Willow Operations Center Facility Engineer
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Who We Are
We are one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies, based on proved reserves and production of liquids and natural gas. With operations and activities in 13 countries, we explore for, develop, and produce crude oil and natural gas globally. We are challenged with an important job to safely find and deliver energy to the world. Our employees are critical to our success, and with them we power civilization.
We’re grounded by our SPIRIT Values – safety, people, integrity, responsibility, innovation, and teamwork. These values position us to deliver strong performance in a dynamic business – but not at all costs. We believe it’s not just what we do – it’s how we do it – that sets us apart.
We strive to make a significant difference in the communities where we live and operate. We create an inclusive environment that values all voices and opinions. Together, the different backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and perspectives of our employees drive our success.
Job Summary
Job Description
Alaska Overview
ConocoPhillips is Alaska’s largest crude oil producer and largest owner of exploration leases, with approximately 1.2 million net undeveloped acres at year-end 2022. The company produced an average of 200 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022. ConocoPhillips has major ownership interests in two of North America’s largest legacy conventional oil fields, both located on Alaska’s North Slope: Kuparuk, which the company operates, and Prudhoe Bay. Additionally, ConocoPhillips operates several fields on the Western North Slope. The company has an ownership interest in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) and owns/operates the Polar Tankers fleet.
Willow Overview
Located on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A), the Willow project is estimated to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak. During construction, Willow is expected to create around 2,500 jobs, with a majority of labor provided by union workers. The development is estimated to create 300 permanent jobs.
The economic impact of the Willow project will be sizable. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimates, Willow could generate between $8 billion and $17 billion in new revenue for the federal government, the state of Alaska, the North Slope Borough, and local communities. The initial phase of Willow development will include a new Willow Central Processing Facility (WCF), three drill sites, pipelines, roads, bridges and supporting infrastructure.
Learn more about the Willow project here.
Description
ConocoPhillips Alaska is currently seeking a Willow Operations Center (WOC) Facilities Engineer with a solid foundation in process systems and infrastructure engineering, and a desire to transition into commissioning, startup and operations support of the WOC.
The Willow project will embark on a phased startup of newly installed facilities and infrastructure over the next 5 years, with two central campaigns associated with the WOC in late 2025, and Willow Central Facility (WCF) and its drillsites (BT1,2,3) in late 2028/early 2029.
The WOC Facilities Engineer will serve as a ConocoPhillips engineer within the Willow project and will provide engineering support to the Willow Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team responsible for operation of the WOC in the early phase of the project. This position will begin as an Anchorage-based, dedicated facility engineering resource and may transition to a North Slope role, depending on scope and need as the project progresses. The partnership with O&M personnel is core to the company’s philosophy of managing process safety. The combination of facility-specific engineering and partnership with a rapidly growing O&M organization uniquely positions the WOC Facilities Engineer to help lead and establish the working culture at Willow.
Innovating with a purpose has been a tenant of Willow project development from the early FEL stages and has driven numerous changes in the AKBU and broader corporation. The WOC Facilities Engineer will be challenged with opportunities to develop existing BU practices, and to drive change where it aligns with corporate direction and generates value for Willow and the future Western North Slope (WNS) and broader North Slope Operations (NSO) organization. By working closely with stakeholders in these areas, this role provides opportunity to expand the individual’s network and to work cross-functionally.
The initial work schedule is standard non-rotational (M-F) and is eligible for participation in the 19/30 or 9/80 program, aligning with the primary work group. The primary work location for this position is Anchorage, AK; relocation will be expected for applicants currently living outside of Alaska. Regular travel to the North Slope will be expected as facilities are installed and as commissioning, startup and operations commences. Occasional travel may be required to Willow engineering and fabrication locations such as Houston and Ingleside, TX, as well as to domestic and international vendor facilities in support of phased construction and installation of the WOC.
Your responsibilities may include:
- Supporting HSE goals; Performing Risk Assessments as required to comply with the HSE Management System
- Providing technical guidance and North Slope, O&M perspective for design, modifications, and small projects
- Regular interface with supporting company engineering functions and maintenance and construction contractors
- Leading the facility's process safety management including MOC, PHA and equipment integrity
- Assuming a small projects engineering and lead role (design, technical review, risk assessments, etc.) for scope supporting O&M expense and capital projects, including site walkdowns as required. This role also includes accountability for project progress and cost reporting
- Ensuring compliance with applicable industry codes and regulations, company standards and policies, and Willow project specifications with the support of the company Technical Authorities
- Availability as the primary O&M engineering contact for process or equipment upsets, as required
- Identifying, defining, and pursuing opportunities/projects to enhance facility performance in the areas of HSE, cost, and production
- Providing leadership and strong advocacy for process and personal safety through participation in the facility and field safety processes when on site
- Operational Readiness Tracking & Reporting – Supporting the Willow O&M Readiness Manger and updating and completing assigned O&M readiness tasks
- Change Champion – Drive value-adding business changes through adoption and adaptation of core technologies, as described in the Willow O&M philosophy. Leverage position in the organization to drive adoption of technology and supported workflows with peers supporting Alpine and Kuparuk to establish common, modernized ways of working in the Alaska Business Unit (AKBU)
- Inclusive Behavior – Continue to develop and foster a welcoming, collaborative team environment, solving problems creatively with value in mind. Function as an integrated member of the project team and a key link between the Willow and Alaska base asset teams. Develop relationships and maintain close engagement with local and corporate functional leads and partners as well as external vendor representatives
- Value impact awareness – Support identification and mitigation of risks to project schedule, expense and capital forecasts, and overall project value
Basic/Required:
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for anyone other than current employer
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or foreign equivalent
- Current/valid driver’s license
- 5+ years of oil and gas industry experience including gas/oil production, gathering, separation & processing, chemical processing, refining, or related experience
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook and familiarity with Office 365 web applications
- Basic knowledge of business data and analytical tools
- Willing and able (with or without reasonable accommodation) to travel up to 20% on a yearly basis
Preferred:
- 7+ years of oil and gas industry experience including gas/oil production, gathering, separation & processing, chemical processing, refining, pipeline operation, well testing, gas compression and re-injection, corrosion and scale inhibition, water injection, miscible injectant recovery processes, etc.
- 1+ years of experience working in PSM (Process Safety Management) facilities
- 1+ years of field engineering in a direct maintenance or operations support role.
- 1+ years of experience in North Slope Operations
- 1+ years of experience with Operations and Maintenance readiness, commissioning and/or startup planning, execution and early operations
- Advanced level of proficiency in PHA such as facilitation.
- Basic proficiency in maintenance management software use (e.g. SAP).
- Basic proficiency in process modeling utilizing software such as HYSYS.
- Basic knowledge of industrial technology tools, applications and supporting data systems and analytics
- Ability and willingness to innovate and consider solutions outside the North Slope paradigm; awareness of ConocoPhillips core and emerging technologies
- Demonstrated ability to adapt to change in a productive, forward-looking manner
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across other functions and organizational boundaries
- Demonstrated ability to manage tasks effectively and efficiently to complete work responsibilities with minimal oversight
- Ability to manage large volume of diverse tasks
- Strong interpersonal, verbal communication and technical writing skills
- Builds positive relationships based on trust and seeks collaboration across organizational boundaries to achieve goals
- Listens actively and invites new ideas for exchanged opinions, then influences and acts to drive positive performance and achieve results
- Drives thoughtful and pragmatic change, inspires innovative thinking and continuous improvement, and models adaptability through resourcefulness, flexibility, and positivity