Engineer, Control Systems

Next Decade

Next Decade

Houston, TX, USA
Posted 6+ months ago

ABOUT NEXTDECADE CORPORATION

NextDecade Corporation is an energy company accelerating the path to a net-zero future. Leading innovation in more sustainable LNG and carbon capture solutions, NextDecade is committed to providing the world access to cleaner energy. Through our subsidiaries Rio Grande LNG and NEXT Carbon Solutions, we are developing a 27 MTPA LNG export facility in South Texas along with one of the largest carbon capture and storage projects in North America. We are also working with third-party customers around the world to deploy our proprietary processes to lower the cost of carbon capture and storage and reduce CO2 emissions at their industrial-scale facilities.

NextDecade’s common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “NEXT.” NextDecade is headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more information, please visit www.next-decade.com.

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE

NextDecade is seeking a full-time Control Systems Engineer to support long-term operations for the Rio Grande LNG facility located near Brownsville, Texas. The position will require work from Houston during early job phases before transitioning to Brownsville, Texas prior to commissioning and startup.

  • The incumbent will report to the Principal Engineer, Instrument & Controls in the Operations Department, under the leadership of the Sr. Manager Facilities Engineering, Sr. Director of Engineering and Vice President of Operations.
  • The Control Systems Engineer is a senior member of the Instrument and Control engineering team and may be required to backfill the Principal Engineer during periods of absence.
  • The role has no direct reports although may be required to manage and supervise contractor controls personnel working within the facility.
  • Peer level personnel will include other members of the engineering team across all facilities disciplines.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead support for the following equipment, systems, and processes:

  • Equipment: Distributed Control System (DCS), equipment control systems (e.g. Opticomp, turbine controls, local control panels, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) etc)
  • Systems and Processes: Support alarm management and alarm response through control system optimization, overrides and inhibits, software change management, DCS support, Operational Technology security / Process Control Domain (PCD) security, control system obsolescence management.
  • Lead the control systems engineering efforts for the RGLNG facility to support both day-to-day plant operations and long-term reliability and availability targets.
  • Lead frontline support to operations to investigate control logic issues, causes of trips and equipment downtime, and work proactively to maximize facility availability.
  • Develop and monitor control systems Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure reliable, safe, and efficient operation.
  • Coordinate DCS support engineers.
  • Work closely with rotating equipment engineers and contractor turbine controls engineers for reliable performance of gas turbine driven compressor strings.
  • Participate in risk assessments, PHAs, HAZOP, SIL, and SIF reviews as required.
  • Ensure the Management of Change (MOC) procedures (including Software Change Requests) are followed and documentation for instruments and control systems is up to date.
  • Develop and ensure adherence to all discipline specifications, standards, procedures, and guidelines.
  • Monitor and report on the condition and performance of all controls barriers to major accident events. Manage barrier impairment risks to As Low As Reasonably Practicable to support safe continued operations.
  • Provide integral interaction and support for other intercompany teams, such as Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Process Safety Management (PSM), and Health, Safety, Security and Environmental (HSSE).
  • Prepare, execute, and maintain control systems related software licensing contracts and service agreements.
  • Provide input into the instrumentation and control systems budget for the Facilities Engineering Team.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • B.S. or higher in Chemical, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or equivalent is preferred.
  • 10+ years of control systems engineering experience.
  • 5+ years of instrumentation and control systems engineering experience in an LNG operating facility.
  • Willingness to travel, domestically & internationally, as needed (approximately 10-15%)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Advanced skills in the following areas:

  • Troubleshooting and problem solving control system issues, including following equipment or facility trips and supporting the operations team to return equipment into service

Intermediate skills in the following areas:

  • Application of LNG facility applicable industry standards, regulatory codes, and recommended practices
  • Compressor performance & anti-surge controls
  • Control theory & analysis
  • ABB Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), and Fire and Gas Systems (FGS)
  • Programmable logic controllers from multiple manufacturers and their associated interface with Distributed Control Systems (DCS)
  • MkVIe Turbine Controls

Basic/Beginner skills in the following areas:

  • Process Safety Management (PSM) and operational risk management
  • Management of Change (MOC)
  • Operational Technology (OT) / Process Control Domain (PCD) security
  • Root cause investigations
  • Managing interfaces and working closely with Project and Operations teams during detailed design, construction, commissioning, startup, and post-startup operations.

Work Environment

  • Must be able to wear all necessary PPE equipment to perform job functions.
  • Operates in a complex construction environment.
  • Exposure to indoor and outdoor weather conditions.
  • Not necessarily protected from weather and temperature changes. Possible exposure to hot, cold, wet, humid, or windy weather conditions.
  • Exposure to moving mechanical parts and electrical circuits.
  • Exposure to constant or intermittent sounds of a pitch level sufficient to cause marked distraction.
  • Routinely uses standard office and field communications equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers w/scanner and fax, and radios.

Able to meet the following physical demands of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations:

  • Ability to drive to other Company work locations as required.
  • Ability to move throughout all areas of the facility, including being physically capable of traveling to a designed muster point during emergency situations.
  • Stand and/or sit continuously and perform job functions for a full shift.
  • The incumbent is required to have fully mechanical motion and usage of all extremities.
  • Physically able to walk, stand, bend, stoop, kneel, reach, twist, lift, push, pull, climb, balance, crouch, handle, and lift items weighing up to 20 lbs. without assistance.
  • Visual acuity corrected to perform job functions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
  • Must be able to clearly communicate with others via radio, phone, and verbal methods.
  • May be required to enter confined spaces.
  • May be required to work at elevated heights and access elevated structures without assistance.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

NEXTDECADE VALUES

  • Safety – We make safety a priority. Everything we do relies on the safety of our people and the communities around us.
  • Integrity – We do the right thing, and are open, ethical, and fair. We hold ourselves to the highest standards in all that we do.
  • Honesty – We value truth and honesty in ourselves and others. We honor our commitments and take responsibility for our actions.
  • Respect – We listen, and respect people, the environment, and the communities in which we live and work.
  • Transparency – Transparency builds trust. We promote open communication with our people, our customers, and all our stakeholders.
  • Diversity – We value diversity of people and thought. It takes people with different strengths, ideas, and cultural backgrounds to make our company succeed.