuring compliance with NextDecade RGLNG operational and cumulative risk procedures and applicable regulations. Facility Risk Engineers and embedded in the Production Shift teams and collaborate with diverse stakeholders across Process safety, Maintenance, Engineering, HSSE, and may interface with contractors and vendors. This position is located in Brownsville, TX. This is a shift-based position and requires flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Safety Leadership and Culture: Instill a strong process and personal safety awareness culture by promoting the Facility Safety Case, ensuring PTW compliance, and conducting continual work activity safety analyses. Champion Process Safety Management (PSM) fundamentals for the Production shift team and drive continuous improvement in Quality and HSSE awareness.
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Coordinate and facilitate risk assessments for: SIMOPS and High-risk work permits, deviations from Standard Operating Procedures, barrier impairment, deferral of Safety Critical Equipment maintenance, inhibits and overrides, temporary work instructions and emergency MOC’s, and other abnormal situations as required. Ensure risk assessment meetings meet competency requirements and obtain appropriate approvals. support the Permit to Work process by reviewing permit risk assessments and isolation schemes for adequate mitigations. Ensure SIMOPs is assessed during the Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow work alignment meeting.
• Operational Oversight: Monitor implementation of operational controls identified in risk assessments. Review daily work activities, highlighting SIMOPS and high-risk tasks during shift pre-start meetings. Conduct field walks and participate in toolbox talks to verify compliance with permit risk mitigations.
• Barrier and Integrity Management: Work closely with barrier owners to manage impaired Safety Critical Elements (SCE) and deferral processes. Maintain data visualization inputs for key integrity elements such as alarm management, inhibits/overrides, and leak/weeps/seeps.
• Compliance and Auditing: Regularly audit compliance with NextDecade standards, guidelines, and work practices, including: procedural compliance, leak/weeps/seeps management, inhibit and override processes, locked valve audits, alarm management and isolation management.
• Incident Management: Ensure information is captured from the shift team following HSSE, quality, and reliability incidents to support investigations.
• Training and Guidance: Provide training and guidance on risk assessment methodologies and best practices for production and maintenance shift teams.

EDUCATION, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, & COMPETENCIES

• Basic Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, or a closely related discipline).
• 5 Years’ Experience in the Oil & Gas, Chemical or Petrochemical Industries.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of Risk Assessment processes and techniques.
• Ability to obtain Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC).
• Knowledge of Barrier Management and Bowties.
• Experience in working with KPI guidelines to track monthly requirements aligned to the NextDecade RGLNG annual business plans.
• This role is a shift-based position and requires flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.
• Preferred Requirements: 7 – 10 years’ experience in leadership role(s) within risk assessment, safety management, or HSE within LNG, oil & gas, or petrochemical industries.
• Understanding and application of Process Safety Fundamental principles.
• Experience in LNG-specific hazards, cryogenic risks, and emergency response planning.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements (FERC, PHMSA, USCG, OSHA, API, ISO 31000, NFPA 59A, and LNG-specific regulations).
• Knowledge of Safety Cases.

Site Working Conditions & Physical Expectations

• Work Environment Must be able to wear all necessary PPE equipment to perform job functions.
• Operates in a complex construction environment.
• Exposure to indoor and outdoor weather conditions.
• Not necessarily protected from weather and temperature changes.
• Possible exposure to hot, cold, wet, humid, or windy weather conditions.
• Exposure to moving mechanical parts and electrical circuits.
• Exposure to constant or intermittent sounds of a pitch level sufficient to cause marked distraction.
• Routinely uses standard office and field communications equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers w/scanner and fax, and radios.
• Able to meet the following physical demands of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations: Ability to drive to other Company work locations as required.
• Ability to move throughout all areas of the facility, including being physically capable of travelling to a designed muster point during emergency situations.
• Stand and/or sit continuously and perform job functions for a full shift.
• The incumbent is required to have fully mechanical motion and usage of all extremities.
• Physically able to walk, stand, bend, stoop, kneel, reach, twist, lift, push, pull, climb, balance, crouch, handle, and lift items weighing up to 20 lbs. without assistance.
• Visual acuity corrected to perform job functions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to clearly communicate with others via radio, phone, and verbal methods.
• May be required to enter confined spaces.
• May be required to work at elevated heights and access elevated structures without assistance.

Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

*In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

NEXTDECADE VALUES

• Safety – We make safety a priority. Everything we do relies on the safety of our people and the communities around us.
• Integrity – We do the right thing, and are open, ethical, and fair. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in all that we do.
• Honesty – We value truth and honesty in ourselves and others. We honor our commitments and take responsibility for our actions.
• Respect – We listen, and respect people, the environment, and the communities in which we live and work.
• Transparency – Transparency builds trust. We promote open communication with our people, our customers, and all our stakeholders.
• Diversity – We value diversity of people and thought. It takes people with different strengths, ideas, and cultural backgrounds to make our company succeed.
• NextDecade provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.
• NextDecade complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

NextDecade will deliver reliable, cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions. With approximately 48 million tonnes per annum of potential liquefaction capacity currently under construction and in development at its Rio Grande LNG site, NextDecade is positioned to be one of the largest LNG liquefaction and export companies in the world. In addition, NextDecade through Rio Grande LNG, is creating thousands of jobs and driving economic growth in South Texas, supporting global energy security, and expanding U.S. energy dominance. NextDecade’s common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “NEXT.” NextDecade is headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more information, please visit www.next-decade.com.