Fixed Equipment Specialist

INEOS USA LLC; League City (TX); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

INEOS USA LLC is seeking a Fixed Equipment Specialist to act as a senior technical resource for pressure vessels and piping systems. This hybrid role requires deep subject-matter expertise on asset lifecycle care and integrity management.

The ideal candidate will have at least 15 years of experience in fixed-equipment reliability and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Key responsibilities include guiding asset-care strategies and supporting site engineering teams.

Qualifications

• 15–20 years of experience in fixed-equipment reliability, design, or inspection within refining, petrochemical, or heavy industrial environments.
• Demonstrated experience with relief-device program management, including sizing and testing.
• Recognized authority on fixed-equipment design, inspection, and lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

• Define and guide enterprise asset-care strategies for fixed equipment.
• Serve as the enterprise senior technical resource for fixed-equipment integrity and mechanical problems.
• Ensure all critical fixed equipment is accurately represented in PCMS.

Skills

Expert knowledge of pressure vessels

Proficient with PCMS or equivalent mechanical-integrity software

Strong understanding of degradation mechanisms

Experience with RBI

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

PCMS

Job description

Fixed Equipment Specialist (Engineer) — INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA. Location: TBD (Hybrid).

The Fixed Equipment Specialist is the senior enterprise‑wide technical resource for pressure vessels, heat exchangers, storage tanks, piping systems, and relief devices across INEOS O&P USA. Reported to the Equipment Integrity Manager & Technical Authority, the role provides deep subject‑matter expertise that underpins enterprise decisions on equipment lifecycle care, turnaround scope, and capital investment across more than $15B of enterprise replacement value assets.

Job Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Asset Care Strategy & Lifecycle Management

• Define and guide enterprise asset‑care strategies for fixed equipment, including risk‑based inspection intervals, replacement timelines, and renewal paths for pressure vessels, heat exchangers, storage tanks, and piping.
• Ensure strategies reflect known degradation mechanisms, usage profiles, operational history, and current asset condition data.
• Champion a long‑term planning mindset for high‑risk and high‑value assets across all sites, balancing operational pressures with lifecycle integrity outcomes.
• Support the Equipment Integrity Manager in developing and maintaining enterprise‑level fixed‑equipment standards, asset‑care practices, and lifecycle frameworks.
• Drive standardization of strategy development, documentation, and review practices across all sites.

Technical Leadership & Site Support

• Serve as the enterprise senior technical resource for severe or complex fixed‑equipment integrity and mechanical problems, providing authoritative guidance to site engineering and inspection teams.
• Act as the go‑to resource for site‑based mechanical and inspection engineers, supporting troubleshooting, design evaluation, and repair planning.
• Provide design input for replacements and modifications involving pressure vessels, heat exchangers, storage tanks, and piping systems.
• Lead and support failure investigations, contributing root‑cause analysis, metallurgical evaluation, and recommendations for systemic corrective actions.

PCMS Ownership & Data Integrity

• Ensure all critical fixed equipment is accurately represented in PCMS, including pressure vessels, exchangers, storage tanks, and piping circuits.
• Establish enterprise best practices for managing and maintaining fixed‑equipment records in PCMS and coach site leads on consistent application.
• Maintain complete and accurate equipment history, including prior inspections, repairs, fitness‑for‑service evaluations, and planned replacements.
• Partner with the Chief Inspector and site inspection leads to ensure data integrity and use of PCMS as the foundation for inspection planning, lifecycle decisions, and capital prioritization.
• Drive continuous improvement in fixed‑equipment data quality and PCMS utilization across all sites.

Relief Device Program Stewardship

• Provide enterprise‑level technical stewardship for the relief device program, covering more than 4,000 devices across O&P USA.
• Ensure relief device population data, testing intervals, and condition records are accurately maintained and traceable.
• Coach site engineering and inspection teams on relief device sizing, selection, testing, and repair best practices.
• Support root‑cause investigations involving relief device failures or in‑service events, offering technical expertise on design adequacy and program effectiveness.
• Partner with site relief systems engineers, the Chief Inspector, and external test contractors to drive consistent execution of inspection, testing, and repair programs.
• Monitor industry incidents and code developments to ensure programs remain current with API520/521, ASME SectionVIII, and applicable RAGAGEP.

Turnaround & Capital Planning Integration

• Provide technical support for turnaround scope development, ensuring high‑risk fixed equipment is appropriately evaluated, scoped, and timed.
• Inform capital investment needs based on lifecycle risk, expected equipment longevity, and condition‑based strategies.
• Ensure project proposals for replacement or upgrades are submitted early enough for business prioritization and funding alignment.
• Support post‑turnaround reviews to capture lessons learned and refresh asset‑care strategies.
• Influence the lifecycle and capital portion of more than $175MM+ in annual maintenance and inspection spend across ~20 distinct turnaround events.

Standards Compliance & Governance Support

• Ensure practices align with applicable codes and standards, including API510, 570, 653, 579, ASME codes, and RAGAGEP.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of inspection, design, and repair code updates and translate updates into enterprise practice changes.
• Provide input into enterprise procedures involving risk prioritization, inspection planning, and documentation.
• Support RBI, FFS, and damage‑mechanism review programs as a senior technical contributor.
• Partner with the Chief Inspector and Corrosion & Materials Engineer to align standards with inspection program requirements and corrosion control documents.

Mechanical Engineering Discipline Development & Coaching

• Provide functional development and mentoring to a team of 30+ mechanical engineers, two reliability team leads, and superintendents at BMC and CBW sites.
• Calibrate superintendents on asset‑care strategy, lifecycle planning, and technical decisions.
• Mentor site engineers in applying asset‑care strategies, failure prevention, and sound engineering judgment.
• Contribute to competency standards for the mechanical engineering role group within the future INEOS O&P Business Competency Management System.

External Engagement & Industry Benchmarking

• Participate in and lead INEOS Group fixed‑equipment and reliability networks, ensuring alignment and knowledge sharing across the enterprise.
• Actively engage in external technical forums, including API committees and the AFPM Mechanical Integrity Subgroup.
• Monitor regulatory changes, evolving codes and standards, and external incidents to keep programs credible and defensible.
• Foster a network of site‑based engineers and reliability personnel for knowledge exchange and adoption of best practices.

Required Knowledge and Skills

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 15–20years of experience in fixed‑equipment reliability, design, or inspection within refining, petrochemical, or heavy industrial environments.
• Expert knowledge of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, piping, and storage tanks, including failure mechanisms, design criteria, and repair techniques.
• Proficient with PCMS or equivalent mechanical‑integrity software, with proven track record driving data quality and equipment‑history standards.
• Familiar with API codes 510, 570, 653, 579, and 520/521, applicable ASME standards, and ability to apply them to varied plant environments.
• Demonstrated experience with relief‑device program management, including sizing, testing, repair, and regulatory compliance.
• Active participation in external mechanical‑integrity, fixed‑equipment, or reliability networks (e.g., API, AFPM) preferred.

Technical Skills

• Recognized authority on fixed‑equipment design, inspection, and lifecycle management.
• Extensive knowledge of fixed‑equipment codes and standards (API510, 570, 571, 579, 580, 581, 653, 520/521, relevant ASME codes).
• Strong understanding of degradation mechanisms, corrosion processes, and metallurgical failure analysis, including fitness‑for‑service evaluations.
• Experience with RBI, damage‑mechanism reviews, and integration of inspection findings into lifecycle asset‑care strategies.
• Working knowledge of OSHA1910.119 (PSM) as it relates to fixed‑equipment mechanical‑integrity programs.
• Skilled in integrating fixed‑equipment strategies into turnaround planning and capital project development.
• Proficient with PCMS or equivalent platforms and skilled in developing data‑quality standards, equipment‑history practices, and program‑performance metrics.
• Ability to analyze fixed‑equipment performance data and translate findings into actionable lifecycle strategies and capital recommendations.
• Actively engages with external industry networks and applies new technologies or practices to improve performance and reduce risk.

Behavioral Skills

• Strong coaching and communication skills, with ability to influence and mentor across experience levels.
• Persistent and detail‑oriented in maintaining data quality and tracking long‑term asset health.
• Builds credibility through technical depth, consistency in decision‑making, and follow‑through.
• Communicates clearly and persuasively, translating technical analysis into actionable guidance for technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Steers sites toward standard asset‑care strategies through coaching and influence while recognizing local constraints when necessary.
• Prioritizes and organizes complex workloads with competing stakeholder demands.
• Collaborates effectively across functions, working with inspection, maintenance, operations, and project teams.
• Takes a long‑term stewardship view of asset integrity, balancing near‑term pressures with lifecycle risk.
• Recognizes patterns and systemic risks across sites, not just individual failures.
• Demonstrates sound judgment in high‑stakes engineering decisions affecting equipment safety and reliability.
• Operates with a long‑term view, connecting daily work to lifecycle integrity outcomes.
• Applies external industry learnings pragmatically to improve internal programs.
• Earns trust by delivering value, not just enforcing compliance.