Lead Operator

Role Overview

Lead Operator at Air Products, reporting to the HYCO Shift Supervisor. This role is accountable for day-to-day DCS and field operation of the HYCO hydrogen manufacturing facility, ensuring production requirements are achieved safely and efficiently.

Company Overview

Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company founded in 1940, with a proud history of innovation, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to safety and environmental stewardship.

BHIG—Blue Hydrogen Industrial Gases is a regional development and investment joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Air Products Qudra (APQ), positioned to drive industrial innovation and operational excellence across Saudi Arabia and the region. BHIG focuses on supporting clean energy goals through low-carbon hydrogen production.

Role Purpose

The HYCO Lead Operator ensures safe, efficient and stable operation of the entire Hydrogen Manufacturing Unit from a centralized control room using DCS. This includes monitoring, controlling and optimizing to meet production targets, quality specifications and environmental regulations while actively supporting plant performance, process optimization and production stability. The role executes daily operational tasks and handles Shift Lead responsibility in the absence of the Shift Supervisor, ensuring business continuity.

Key Responsibilities

Safety, Health & Environment

• Maintain a safe and stable environment and demonstrate leadership with all Company and Industry safe work processes to prevent all injuries.
• Ensure proper documentation is maintained for all safety-related activities.
• Enforce and adhere to all Safe Work Permits, Lock-out Tag-out and management of change procedures.
• Be the first line of response for process emergencies, execute emergency operating procedures, initiate plant trips if necessary and direct field operators.
• Monitor status of Safety Instrumented System (SIS) and Fire & Gas Systems.
• Understand the cause and effect chart for all safety interlocks.
• Ensure all plant emissions from reformer stack and vent streams comply with environmental permits.
• Properly manage waste streams.
• Ensure the safety of all operations personnel by utilizing the BHIG Basic Safety Practice program.
• Ensure compliance with all Corrective Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance tasks and Environmental Regulatory requirements.
• Ensure compliance with process safety, Management of Change (MOC) and OPHR requirements.

Operations & Production

• Operate the Steam Methane Reformer based hydrogen plant with CO2 Removal section and CO2 compression, PSA with Tail Gas compression, Membrane Unit and related utilities as prescribed by the Work Instruction Procedures.
• Operate the pipeline network to supply Hydrogen, steam and CO2 to customers' pipelines safely and efficiently.
• Constantly monitor all process variables including flows, temperatures, pressures, levels and analytical values via DCS to ensure they are within defined operating limits.
• Manipulate control loops, setpoints and cascades to maintain stable operations of all integrated units.
• Use historical data and trends to predict equipment performance degradation, identify inefficiencies and prevent potential trips and failures.
• Execute and supervise the detailed start-up sequence for the entire plant or individual units and loops from a cold condition, warm condition or hot stand-by condition, ensuring a smooth and safe transition to full load normal operations.
• Assist in the commissioning activities of the facility.
• Prepare and implement safety work permits and LOTO procedures.
• Complete operations preventative maintenance activities.
• Assist the maintenance and engineering teams in preparing and executing corrective maintenance activities.

Reporting & Communication

• Report production progress and plant status to the Shift Supervisor and suggest solutions for any shortfalls.
• Maintain constant communication with field operators, providing instructions for equipment adjustments, isolations and rounds.
• Conduct detailed and accurate shift handovers with incoming operators, highlighting any abnormalities, ongoing work and special instructions.
• Follow shift turnover protocols to ensure a safe and efficient handover to the following shift.
• Maintain accurate and timely logs of operating parameters, significant events and production data.
• Ensure accountability for accurate and compliant logs in compliance with published matrix.
• Communication of plant activities with other shifts to maintain continuity between shifts for safe and reliable operation.

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Manage plant production efficiently based on input provided by Plant Management to ensure safety and reliability targets are met and to achieve maximum profitability.
• Meet the customer's requirements regarding safety, reliability, product quality and flexibility regarding product supply.
• Maintain customer communications and relationships at the board level, ensuring customer demand rates are satisfied while maximizing the efficiency and profitability of the facility.
• Ensure BHIG standards and global best practices for EH&S, productivity, reliability, quality and overall customer services are met.
• Maintain a relationship with the customer's counterparts from other Refinery Units where BHIG either receives Feedstock, Utilities and Power or supplies Hydrogen and Steam to different Refinery Units, ensuring alignment of expectations through Refinery Shift Superintendent.
• Liaise with the maintenance team to coordinate equipment preparation for maintenance, including isolation, purging and blinding, and safe return of equipment back in line.
• Establish and maintain close working relationships with engineering and maintenance personnel to continuously monitor and evaluate plant systems and equipment performance.
• Provide coaching and motivation to the field operations team to achieve operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Continuous Improvement & Problem-Solving

• Identify the root cause of process deviations and equipment malfunction.
• Work with engineers to implement long-term solutions.
• Suggest and participate in operational improvements and de-bottlenecking projects to enhance safety, reliability and profitability.
• Facilitate attainment of operational excellence and customer satisfaction via operations productivity, reliability, quality and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide operations support and participate in investigations and Root Cause Analysis to identify and implement sustainable corrective actions.

Planning & Administration

• Follow the Site Work Instruction Manuals for production and supply of Product H2, CO2 and Steam along with other operating and maintenance procedures and checklists.
• Support and prepare for Shutdown Planning and Turnaround Planning.
• Execute other duties as assigned by reporting managers in a timely and efficient manner.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Chemical Process Operations with 10 years' experience preferred; an Associate Technical Degree (2-year certificate) will be considered based on years of experience and competence.
• Minimum of 5 years' Lead DCS Operations experience.
• Experience in DCS Operation and Field Operation.
• Experience in SMR based Hydrogen, Ammonia, Methanol or Syngas plant as DCS Operator.

Skills & Competencies

• Proficiency with DCS platforms such as Yokogawa Centum VP or Siemens PCS 7.
• Deep understanding of Chemical Engineering Principles, thermodynamics and process control.
• Wide technical knowledge in operations, engineering and maintenance activities.
• Ability to maintain high level of awareness and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving and diagnostic abilities.
• Clear, concise and effective verbal and written communication.
• Proficiency in English speaking and writing.
• Ability to communicate with the customer at board level daily.
• Ability to communicate between operations and maintenance teams.
• Strong commitment to employee involvement, team building and diversity.