Pipeline Technician - Lead

Pipeline Technician - Lead

Energy Transfer, recognized by Forbes as one of America's best large employers, is dedicated to responsibly and safely delivering America's energy. We are driven to inspire our employees to create superior value for our customers, our investors, a sustainable future and giving back to the community where we have long-standing commitments to causes including MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, The Salvation Army, The American Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House and many more.

We value all of our employees who make our growth and success possible. We are proud to offer industry leading compensation, comprehensive benefits, 401(k) match with additional profit sharing, PTO and abundant career opportunities.

Come join our award winning over 12,000 strong organization as we fuel the world and each other!

Summary:

The Pipeline Technician - Lead will provide strategic field leadership and technical oversight for the safe, reliable, and compliant operation of gas and liquid pipeline systems, facilities, and associated equipment. This position serves as the senior field authority within the assigned area, accountable for operational integrity, regulatory compliance, workforce coordination, and continuous improvement. The Lead drives execution excellence by aligning daily operations with company objectives, optimizing resources, mentoring personnel, and serving as the primary field liaison to internal leadership and external stakeholders. This role has direct influence on safety culture, operational performance, risk mitigation, and asset reliability.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. Responsibilities for this Lead-level role include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and direct the inspection, maintenance, and operation of pipelines and facilities, including valves, filters, pumps, gas compressors, storage tanks, and pump station equipment, ensuring system reliability, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as the field subject matter expert (SME) for pipeline operations, providing advanced technical guidance and decision-making support.
• Maintain accountability for operational readiness, asset health, and performance metrics within the assigned area.
• Oversee and verify the proper execution of energy isolation and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, ensuring strict adherence to safety standards and risk controls.
• Provide daily leadership, work direction, and technical mentorship to technicians and contractors; establish clear expectations and drive accountability for safe and efficient execution.
• Plan, prioritize, and coordinate maintenance, operational activities, outages, and projects to optimize resource utilization and minimize downtime.
• Support workforce development through coaching, performance feedback, skills assessment, and training coordination; contribute to succession planning initiatives.
• Promote a high-performance team culture grounded in safety, professionalism, and operational excellence.
• Maintain advanced knowledge of applicable regulations and standards (including OSHA, DOT, EPA, and other governing authorities).
• Ensure that required inspections, testing, documentation, reporting, and audit-readiness activities are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Serve as the primary field contact for Damage Prevention activities, including pipeline patrols, one-call coordination, locating and marking pipelines, and oversight of excavations, line crossings, and third-party activities.
• Proactively identify operational risks and implement mitigation strategies to protect personnel, assets, and the environment.
• Champion safety programs and initiatives; lead safety meetings, conduct Job Safety Analyses (JSAs), and reinforce adherence to company safety policies and procedures.
• Provide leadership during emergency response situations; participate in root cause investigations and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Model and reinforce a strong safety culture that prioritizes hazard recognition, procedural compliance, and continuous learning.
• Identify opportunities to enhance reliability, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and strengthen compliance processes.
• Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives and operational standardization efforts.
• Serve as a liaison with landowners, public agencies, utilities, contractors, and other pipeline operators to coordinate activities and resolve complex field issues.
• Provide field-level insights and recommendations to leadership to support strategic planning and operational decision-making.

Required Skills (External)

Required Education:

• High school diploma or GED preferred.

Required experience is commensurate with the selected job level:

• Level A requires a minimum of 4+ years of relevant industry experience or equivalent work experience

Required Qualifications:

• Valid driver's license with demonstrated safe driving record
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively in a group environment
• Demonstrated self-starter with the ability to work independently and exercise good judgment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Mechanical aptitude with the ability to learn and perform operation and maintenance tasks associated with various types of facilities and equipment
• Proficiency with computers, including MS Office applications such as Excel and Outlook, as well as other computer-based work training, time reporting, expense reporting, and online work applications and documentation

Working Conditions and Requirements:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

1. Frequent exposure to heat, cold, and other adverse weather conditions
2. Work in and around industrial and construction settings, which may include hazardous products, processes, materials and chemicals, as well as extreme temperature conditions and loud machinery, and require appropriate personal protective equipment
3. Frequent heavy lifting with and without assistance
4. Work on and around equipment and facilities that require knowledge of and adherence to safe work procedures and practices
5. Subject to call-outs to respond to operational issues and emergencies after working hours, at night, and on weekends and holidays
6. Reliable attendance at work
7. Occasional overnight travel may be required