Operations/Process Safety Engineer

Operations/Process Safety Engineer

NextDecade is committed to providing the world access to reliable, lower-carbon energy. We are focused on delivering secure and cost-effective energy through the safe and efficient development and operation of natural gas liquefaction capacity at Rio Grande LNG. Through our subsidiaries, we are developing and constructing the Rio Grande LNG natural gas liquefaction and export facility near Brownsville, Texas, with approximately 48 MTPA of potential liquefaction capacity currently under construction or in development, sufficient space at the site for up to 10 liquefaction trains, and a potential carbon capture and storage project. NextDecade's common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "NEXT." NextDecade is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

The Operations/Process Safety Engineer, officially titled Facility Risk Engineer, supports safe operations by analyzing operational risks related to the ongoing operations of the LNG trains. They assist Production Shift Managers and HSSE teams in determining practicable short-term mitigations to maintain facility operations during barrier impairments. The role encompasses short- and medium-term risk management, including conducting risk assessments, developing mitigation plans, and ensuring compliance with NextDecade RGLNG operational and cumulative risk procedures and applicable regulations. Facility Risk Engineers are embedded in the Production Shift teams and collaborate with diverse stakeholders across Process safety, Maintenance, Engineering, HSSE, and may interface with contractors and vendors.

This position is located in Brownsville, TX. This is a shift-based position and requires flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.

Key Responsibilities:

• Safety Leadership and Culture:
• Instill a strong process and personal safety awareness culture by promoting the Facility Safety Case, ensuring PTW compliance, and conducting continual work activity safety analyses.
• Champion Process Safety Management (PSM) fundamentals for the Production shift team and drive continuous improvement in Quality and HSSE awareness.
• Risk Assessment and Mitigation:
• Coordinate and facilitate risk assessments for: SIMOPS and High-risk work permits, deviations from Standard Operating Procedures, barrier impairment, deferral of Safety Critical Equipment maintenance, inhibits and overrides, temporary work instructions and emergency MOC's, and other abnormal situations as required.
• Ensure risk assessment meetings meet competency requirements and obtain appropriate approvals.
• Support the Permit to Work process by reviewing permit risk assessments and isolation schemes for adequate mitigations. Ensure SIMOPs is assessed during the Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow work alignment meeting.
• Operational Oversight:
• Monitor implementation of operational controls identified in risk assessments.
• Review daily work activities, highlighting SIMOPS and high-risk tasks during shift pre-start meetings.
• Conduct field walks and participate in toolbox talks to verify compliance with permit risk mitigations.
• Barrier and Integrity Management:
• Work closely with barrier owners to manage impaired Safety Critical Elements (SCE) and deferral processes.
• Maintain data visualization inputs for key integrity elements such as alarm management, inhibits/overrides, and leak/weeps/seeps.
• Compliance and Auditing:
• Regularly audit compliance with NextDecade standards, guidelines, and work practices, including: procedural compliance, leak/weeps/seeps management, inhibit and override processes, locked valve audits, alarm management and isolation management.
• Incident Management:
• Ensure information is captured from the shift team following HSSE, quality, and reliability incidents to support investigations.
• Training and Guidance:
• Provide training and guidance on risk assessment methodologies and best practices for production and maintenance shift teams.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, or a closely related discipline).
• 4+ Years' Experience in the Oil & Gas, Chemical or Petrochemical Industries.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of Risk Assessment processes and techniques.
• Ability to obtain Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC)
• Knowledge of Barrier Management and Bowties.
• Experience in working with KPI guidelines to track monthly requirements aligned to the NextDecade RGLNG annual business plans.
• This role is a shift-based position and requires flexibility to work days, nights, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7+ years' experience in leadership role(s) within risk assessment, safety management, or HSE within LNG, oil & gas, or petrochemical industries.
• Understanding and application of Process Safety Fundamental principles.
• Experience in LNG-specific hazards, cryogenic risks, and emergency response planning.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements (FERC, PHMSA, USCG, OSHA, API, ISO 31000, NFPA 59A, and LNG-specific regulations).
• Knowledge of Safety Cases.

Job Site 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.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to support individuals with ADA-recognized disabilities to perform the essential functions for the job.
• 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.
• If you require accommodations during the application or interview process, please contact Human Resources at View email address on click.appcast.io.

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.

*In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

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 experiences and thoughts. It takes people with different strengths and backgrounds to make our company succeed.

NextDecade provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital