HYCO Operator

Role Overview

HYCO Operator at Air Products in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The HYCO Steam Methane Reformer Shift Operator is accountable for day-to-day operation of one of the APQ facilities.

Company Overview

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

Role Purpose

The HYCO Shift Operator, reporting to the HYCO Lead/Shift Supervisor, ensures day-to-day operation of the HYCO facility and achieves production requirements set by the customer in a safe and efficient manner. The role encompasses preparing and implementing safety work permits, LOTO, completing operations preventative maintenance activities, and assisting maintenance and engineering teams in corrective maintenance.

Key Responsibilities

Safety

• Maintain a safe work 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.
• Ensure the safety of all operations personnel by utilizing the APQ Basic Safety Practice program, which includes Safety Work Permits, LOTO, and Confined Space.
• Facilitate executing, organizing, and auditing to build the Air Products safety culture into APQ.

Technical Operations

• Operate the HYCO Steam Methane Reformer and CO2 recovery units and ancillary equipment including water treatment units as prescribed by Work Instruction Procedures.
• Operate the pipeline network to supply hydrogen, steam, and CO2 to pipeline customers safely and efficiently.
• Manage oxygen and nitrogen pipeline products as part of the overall operating team.
• Provide Operations support and guidance during commissioning of the plant.
• Maintain accurate document control and monitor quality assurance initiatives.
• Provide Operations guidance to ensure safety, reliability and maintainability of equipment, processes, utilities, and controls.
• Manage plant production efficiently based on input from Plant Management and Plant Production Engineering to ensure safety and reliability targets are met and to achieve maximum profitability.
• Report shift production progress and plant status to the Shift Supervisor, providing operational solutions for shortfall areas.

Compliance & Standards

• Ensure compliance with process safety, MOCs, and OPHR requirements.
• Operate the facility ensuring Environmental and Regulatory requirements are not exceeded.
• Ensure Air Products and APQ standards and global best practices for EH&S, productivity, reliability, quality, and overall customer service are met.
• Follow the Site Work Instruction Manuals for the HYCO, CO2, and ancillary equipment units, adhering to operating and maintenance procedures and checklists to meet customer satisfaction on safety, reliability, product quality, and flexibility of product supply while in compliance with contractual requirements.

Maintenance & Reliability

• Support and maintain close working relationships with engineering and maintenance personnel to continuously monitor and evaluate plant systems and equipment through a Plant Process Advisory Model.
• Support the maintenance and engineering team in maintaining plant reliability through execution of preventive maintenance activities and coordinating corrective maintenance activities to optimize activities during plant shutdowns and avoid business interruption.
• Provide operations support and participate in investigations and Root Cause Analysis to identify and implement sustainable corrective actions.

Shift Operations & Communication

• Follow shift turnover protocols to ensure safe and efficient handover to the following shift.
• Communicate plant activities with other shifts to maintain continuity between shifts for safe and reliable operation.
• Maintain customer communications and relationships at the board level, ensuring customer demand rates are satisfied while maximizing efficiency and profitability of the facility.
• Ability to communicate with the customer at the board level on a daily basis.

Continuous Improvement

• Facilitate attainment of operational excellence and customer satisfaction via operations productivity, reliability, quality, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Execute other duties as assigned from reporting managers in a timely and efficient manner.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Chemical Process Operations preferred; an Associate Technical Degree (2-year certificate) will be considered based on years of experience and competence.
• Minimum of 5 years plant operations experience required.
• Experience in process plant operation, demonstrated Hydrogen/SMR/acid gas removal units production plant knowledge a plus.
• Knowledgeable in local environmental, health and safety requirements.
• Persons with a minimum of 5 years to 15+ years experience in plant operations and leadership positions will be considered for Lead and Supervisor positions after completion of the Operator Progression Course.
• Expectation based on level of experience for the operations team to achieve a Level 1/Board Level status within 2–4 years.
• Operators will be evaluated during the training period and placed at the level of competence accordingly.
• All operations team are considered field and board operators when Level 1 is achieved.

Skills & Competencies

• Proficiency in English speaking and writing.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate between operations and maintenance teams.
• Strong commitment to employee involvement, team building and diversity.

Additional Information

• All operators interviewed based on years of service, experience, and leadership skills will be evaluated and considered for Lead and Supervisor positions after completion of the Operator Progression Course.