Principal Mechanical Engineer

Ellesmere Port

Competitive Salary + Excellent Benefits

About the Company

Essar Oil UK is a leading UK-focused downstream energy company whose main asset is the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex, one of the most advanced refineries in Europe and situated close to the major cities of Liverpool and Manchester.  Stanlow is a key strategic national asset, annually producing over 16% of the UK’s road transport fuels, while playing an important part in Britain’s petrochemical industry by providing key feedstocks.  

The business is a major supplier in the North West and beyond with customers including most of the major retail brands operated by international oil companies and supermarkets, Manchester Airport, leading commercial airlines and the region’s trains and buses.

The business covers crude and product trading, refinery operations, HSE implementation, maintenance support and technological services, together with marketing and retail activities.  Our commitment to maintaining safe and healthy working conditions and following the best operating practices to protect the environment underpins everything we do. 

We employ over 900 highly trained and loyal staff, who are at the heart of everything we do.  The company has an embedded safety culture, technically challenging work across the different parts of the business and some of the best training available in the energy industry.

Please Note, we work with a carefully selected set of recruitment agencies, and we are not looking to add to the current preferred suppliers list. We are unable to accept representations from agencies that are not on that preferred supplier list.

**The Role

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and experienced individual to join our Engineering department as a Principal Mechanical Engineer.

The role will require you to act as the Subject Matter Expert for Mechanical Engineering support principally to the Asset Production Unit (PU). There is also a requirement for the role holder to line Manage responsibility for the PU based Mechanical engineering team and provide Engineering Technical Assurance to specific PU/Maintenance/Inspection organisations for all aspects involving mechanical assets. The role will be responsible for the development of the PUs annual Non-Standard Revenue Expenditure (NSR) - typically $3.5mln per year.         

Primary Accountabilities:

Mechanical Engineering Design, Operational Support and Execution

• Lead in the provision of visible day to day Mechanical Engineering support to Operations, Maintenance and Technology to optimise Plant availability, performance, equipment reliability and cost, and ensure compliance to good engineering standards.
• Lead in the provision providing engineering assurance for the Production Unit with regards to the management of Corrective Action Inspection Request and Inspection events, with responsibility to ensure all activity deferrals for Category 1 CAIRs and Inspection events are managed in line with the required processes.
• Own the Production Unit input to planning and preparation of Turnarounds including scope definition and optimisation.
• Take the leading role within Mechanical Engineering aspects during the execution of Turnarounds.
• Lead in the provision of providing design/development for day-to-day Maintenance Plant Changes.
• Oversee and assess the analyse performance finding; the owner of bad actor process for the Production Unit for mechanical assets and active in supporting all levels of investigations and improvements as well as being the defined actioner in selected cases.)
• Production Unit owner for facilitating and contributing to the site Risk Based Inspection process.
• Manage their own time and sequence of work to meet priorities set for role by others. Recognise and seek guidance from ENG/200 when demands on role mean conflicting priorities cannot be met.
• Responsible for the Production Unit’s Reliability Centred Maintenance process, both for new build and existing assets.
• Responsible for the ‘evergreening’ of the RCM database and the consequential PM schedules.
• Responsible for development/’evergreening’ of Unit LIFE Plans.
• Maintain focus on providing dedicated day to day Mechanical engineering support to Production Units, whilst ensuring the longer-term asset engineering aspects of the role are maintained and acted upon in a timely manner.
• Provide out of normal working hour support and be part of a site duty rota.

Strategic Development and Monitoring Planning:

• Responsible for development and maintenance of a 5-year Non-Standard Revenue Expenditure Plan, including budget management and justification aspects (typically $3.5mln per year).
• To undertake roles/ actions as defined in the Site’s RACI matrix.
• Acts as PU Focal Point for Capex projects. Responsible for developing 5-year capex plan.
• Work closely with the PU Manager in translating engineering strategy and Life Plans into specific Production Unit delivery.

Health, Safety and Compliance:

• To undertake actions for critical equipment asset assurance as defined by the Production Unit’s COMAH Safety Case
• Manage the Production Units Management of Change (MOC) process to ensure compliance with PU and site KPIs.
• Act as a Health and Safety Champion throughout Mechanical Engineering activities and within the Team
• Ensure that COMAH Regulations and relevant Engineering Standards are adhered to throughout all stages of Mechanical Engineering Life Cycle- Design to Execution
• Be the Production Unit Assurance Engineer for compliance with Site standards with respect to equipment maintenance and to the overall condition of the asset base and its operation.
• Lead in the provision of ensuring asset integrity is maintained to meet the requirements of Process Safety/HSE.
• Manage Engineering input into and approve Operational Risk Assessments and FFP studies.

Leadership and Team Management

• Develop and coach subordinates to ensure the broadening and deepening of their skill base and act as role model.
• Drive a culture of safe and reliable delivery through the Team.
• Support ongoing Professional Development throughout the Team
• Actively support and input into Graduates Programmes and Chartership Development
• Work with the wider Principal Engineers within to ensure there are coherence and effective communications across the Engineering discipline.
• Lead the Production Unit Mechanical Engineering Team on a day-to-day basis whilst ensuring delivery against Site objectives. (Performance and line management)

**About You

Job Knowledge, Skills, And Experience:

Our ideal candidate should have the following:

Qualification-

• Essential- Relevant Mechanical Engineering Degree
• Essential- Chartered Engineer

Experience

• Substantial working knowledge of Petro-chemical process equipment, safety procedures and systems.
• Substantial experience in working as member of multi-disciplined as well as single discipline teams.
• Significant working knowledge of Engineering standards (e.g. ASME, API, DEP’s, British Standards) and ability to research and apply.
• Significant experience in managing fitness for purpose assessments and developing solutions to engineering integrity issues.
• Experience with code-based calculations and or procuring such work through a 3rd party or design office.
• Substantial experience working in a front line Assurance Engineering role within a Production Unit environment.
• Experience of working on an upper Tier COMAH site is essential for the role
• Experience would ideally consist of both static and rotating equipment however static is essential.
• Proven experience in leading Mechanical Engineering Teams.
• Proven experience of delivery and overcoming problems in a complex environment.
• Proven experience of previously working at a similar level.

Skills and Attributes-

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong ability to multitask and oversee multiple projects at once.
• Clear ability to see the ‘bigger picture’ of the organisation’s requirements.
• Experience in developing a team that delivers in line with the Company objectives.
• Experienced in coaching and mentoring teams, including developing talent through Chartered Status.
• Strong communicator, who can concisely evaluate a problem and resolution to a range of people, up to and including Chief Executive Officer Level.
• Has the ability to professionally challenge.
• This role is required to be or become a Nominated Engineer (Management of Change signatory).
• In this role it is preferred that you already be or become an Authorised Engineer (Permit Signatory).
• In this role you will be required to partake in Turnaround activities.
• In this role you will be required to be part of the Engineering Duty Rota.

Closing Date

This vacancy will close on 24 May 2024.