Field Engineer

Professional Summary

The Client is seeking an accomplished Senior Field Engineer to lead mechanical completion, system turnover, and Pre-Startup Safety Review (PSSR) operations for a major infrastructure and utility corridor relocation initiative. This critical assignment centers on the relocation and integration of two major pipe racks comprising 38 process and utility lines running parallel to the Interstate 10 corridor.

Acting as a pivotal technical authority between construction contractors, project engineering, operations, and safety leadership, the Senior Field Engineer will oversee system walkdowns, rigorous field verification, punch-list lifecycle administration, and commissioning readiness. The selected candidate must be a field-driven practitioner who thrives in high-intensity brownfield environments, demonstrates assertive cross-functional leadership, and ensures all installations adhere strictly to Process Safety Management (PSM) and Management of Change (MOC) standards.

Core Responsibilities

• Field Engineering & Verification: Execute rigorous on-site physical walkdowns across approximately 40,000 linear feet of piping, verifying installed assets against Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), isometric drawings (ISOs), and technical specifications.
• Mechanical Completion & Turnover: Establish, monitor, and enforce system boundaries, acceptance criteria, and system turnover sequencing to secure operational handover on an accelerated schedule.
• Punch-List Lifecycle Management: Compile, categorize (pre-startup, post-startup, deferred), and manage punch-list items by discipline and ownership; perform direct field verification of corrective actions to ensure comprehensive closure prior to system energization.
• PSSR Leadership & Execution: Coordinate and co-facilitate Pre-Startup Safety Reviews with operations, process safety, engineering, and contractor representatives, securing formal authorizations before introducing hydrocarbons or commissioning lines.
• Line Isolation & Cleaning Oversight: Liaise with turnaround and construction personnel to oversee line cleaning, chemical/mechanical flushing, de-inventorying, isolation, and tie-in activities.
• Management of Change (MOC) Tracking: Administer, log, and advance technical variance requests and MOC workflows within the VIZION knowledge management platform.
• Quality & Turnover Package Coordination: Audit and assemble complete documentation packages—including hydrostatic/pressure test records, redlines, as-built documentation, and inspection certificates—to ensure seamless operational acceptance.
• Contractor & Schedule Interface: Direct daily coordination meetings with multi-craft contractors and field personnel, driving critical-path turnover milestones while maintaining uncompromising quality and safety protocols.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Construction Management, or an equivalent engineering discipline.
• Experience: Minimum of 8 years of progressive industrial field engineering, turnaround, commissioning, or mechanical completion experience within refining, petrochemical, chemical processing, or midstream facilities.
• Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated expertise reading and auditing P&IDs, piping isometrics, equipment layouts, and vendor data packages.
• Safety & Regulatory Knowledge: Thorough working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Management of Change (MOC) protocols, and formal PSSR methodology.
• Physical Capability: Demonstrated ability and willingness to wear fall-protection harnesses, ascend ladders and structural steel, navigate active pipe racks, and walk extended distances (up to 40,000 linear feet of piping) in demanding Gulf Coast environmental conditions (heat, humidity).
• Leadership & Communication: Assertive interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills capable of holding contractors accountable to stringent project schedules and engineering standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience executing refinery or chemical facility turnarounds, unit shutdowns, and line cut-in/tie-in operations.
• Hands-on proficiency with the VIZION knowledge management system or comparable electronic completion management platforms.
• Prior experience managing utility corridor or major pipeline relocation projects interfacing with civil infrastructure developments.
• Proven background in system testing, loop checks, hydrostatic pressure testing, line pigging, and flushing verification.

Employment Details

• Role Type: Full-Time Contract
• Duration: 6 to 12 Months
• Location: On-site (I-10 Corridor, Lake Charles, LA / Houston, TX regional corridor)
• Work Arrangement: 100% On-site / Field-based
• Schedule: Standard daytime operational hours with mandatory overtime, including evenings and alternating weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) during peak turnaround, tie-in, and commissioning phases
• Per Diem: Non-local specialists (e.g., Lake Charles or Houston regional candidates) may be considered for per diem support subject to client approval