FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Houston, TX
Job SummaryThe complexity of the projects being carried out by Freeport LNG's Capital Projects and LNG Technology team requires senior process engineering leadership to perform due diligence in the development of new projects. The Capital Projects and LNG Technology Sr. Principal Process Engineer will serve as the lead process engineer and technical authority throughout the process design and analysis of complex deliverables. These include conceptual process design, process simulations, heat and material balances, P&ID and PFD development. The role leads and directs this work, sets the technical approach, and reviews and approves deliverables produced by internal engineers and third-party engineering contractors.
The Capital Projects and LNG Technology Sr. Principal Process Engineer leads coordination with all support stakeholders, such as Operations, Maintenance, Procurement and OH&S, for field-executed work. The role represents process engineering in project reviews, process hazard analyses (HAZOP, LOPA) and management of change reviews. It also provides technical guidance and mentorship to process engineers and interns within the group.
The Capital Projects and LNG Technology Sr. Principal Process Engineer is accountable for ensuring that the process engineering requirements of all capital projects delivered are technically fit for purpose, safe and operable, and that they meet statutory, regulatory and company requirements. The role also advises project leadership on the technical risks, feasibility and optimization opportunities of proposed projects.
Duties/Responsibilities- Serve as a senior technical authority for Process Engineering within Capital Projects, providing strategic technical direction and independent engineering judgment for major LNG capital projects, expansions, modifications, debottlenecking initiatives, and new technology applications
- Establish and maintain Process Engineering governance and technical assurance requirements for capital projects throughout concept development, feasibility, FEED, detailed engineering, construction, commissioning, and project handover
- Independently initiate and lead complex and high-impact technical initiatives across multiple projects and engineering disciplines, including resolution of significant design challenges and development of innovative solutions that improve project value, safety, reliability, and constructability
- Lead development of the Process Basis of Design, technical Statements of requirements, technical Scopes of Work, process simulations, heat and material balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment specifications, control philosophies, and conceptual facility layouts for major capital projects
- Lead process technology evaluation and concept selection, considering process safety, capital cost, lifecycle economics, operability, reliability, maintainability, energy efficiency, emissions, constructability, schedule, and integration with existing LNG facilities
- Develop and maintain capital-project Process Engineering standards, design guidelines, specifications, and technical philosophies, including Flare and Relief Design Basis, Isolation Philosophy, depressuring philosophy, safeguarding requirements, and other process and process-safety philosophies applicable to capital projects
- Provide technical leadership for interfaces between new capital projects and existing facilities, ensuring that new designs appropriately address brownfield integration, tie-ins, shutdown requirements, operating constraints, capacity limitations, process safety, and future expansion considerations
- Lead and/or facilitate PFD, P&ID, HAZOP, LOPA, SIL, 3D model, constructability, and other interdisciplinary design reviews for major capital projects
- Provide senior process engineering leadership for project-specific Management of Change activities and support appropriate transition and handover of approved changes to the responsible facility Engineering and Operations organizations
- Provide technical leadership for project commissioning, startup, performance testing, and operational-readiness activities, working with the facility Engineering and Operations organizations to ensure a successful transition from project execution to operating ownership
- Provide technical oversight of EPC contractors, engineering consultants, technology licensors, and equipment vendors, ensuring designs comply with approved design bases, company requirements, governing standards, regulatory commitments, and project objectives
- Review and approve critical process engineering deliverables and exercise independent technical authority to challenge assumptions, resolve significant technical issues, evaluate deviations, and recommend or approve technical dispositions within delegated authority
- Conduct and review conceptual and feasibility-level evaluations, including preliminary cost estimates, schedules, production impacts, project risks, and economic alternatives to support project sanction and investment decisions
- Review and interpret RAM studies, Monte Carlo analyses, production modeling, shipping studies, and other technical decision-support analyses, as applicable to major capital projects
Essential Functions- Provide authoritative technical support for regulatory permitting and agency reviews associated with capital projects, including requirements involving FERC, DOT, PHMSA, TCEQ, and applicable environmental and LNG facility regulations
- Partner with the facility Engineering and Operations organizations to obtain operating experience, lessons learned, design constraints, and performance information required for capital-project development, while maintaining clear accountability between project engineering and ongoing facility engineering responsibilities
- Benchmark capital-project designs, technologies, engineering practices, and execution strategies against LNG industry best practices and incorporate appropriate lessons learned into project design standards and future projects
- Develop and maintain strategic technical relationships with engineering contractors, technology licensors, equipment suppliers, consultants, and industry peers to support major LNG capital projects and identify emerging technologies and design practices
- Represent the company in appropriate LNG industry forums, technical committees, conferences, and professional organizations on matters relevant to LNG technology, capital-project development, process design, and process safety
- Develop, publish, or present technical papers, case studies, lessons learned, and industry guidance addressing significant LNG process technology, project design, process safety, debottlenecking, and capital-project challenges, subject to company approval and confidentiality requirements
- Perform and sponsor technical studies and research supporting new LNG technologies, project development, process safety, reliability by design, energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and capital efficiency
- Mentor and technically develop process engineers, project engineers, and other technical personnel, and serve as a role model for engineering excellence, professional judgment, process safety, and technical leadership
- Capture and institutionalize project lessons learned, significant engineering decisions, design innovations, and technical knowledge for incorporation into future capital projects, engineering standards, and design practices
- Support the company's Health, Safety, and Environmental Management System and ensure that HSE and process-safety considerations are integrated into all capital-project technical decisions
Minimum Qualification/Work ExperienceMinimum Education Required: Bachelor's of Science in Engineering Degree.
Minimum Experience Required: 20+ years' of Process Engineering experience, must include gas treatment, LNG, or industrial projects.
Proficiency with Process simulation tools, including dynamic, such as Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS or UNISIM Design. Experience working with operations teams.
Preferred Education: Master's of Science in Chemical Engineering.
Preferred Experience: 25+ years of process engineering and project experience in US LNG projects.
PE Licensed in Texas
Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities- Unwavering personal commitment to the safety of our employees, contractors, communities and facilities, including leading by example and using stop work authority.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively within and across disciplines. This includes working with Operations, Maintenance, Procurement, OH&S, engineering contractors and vendors, and presenting technical recommendations clearly to project leadership.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex technical problems, weigh trade-offs among safety, cost, schedule and operability, and recommend sound solutions.
- Proven ability to lead and review the process engineering work of contractors and EPC firms, and to provide technical oversight of their deliverables (PFDs, P&IDs, heat and material balances, datasheets and studies).
- Strong working knowledge of process safety management and hazard analysis methods (HAZOP, LOPA, MOC), and of relevant codes and standards, such as API 520/521, ASME, NFPA 59A and 49 CFR Part 193.
- Experience with LNG, cryogenic, gas processing or refrigeration systems, including pressure relief, flare and depressuring design.
- Ability to mentor and develop junior engineers and interns.
- Self-directed and highly organized, with strong time management and attention to detail. Able to prioritize, manage multiple projects at once and meet deadlines in a fast-changing environment.
- Strong technical writing skills for engineering reports, studies and design basis documents.
- Advanced proficiency in process simulation with Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus or UniSim, and advanced Excel and Microsoft Office skills.
HSE Roles and ResponsibilitiesSupport the policies, efforts, and programs of Freeport LNG Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Management System. Actively participate in the HSE Management System Policies. Ensure that HSE concerns are given priority in all activities completed within their area of responsibility. Implement routine inspections to ensure safe operating conditions.
Working Conditions and Physical ExpectationsLocation/Travel InformationThis position is based at the Headquarters offices in Houston, Texas, with travel to off-site locations or to the terminal offices as required. Additionally, you may travel to EPC company offices in the greater Houston area, and occasionally to vendor or supplier offices and manufacturing facilities as project needs and resource availability dictate. A valid driver's license and TWIC are essential for performing the duties of this role. Frequent travel to FLNG Offsite Locations is expected to support Operations.
Work Environment- Operates in a professional office environment within or outside of an industrial plant environment.
- Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers w/scanner and fax, and filing cabinets.
Physical DemandsPhysical demands refer to the level and duration of physical exertion generally required to perform critical tasks in support of critical job functions, for example - sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, reaching, pushing, and pulling.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
This is primarily a sedentary role; however, the incumbent must be able to stand and/or sit continuously to perform all essential job functions.
- Ability to lift or carry up to 20 lbs. as required in order to transfer files, boxes or other office equipment as necessary.
- While performing the duties of this role, the incumbent may be required to possess certain communication skills, i.e. audible speech, hearing, etc. and may be required to express or exchange information by means of spoken word to impart oral information counterparts and to convey detailed spoken instructions to other workers accurately.
- The incumbent is required to stand; walk; use hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls as necessary to perform essential job functions.
- The incumbent must possess the ability to drive to other Company work locations as required.
