Our client an Oil & Gas operations giant are looking to add a Lead Process Engineer to their operations team on their field in Basra, Iraq.

Role will be contract based working on a 28 day on 28 day off rotational basis and will offer an attractive day rate and opportunity to work for a major player in the Energy sector.

Role overview

The Lead Process Engineer will be a member of the Central Engineering Team and report to the Process & Process Safety Team Lead, providing deep process engineering expertise and judgment in service of the assets, working closely with the Area Engineering Teams to ensure efficient resolution of all issues that require additional process engineering input. Ensure pragmatic solutions are implemented for management of risk, production efficiency improvement, maintenance, defect elimination and engineering standardisation in support of safe, reliable and compliant operations.

The client M&E Central Engineering Team provides support across all areas of the Rumaila operation, covering a current total of 14 oil degassing stations, 7 water injection pumping stations, a water treatment facility, power plant and produced water treatment & reinjection facility, together with the associated wells, flowline gathering and pipeline networks. The team also provides assurance for ongoing projects which seek to both grow the production volumes and deal with the produced water challenge, whilst increasing gas capture and minimising impact on the environment.

Key Accountabilities

• Day to day direction and prioritisation of process engineering support to deliver safe, reliable, and compliant operations, including discipline leadership of process engineers in Area Operations Support team and Maintenance & Engineering team.
• Subject Matter Expert for process engineering discipline at client site
• Take lead in developing and maintaining the practices/procedures, work processes, technologies, and tools for process engineering.
• Provide assurance on process engineering compliance with applicable Standards, Specifications, Codes and Regulations. Ensure that non-conformities and temporary deviations are identified.
• Champion the client nationalisation program by identifying & mentoring Iraqi nationals.
• Communicate process lessons learned to the site Operations team, encourage, and promote a culture of sharing experience and continuous improvement.
• Responsible for the quality of all work performed by the team. Performance manages the team, provides continuous constructive feedback and ensures discipline health is maintained.
• Leads on resolution of complex, multi-discipline technical issues where the dominant component is process related.
• Play a key role in major accident risks, providing technical expertise to mitigate / eliminate future risks.
• Ensure critical process documentation and information, including P&ID's, and Cause and Effect Diagrams are kept up to date.
• Contribute to opportunity identification and scope definition for both small and major brownfield projects and provide ongoing technical guidance and assurance for these projects in line with agreed assurance frameworks.
• Provides process expertise to MOC and to brownfield projects and modifications including coordination with Production/Operations/Maintenance staff to identify and prioritise MoC activities.

Essential Education
BSc or BEng or MEng (UK), BSc (US), or international equivalent in Chemical engineering or relevant engineering subject.
Professional accreditation, such as Professional Engineer or Chartered Engineer

Essential experience and job requirements

Extensive and relevant industry experience in brownfield Operations engineering environments. At least 20 years industry experience with a minimum of 5 years in multicultural Operational roles across the full value chain of hydrocarbon and water production facilities with international operators. Strong technical leadership experience and influencing capabilities. 

Proven ability in practical application of engineering standards and practices for process engineering. Demonstrated experience of utilising risk assessment tools & techniques to prioritise response to emerging risks, and successful identification, development & implementation of practical risk mitigation measures.

Candidate to demonstrate familiarity with all relevant industry process engineering codes, standards and practices (API, ASME, ISO), and relevant experience with key Process engineering tools such as Aspen HYSYS & Flare System Analyser, Schlumberger Pipesim etc.

Desirable criteria and qualifications

• Key skills include communication, interpersonal relationships, facilitation, influencing, and negotiating.
• Ability to develop others and foster diverse relationships in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to identify correct priorities of maintenance and engineering support activities.
• Ability to speak Arabic would be beneficial but not essential.
• Ability to identify and assess safety hazards; seeing what others may not: speaking up, early recognition of risks, opportunities and solutions – in particular when working outside of familiar technologies, codes and standards.
• Ability to find fit-for-purpose solutions to engineering challenges, wisely applying engineering judgement to achieve the business's requirements without compromising process safety.
• Experience of working in a rotational pattern with a back-to-back / alternate.

Other Requirements

• A passion and relentless drive for continuous improvement
• Strong use of IT systems to analyse data, and produce reports & KPI's etc
• Strong interpersonal skills with experience influencing operating teams and contractors
• Strong cultural awareness
• Able to prioritise work in a high activity environment
• Able to work within a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to handle multiple tasks with minimal supervision
• Strong bias for being proactive and achieving results
• Demonstrate planning, organizational and communication skills

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.