Process safety lead engineer

Position Overview

As a cornerstone of NGHC (NEOM Green Hydrogen Company) Operations, the Process Safety Lead Engineer plays a pivotal role in embedding a robust safety culture within the organization. Based in NEOM, this position is responsible for managing the unique high-pressure and extreme flammability hazards associated with green hydrogen, as well as the toxicity risks linked to green ammonia, within the complexities of plant operations. The role is instrumental in leading all process safety initiatives, applying engineering principles to design, construction, operation, and maintenance, and developing, implementing, and maintaining the Process Safety Management System for NGHC. The incumbent will act as a liaison between project contractors and NGHC to ensure the delivery of all Process Safety deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• Process Safety Leadership: Lead and provide process safety services throughout the design and construction phases of all NEOM Green Hydrogen Company projects, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and adherence to industry safety standards.
• Expert Consultation: Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for hydrogen and ammonia safety chemistry, including embrittlement, cryogenic storage, and toxicity dispersion, providing guidance to project teams and stakeholders.
• Training and Development: Deliver process safety training to project engineers, asset and reliability engineers, and integrated management and continuous improvement facilitators to enhance organizational competency.
• Operational Support: Provide ongoing support to operations’ process engineers, ensuring seamless safety transitions and alignment with process safety objectives.
• Management of Change (MOC): Own and oversee the Management of Change process for process safety, ensuring all modifications are assessed and managed effectively.
• Technical Authority Role: Fulfill the role of Technical Authority for Technical Safety on behalf of NGHC for both Project and Operations, establishing and maintaining technical safety standards, process safety operating procedures, and systems.
• Standard Development: Develop and conduct company process safety standards, tools, programs, training initiatives, and work processes. Identify and implement continuous improvement efforts, including sustaining capital projects, to enhance process safety performance.
• Risk Assessment and Studies: Lead and/or participate in Process Hazard Reviews, Gas Dispersion Modeling, Hazardous Area Classification, process safety studies, technical risk assessments, and other critical safety evaluations to support Project and Operations teams.
• Regulatory Compliance: Assist in the interpretation of national and local process safety regulatory and code requirements for Saudi Arabia, providing guidance to the site team. Support regulatory and permitting processes as required.
• Incident Investigation: Lead and support Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations for process safety incidents, applying Human Performance principles to enhance learning and prevention.
• Safety Methodologies: Lead, facilitate, and train staff on HAZOP, HAZID, LOPA, and Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) to ensure a proactive approach to hazard identification and mitigation.
• Industry Engagement: Act as an industry liaison to best practices in process safety, including affiliations with the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and The Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center. Participate in leading industry forums to keep NGHC at the forefront of safety advancements.
• Advanced Modeling and Systems: Oversee advanced consequence modeling for fire, explosion, and toxic gas release scenarios. Collaborate with control systems and instrument engineers to manage the Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) lifecycle, ensuring Safety Integrity Levels (SILs) meet targets.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in process safety engineering, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in the chemical, petrochemical, or hydrogen/ammonia industries. A degree in Chemical Engineering or a related field is required, along with professional certifications such as Certified Process Safety Professional (CCPS) or equivalent. Demonstrated expertise in process hazard analysis, risk assessment methodologies, and regulatory compliance is essential. Strong leadership, communication, and training skills are critical to drive safety culture and influence stakeholders at all levels. Familiarity with industry standards and best practices, such as those from CCPS and AIChE, is highly desirable.