Shift Charge Engineer

Location: KSA, Shuaibah RO

About the Role
The Shift Charge Engineer is responsible for the overall operation of the RO Water Desalination Plant during the assigned shift, ensuring safety, reliability, and efficiency in accordance with approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), operating limits, quality standards, production targets, environmental requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements. This role involves safely and efficiently managing the start-up, operation, shutdown, and emergency response of the plant. The Shift Charge Engineer also leads the shift operating team and coordinates with various departments to ensure plant availability, production levels, water quality, equipment integrity, and operational safety.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise all plant operation activities during the assigned shift.
• Ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the RO desalination plant.
• Guarantee safe start-up, normal operation, shutdown, and emergency operation of the plant.
• Ensure compliance with approved SOPs, operating procedures, work instructions, and operating limits.
• Monitor the overall plant operating status and ensure all process parameters remain within approved limits.
• Oversee RO trains, high-pressure pumps, feed and booster pumps, energy recovery systems, pretreatment, post-treatment, and chemical dosing systems.
• Ensure that plant production, availability, recovery, and water quality targets are achieved safely and efficiently.
• Monitor key operating parameters including flow, pressure, temperature, conductivity, differential pressure, recovery, and chemical dosing.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of P&IDs, control logic, interlocks, protection systems, and emergency operating procedures.
• Take immediate and appropriate action during abnormal operating conditions, equipment trips, process disturbances, and emergencies.
• Supervise start-up checklists, interlock checks, protection tests, and operational functional checks.
• Coordinate and supervise non-routine activities such as membrane cleaning/CIP, acid cleaning, preservation, flushing, and equipment changeover.
• Liaise with the Maintenance Section regarding equipment isolation, maintenance activities, equipment release, and return to service.
• Issue, control, suspend, and cancel Permit to Work (PTW) within the authorized level.
• Ensure proper equipment isolation and normalization following maintenance activities.
• Conduct necessary operational testing before returning equipment or systems to service.
• Coordinate with the Chemistry/Laboratory team regarding plant chemistry and water quality requirements.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, HSE, Engineering, and other departments during the shift.
• Follow approved operational schedules and coordinate changes in plant status with the Operations Manager.
• Maintain accurate shift logbooks detailing plant status, equipment condition, abnormalities, alarms, trips, and major activities.
• Prepare daily plant status reports and ensure proper shift handover to the incoming team.
• Prepare and submit incident, accident, near-miss, and abnormal operating reports within required timeframes.
• Ensure compliance with plant safety rules, HSE procedures, PTW, LOTO, and emergency response requirements.
• Identify, assess, and control operational hazards within the assigned work area.
• Implement and update Environmental Aspect & Impact and Hazard Risk Assessments.
• Monitor and report IMS objectives, targets, programs, deviations, and non-conformities.
• Conduct or support Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for operational failures, incidents, and recurring abnormalities.
• Implement corrective and preventive actions resulting from incidents, deviations, and investigations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable legal, environmental, regulatory, contractual, and organizational requirements.
• Lead and support emergency response activities during major equipment failures, loss of power, RO train trips, chemical system failures, fire, leakage, or other plant emergencies.
• Communicate with the relevant Load Dispatch Center/Grid Control Authority regarding power availability and plant operating requirements, where applicable.
• Assist in the training and familiarization of new operators and shift personnel.
• Identify competency gaps and support the implementation of appropriate training and development plans.
• Conduct periodic performance evaluations of reporting employees.
• Identify opportunities to improve plant efficiency, reliability, production, energy consumption, and operational performance.
• Maintain effective communication and coordination between shifts and departments.
• Ensure effective utilization of manpower, equipment, and operational resources.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Operations Manager.

Educational Qualification
Desired:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is required.
• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Process, or a related Engineering discipline is preferred.

Preferred:

• Postgraduate degree in Engineering, Water Desalination, Process Engineering, Power Plant Engineering, or a related field.

Minimum Experience
Minimum:

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in Power, Water Desalination, RO Water Treatment, Utilities, or similar process plants.
• Relevant experience in plant operations, including shift operation and supervision.

Preferred:

• Experience in a similar RO desalination or combined Power & Desalination plant in the Middle East.
• Previous experience as Shift Charge Engineer, Shift Engineer, Senior Operations Engineer, or equivalent position.