Process Safety Engineer

Koch; Wichita (KS); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Koch is seeking a Process Safety Engineer to support multiple operating sites across Texas and Kansas, focusing on building risk assessments and PHA program ownership. The role involves on-site facilitation, data-driven risk framing, and cross-site collaboration.

Based with preferred proximity to Houston or Victoria, TX, with other options including Wichita, KS, and travel about 35%. A hybrid work arrangement is offered with occasional international travel requirements.

Qualifications

• Process plant experience or bachelor’s degree in engineering.
• Effective communicator with site personnel and leadership; ability to influence and coach.
• Experience using problem-solving skills to address process safety risks.
• Experience participating in or facilitating PHA and risk assessment methodologies (HAZOP, LOPA, fault tree analysis, dispersion modeling).
• Familiarity with Management of Change, Incident Investigation, Risk Management Program, Facility Siting, etc.
• Ability to travel internationally with a valid passport.
• 5+ years’ experience in a process plant or degree in chemical engineering with process plant experience.
• Trained HAZOP & LOPA facilitator with experience facilitating base and project PHAs.
• Experience creating/interpreting higher-level risk assessments (consequence models, fault trees, QRA).
• Experience with remote communication to build relationships across regions.
• Experience in chemicals, refining, and/or ammonia fertilizer industries.

Responsibilities

• Build valuable relationships and risk assessment capability with site personnel.
• Lead cross-site and cross-functional team efforts to advance risk assessment and drive consistency with site PHA programs.
• Provide on-site PHA or risk assessment facilitation/scribe support when needed.
• Perform benchmarking to improve PHA performance and develop new guidance where needed.
• Assist with PHA transformation using available site data to frame process safety risk and opportunities.
• Assist with day-to-day process safety support for multiple sites in related disciplines (MOC, Facility Siting, Compliance, RMP).

Skills

Process safety

PHA/LOPA facilitation

Risk assessment

Cross-site coordination

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

Corpus Christi, Texas | Houston, Texas | Plano, Texas | Victoria, Texas | Wichita, Kansas

A Process Safety Engineer within Koch is an exciting and fulfilling opportunity to help many sites within multiple industries improve their process safety performance. This role will primarily focus on building risk assessments and PHA program ownership capability in our operating sites. This will include occasional risk assessment facilitation and work towards transforming PHA processes to integrate more data to improve our understanding of risk. In addition to PHA-related work, this role will partner with sites to improve process safety capability within many process safety elements.

There is a strong preference for this role to be based near Houston, TX or Victoria, TX. Other location options may also include Wichita, KS; Corpus Christi, TX; or Plano, TX. This role will be open to a hybrid work arrangement and will require ~35% travel, dependent on business need (primarily US and Canada travel with potential for international travel).

Our Team

The Koch Capabilities Process Safety team is a group of experienced process safety professionals focused on building capability within Koch Industries to improve performance at our sites. Our team is spread across the US and primarily supports these Koch Companies: Flint Hills Resources (oil refining), Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (ammonia fertilizers), Invista (chemicals), and Guardian Industries (architectural glass).

What You Will Do

• Build valuable relationships and risk assessment capability with site personnel
• Lead cross-site and cross-functional team efforts to advance risk assessment and drive consistency with site PHA programs
• Provide on-site PHA or risk assessment facilitation/scribe support when needed
• Performing internal and external benchmarking to improve PHA performance, which may include seeking out opportunities with continuous improvement and developing new guidance where a need is identified
• Assist with PHA transformation efforts by utilizing available site data to frame up unit process safety risk and opportunities
• Assist with day-to-day process safety support for multiple sites in additional PSM disciplines, such as MOC, Facility Siting, Compliance Auditing, RMP, etc.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Process plant experience or bachelor’s degree in engineering
• Effective communicator with experience building relationships with site personnel and leadership & experience influencing and coaching others.
• Experience using problem-solving skills to identify and address potential process safety risks. Experience relying on risk assessment principles to solve problems, instead of reliance on rules.
• Experience participating in or facilitating PHA and other risk assessment methodologies (i.e. HAZOP, LOPA, fault tree analysis, dispersion modeling, etc.)
• Familiarity with other process safety elements, including Management of Change, Incident Investigation, Risk Management Program, Facility Siting, etc.
• Ability to travel internationally with a valid passport or ability to obtain a passport

What Will Put You Ahead

• 5+ years’ experience in a process plant or degree in chemical engineering with process plant experience
• Trained HAZOP & LOPA facilitator with experience facilitating base and project PHAs
• Experience creating and/or interpreting the results of higher-level risk assessments, such as consequence models, fault trees, and other QRA techniques
• Experience with remote communication to build relationships and capability in site personnel in different regions
• Experience in chemicals, refining, and/or ammonia fertilizer industries

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how ourbusiness philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.