Tank Farm Operator Trainee - Valdez Terminal

This position consists of a training program which will be conducted over the period of up to one year. The content for the program will include the necessary skills that are required to perform the duties of a Tank Farm Operator 1 at the Valdez Petroleum Terminal. These include proficiency in handling fuel & chemicals associated with the Terminal and important aspects concerning site safety, spill response, facility security, quality assurance and operational day to day duties.

After completion of the operator training and demonstrating an understanding of the required skills, the Trainee will be promoted to a full time VPT Tank Farm Operator 1. The Trainee will be expected to work a shift type schedule which includes rotating night shifts and will be required to live in Valdez on a year round basis.

The Valdez Petroleum Terminal is a primary shipping facility for the products produced by the Petro Star Valdez Refinery. Fuel is moved from the Refinery to the Terminal via tanker trucks and is stored at the Terminal and prepared for barge shipment to the Anchorage and Western Alaska markets. The Terminal is also a distribution point for gasoline. Terminal operators are responsible for receiving and loading truck & barge shipments as marketing schedules demand.

Become familiar with the VPT facility and all products stored in the facility.

Retain knowledge of all tank sizes, pipelines and all possible configurations of loading and unloading schemes.

Become knowledgeable in the properties and characteristics of the fuel and chemicals that are handled in the Terminal as well as the safe and proper handling techniques for each.

Become familiar with the product specifications and learn to perform the basic tests to determine product quality. Learn to handle the fuel and chemicals such that product quality is never jeopardized.

Learn the proper skills required for receiving cargo into VPT tanks, monitoring tank volumes, reconciling daily product inventories, and loading cargo onto various vessels at the Dock. These skills will include valve & pipeline alignments, operation of various pumps, tank gauge monitoring, determination of product volumes, and confirmation of fuel quality specifications.

Learn to account for product movements and resolve discrepancies between truck deliveries, vessel loadings, and physical inventories using Excel spreadsheets.

Become familiar with chemical additives in various fuel products and the proper operation of additive injection systems.

Become responsible for completing routine preventative maintenance of terminal equipment (ie pumps, valves, piping, vehicles, etc.) as scheduled as well as correcting minor equipment failures when they occur.

Learn and become proficient with the spill response techniques involved in the likelihood that a product spill occurs on site.

Learn and become proficient with the required facility security duties on site.

Must be capable of doing physical labor including shoveling snow & gravel, cutting brush, climbing tank stairways, and working inside of confined spaces.

High School Diploma or Equivalent; secondary training in a skilled trade (i.e. mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, electronic, equipment operator) is desirable.

Must be able to take direction/supervision and work cooperatively with others.

Minimum 24-hour HAZWOPER Certification is required, but 40-hour HAZWOPER Certification is preferred.

Must have an Alaska Driver’s License with clean record; prefer CDL Class A with Hazardous Material endorsement.

Ability to learn to operate equipment such as a front-end loader, man-lift, skid-steer, spill response vessel, plow truck, fork lift, crane, and snow blower in order to conduct Terminal operations and maintenance.

The following capabilities are required for the Trainee position.

The ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

The ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

The ability to speak effectively before groups of employees or customers.