Oil & Gas Automation Specialist | Plant & PLC Expert

Occidental Petroleum Corporation; Hobbs (NM); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Occidental Petroleum Corporation in the Permian Basin seeks an Automation Specialist to join the Permian EOR Plants team in Denver City, TX. You will perform maintenance activities, manage vendors, and support plant automation systems.

The role requires deep knowledge of PLC/DCS, instrumentation, and control networks, with 5+ years oil and gas automation experience. Travel may be required; strong problem-solving and mentoring skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 2-year technical degree or equivalent working experience required.
• Expert knowledge of oil and gas automation systems.
• Competent knowledge of oil and gas process facilities.
• Minimum of 5 years of Oil and Gas experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of Oil and Gas Automation experience.
• Intermediate knowledge of RTU designs, programming & troubleshooting.
• Intermediate knowledge of instrumentation & networking protocols.
• Knowledge of standards (API, NEC, NFPA, IEEE, ISA).
• Basic PLC programming (FB/ladder/structured text) and HMI maintenance.
• Ability to travel to unassigned job areas as needed.
• Safety-conscious around instrumentation and electrical systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform maintenance activities at a local level; manage vendors and support services.
• Represent the Automation team in plant maintenance-related correspondence.
• Understand plant process, equipment, and design to support the Plant team.
• Perform corrective and predictive maintenance on automation equipment.
• Cost tracking and reporting for maintenance activities.
• Provide quotes for automation and maintenance projects.
• Ensure PM documentation is accurate and stored centrally.
• Provide automation support during outages and for plant systems.

Skills

Automation design principles

PSSRs & MOCs

EOR safe work systems

Electrical/Automation codes

Materials specifications

Regulatory guidelines

Leadership & mentoring

Pressure tolerance & teamwork

MS Office & proprietary software

DCS/PLC I/O knowledge

Programming and testing

Project management

Education

2-year technical degree or equivalent

Bachelor's in Automation/EE (preferred)

Tools

Allen-Bradley equipment

Rosemount equipment

Job description

Occidental Petroleum Corporation in the Permian Basin seeks an Automation Specialist to join the Permian EOR Plants team in Denver City, TX. You will perform maintenance activities, manage vendors, and support plant automation systems.

The role requires deep knowledge of PLC/DCS, instrumentation, and control networks, with 5+ years oil and gas automation experience. Travel may be required; strong problem-solving and mentoring skills are essential.