BASIC PURPOSE OF POSITION:
The Company is seeking a highly motivated and technically skilled Process Control Engineer to support the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the Company’s onshore and offshore oil & gas production facilities in California.
This role is responsible for the engineering, configuration, maintenance, troubleshooting, optimization, and lifecycle management of Distributed Control Systems (DCS), PLCs, SCADA systems, industrial networks, and process automation infrastructure supporting production operations.
The Engineer will work closely with Operations, Production Engineering, Facilities Engineering, Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E), Maintenance, and SCADA teams to improve process reliability, alarm management, operational efficiency, production uptime, and automation performance across offshore platforms and onshore processing facilities.
This position is required to work onsite daily at Las Flores Canyon in Goleta, California and must be available to travel offshore and to other Company operational locations as needed.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Support and maintain Distributed Control Systems (DCS), PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, RTUs, industrial communications networks, and associated automation infrastructure.
- Monitor and optimize production processes, facility performance, and automation systems supporting onshore and offshore operations.
- Troubleshoot control systems, instrumentation, analyzers, communication, and process-related operational issues.
- Configure, modify, test, and commission DCS control logic, graphics, alarms, historian points, and automation sequences.
- Develop and implement process control strategies to improve operational efficiency, reliability, and equipment performance.
- Support startup, shutdown, commissioning, turnaround, troubleshooting, and operational readiness activities for production facilities and offshore platforms.
- Review and optimize alarm management systems, control loops, process logic, and automation strategies.
- Support process troubleshooting activities involving compressors, pumps, separators, dehydration systems, pipelines, tanks, utility systems, and other oil & gas production equipment.
- Maintain and support process control networks, telemetry systems, servers, and interfaces between field instrumentation, SCADA systems, operational databases, and business systems.
- Develop and modify PLC and HMI programming logic to support operational improvements and reliability initiatives.
- Participate in Management of Change (MOC) processes for operational, process control, and automation modifications.
- Support cybersecurity initiatives and best practices related to industrial control systems and operational technology (OT) environments.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation including control narratives, loop drawings, network diagrams, cause-and-effect charts, operating procedures, and P&IDs.
- Coordinate with Operations, I&E Technicians, Maintenance personnel, contractors, vendors, consultants, and system integrators to resolve automation and process control issues.
- Manage automation and process improvement projects from concept development through execution and startup.
- Support historian systems, operational dashboards, and reporting tools used for process monitoring and production visibility.
- Assist with capital project planning, budgeting, facility modifications, and brownfield automation upgrades.
- Participate in incident investigations and root cause analyses related to process upsets, equipment failures, and automation events.
- Provide after-hours and on-call technical support as required for operational issues and emergency response situations.
- Ensure all work activities are conducted in compliance with Company safety policies, environmental regulations, PSM requirements, offshore safety requirements, and applicable industry standards.
- Required to work onsite daily at the Company’s Las Flores Canyon facility in Goleta, California.
- Must be available to travel offshore via helicopter or boat transportation as required.
- Must be willing to travel to field locations and other Company operational sites as needed.
- Must be capable of working in office, control room, plant, and field environments, including offshore facilities and industrial process areas.
- Must comply with all Company safety policies and PPE requirements.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Automation Engineering, or related engineering discipline required.
- Minimum of 10+ years of experience supporting oil & gas operations, process controls, automation systems, or industrial systems engineering.
- Experience supporting offshore and/or onshore production facilities preferred.
- Strong understanding of upstream, midstream, offshore, onshore, or gas processing operations.
- Experience with DCS systems, PLCs, SCADA platforms, HMIs, RTUs, and industrial communication networks.
- Experience with major DCS platforms such as Emerson DeltaV, Honeywell Experion, Yokogawa, ABB Bailey INFI90, Foxboro, or similar systems preferred.
- Experience with PLC platforms including Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider, or GE preferred.
- Knowledge of SCADA systems, OPC communications, Modbus, Ethernet/IP, and industrial communication protocols.
- Knowledge of instrumentation, analyzers, process safety systems, and industrial control philosophies.
- Familiarity with alarm management, control loop tuning, historian systems, and process optimization.
- Understanding of Process Safety Management (PSM) and Management of Change (MOC) requirements.
- Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical drawings, loop diagrams, and control narratives.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively with cross-functional operational teams.
PAY INFORMATION:
- Annual Salary Pay Range: $175k - $225k
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
The position requires manual dexterity to handle documents and operate office equipment such as printers, shredders, and computers. Also required is performing repetitive motions and extended periods of sitting, standing, and walking for varying lengths of time. The position requires interacting and communicating professionally with others via speaking, hearing, and writing; learning new tasks, processes, and concepts; thinking to solve problems; concentrating on required tasks; distinguishing color and depth perception; and reading data, figures, electronic and hard copy documents.
Visual and manual dexterity are extremely important for this position. The incumbent will be subject to performing sedentary to light work, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, or constantly lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving objects, reaching overhead for items, stooping, bending, and twisting while working. Other physical activities include the ability to utilize fingers to feel and grasp objects or work devices as needed and manual dexterity in the use of the hands, seeing, talking, hearing, performing repetitive motions, and standing for long periods of time.
The position requires walking or traversing over and across uneven terrain, accessing areas outdoors and on or around equipment, over or around obstacles or structures such as pipes, low rails, and walls, stooping or bending to reach certain locations, climbing stairs or ladders, and exposure to outside weather conditions.
The position may require facility inspections, which necessitate wearing a respirator and personal protective equipment, such as gloves, gas masks, and suits, with an average weight of 10-25 pounds.
DISCLAIMER:
The position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. The essential duties, responsibilities, and physical requirements above describe those functions essential to this job's performance. The above description does not include all of the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as management requests.
An Equal Opportunity Employer: race, gender, disability, and veteran status.
