LNG Operations Specialist - RFO

Summary of the Role

Next Decade is seeking a full‑time LNG Operations Specialist to support the Ready for Operations (RFO) Team for the Rio Grande LNG facility located near Brownsville, Texas. The position requires work at the Rio Grande LNG Plant site located in Brownsville, Texas. The Operations Specialist will work closely with the Engineering & Construction (E&C) team, including the E&C Start‑up & Commissioning Team, the EPC contractor, and the Next Decade Operations and Maintenance Teams, leveraging extensive process knowledge and operational experience to ensure the safe and efficient transition from construction to operation of the LNG plant and its utility systems.

The incumbent will report to the Director, RFO Production Operations. The Operations Specialist is a key member of the Operations team, serving as a liaison between Operations, the E&C team, and the EPC contractor during the commissioning and startup phases. The role has no direct reports but will collaborate extensively with contractors, vendors, and various internal teams. Peer‑level personnel will include members of the Operations, Marine, Maintenance, HSSE, Training and Engineering teams across all facility disciplines.

• Collaborate with Operations, Project Engineering, and EPC contractors to provide operational input on pre‑operations, commissioning, and startup plans.
• Review and contribute to commissioning procedures, test plans, and checklists to ensure alignment with operational best practices.
• Act as the operations liaison in coordination meetings to facilitate seamless system handovers.
• Provide operational expertise during pre‑commissioning, including system walk‑downs, punch list development, and issue resolution.
• Evaluate flushing, cleaning, and testing procedures for process and utility systems.
• Assist in planning and executing performance tests to ensure operational readiness and compliance.
• Interface with EPC contractors and RGLNG Project Team on PSSR requirements, as required, and participate in PSSR reviews and walk‑downs for various systems and equipment.
• Support troubleshooting efforts during commissioning and startup.
• Ensure safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance in commissioning and startup activities.
• Contribute to developing and delivering training programs for operations personnel.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC) reviews, providing operational insights on proposed modifications.
• Review commissioning and startup reports, offering recommendations for improvement.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer between operations, vendors, and technology licensors.
• Assist in developing and reviewing operating procedures for utility systems and LNG process units.
• Participate in HAZOPS, HAZIDS, Model Reviews, as needed. For Expansion Trains.
• Provide input on plant shutdown and restart planning.
• Apply LNG expertise to optimize commissioning and startup procedures.
• Represent operations in process hazard analyses (PHAs) and layer of protection analyses (LOPAs).
• Review process control strategies and setpoints, ensuring optimal plant performance during startup.
• Work with process engineers to resolve discrepancies between design intent and actual plant behavior.
• Assess utility system capacities to meet LNG process demands.
• Offer guidance on managing process upsets and abnormal situations during commissioning and early operations.

• Bachelor's degree in Process Technology, Engineering (preferred), or a related field. Equivalent work experience in the field may be considered.
• 10+ years of experience in process operations or engineering within LNG or similar complex process plants.
• Proven experience collaborating with engineering teams and contractors on LNG projects.
• Strong knowledge of process safety management and its application in LNG operations.
• Expertise in process control systems, including DCS configuration and tuning for LNG.
• Familiarity with industry standards and regulations (e.g., NFPA 59A, API, OSHA PSM).
• Excellent problem‑solving skills with the ability to provide operational input to engineering decisions.
• Strong communication skills for effective interaction across all organizational…