Senior Specialist, HSSE Technical

Position

About the Role

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The Senior Specialist, HSSE Technical provides technical HSSE expertise and specialist support to ensure refinery operations comply with applicable health, safety, environmental, and process safety standards. This role leads and supports risk management initiatives, incident investigations, regulatory compliance activities, safety studies, assurance programs, and continuous improvement efforts to strengthen operational safety, environmental stewardship, and process safety performance across the refinery. The position acts in accordance with the organization’s Mission, Vision, Values & Strategies, as well as policies, guidelines, and standards, supported by an IT technology platform and best international practices in consonance with national objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Serve as the refinery's technical authority for health, safety, environmental, and process safety matters, providing expert guidance to operations, maintenance, engineering, projects, and turnaround teams to effectively manage operational risks and regulatory obligations.
Lead and facilitate comprehensive hazard analyses, including HAZOP, HAZID, SIL assessments, LOPA, Bowtie Analysis, and other risk studies to ensure effective identification, mitigation, and management of major accident hazards.
Develop, implement, and continuously enhance Occupational Health, Environmental Management, and Risk Management frameworks in alignment with corporate standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
Monitor the integrity and effectiveness of critical safety barriers and controls, validating performance through assurance activities, field verification, audits, inspections, and management reviews.
Lead high-potential incident investigations and root cause analyses, utilizing recognized methodologies to identify systemic failures, develop sustainable corrective actions, and strengthen organizational learning.
Ensure compliance with applicable environmental permits, emissions requirements, waste management regulations, and sustainability commitments through continuous monitoring, assessment, and reporting.
Conduct HSSE compliance audits, contractor evaluations, management system assessments, and operational readiness reviews to verify effective implementation of HSSE requirements across refinery activities.
Analyze operational risk profiles, HSSE performance indicators, incident trends, and leading and lagging metrics to identify emerging risks and recommend strategic improvement initiatives.
Support refinery emergency preparedness and crisis management programs by participating in emergency response planning, drills, scenario assessments, and business continuity exercises.
Develop and maintain HSSE standards, procedures, technical specifications, guidance documents, and safe work practices to ensure consistent application across refinery operations.
Partner with operations and maintenance teams to strengthen operational discipline, permit-to-work compliance, isolation management, confined space safety, contractor safety, and workforce risk awareness.
Engage with regulatory authorities, external auditors, certification bodies, and industry forums to maintain compliance, support inspections, and benchmark refinery HSSE performance against industry standards.
Lead HSSE improvement projects and strategic initiatives aimed at reducing process safety events, occupational injuries, environmental impacts, emissions, and operational risks.
Mentor and coach technical personnel, supervisors, and contractors on risk management principles, process safety fundamentals, incident prevention, and HSSE best practices to foster a proactive safety culture.
Support sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives by identifying opportunities for resource efficiency, emissions reduction, waste minimization, environmental risk mitigation, and compliance enhancement.
Provide specialized technical input for refinery turnarounds, shutdowns, start-ups, commissioning activities, and high-risk operations to ensure safe execution and effective risk control.
Promote a strong HSSE culture through visible leadership, workforce engagement, behavioral safety initiatives, and continuous improvement programs that strengthen individual accountability and operational excellence.

Key Interactions

Internal: All HSSE Teams, OMT, Project Turnaround Team, ERT, Executive & Functional Leadership
External: Government Authorities and Regulatory bodies (e.g. OPAL), Environmental & Safety Regulators, External Auditors, Contractors & Service Providers

Notable Working Environment

Office environment, intensive computer screen use, some travel required.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety, Process Safety, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.

Language Requirements

Excellent knowledge of written, read, and spoken English is required.

Background and Experience

Minimum 8 years of experience in refining, petrochemical, oil & gas, energy, or similar process industries.
Proven track record in leading Occupational Safety, Environmental Compliance, and Major Accident Hazard Management programs at a facility or corporate level.
Strong experience engaging and interfacing with regulatory authorities, certification bodies, external auditors, and industry stakeholders on technical HSSE matters.
Hands-on experience conducting hazard identification and risk assessments, including HAZOP, HAZID, JSA, LOPA, Bowtie Analysis.
Experience in incident investigation and root cause analysis utilizing recognized methodologies such as TapRooT®, RCA, ICAM, or equivalent techniques.
Proven involvement in HSSE audits, compliance inspections, contractor safety management, and regulatory compliance programs.

Competencies and Skills