Process Shift Technician

About the Role

Join our team at Irving Oil as a Process Shift Technician based in our Whitegate Refinery, Cork. You'll be part of a collaborative environment that prioritizes safety, diversity, and employee development while supporting our corporate strategy and community commitment. This role involves operating and monitoring refinery processing units and responding efficiently to plant conditions to uphold safety, environmental, and operational excellence standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Adhere to health, safety, and environmental regulations and policies.
• Participate actively in safety meetings, emergency drills, and promptly report unsafe incidents or near misses.
• Operate equipment including boilers, pumps, furnaces, compressors, reactors, distillation columns, and associated plant systems safely and efficiently.
• Manage transfer operations of crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals, and LPG involving ships, storage tanks, and trucks.
• Perform routine monitoring of plant parameters like pressure, temperature, and levels to ensure optimal functioning.
• Work rotating 12-hour shifts that include nights, weekends, and bank holidays with specific day training periods.
• Keep thorough logs of operational and maintenance activities and work in control rooms operating DCS systems.
• Assist senior technicians during complex operations such as unit shutdowns or start-ups.
• Conduct outdoor tasks involving manual handling, confined space entries, climbing ladders, and tank farm activities.
• Regularly monitor product quality and ensure compliance with specifications.
• Isolate plant components safely for maintenance and supervise permit-to-work operations to maintain safety controls.
• Engage in continuous training to develop competencies across all refinery roles and operate various refinery computer systems like process trending, shift logs, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Maintain operational flexibility, acquiring knowledge of various process areas and technologies to support ongoing refinery operations and growth.
• Collaborate effectively with maintenance, engineering, and inspection teams to support planned and unscheduled operations.
• Communicate clearly during shift changes, operational activities, and emergency situations to ensure safe plant operation.

Candidate Profile

• Strong technical aptitude, analytical mindset, and ability to work independently or as part of a team.
• Familiarity with industrial machinery and operational control systems.
• Knowledge of health, safety, and environmental standards relevant to oil, gas, or similar industries.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including effective use of radio communication in operational contexts.
• Proficiency in computers and software applications used in refinery operations.
• Valid full driving license.

Qualifications and Experience

• Post-Leaving Certificate qualifications in Process Controls, Process Engineering, Engineering Technology, Marine Officer training, or an apprenticeship in a technical trade.
• Experience with Distributed Control Systems (DCS), SCADA, or industrial control systems is advantageous.
• Preferably experienced and certified in process plant operation, oil processing, marine operations, or other related continuous processing industries.

Additional Information

All Process Technicians work on a continuous rotating shift pattern and may occasionally be called out outside scheduled hours. The role requires a commitment to safety culture as part of the emergency response fire brigade and first responder teams.

Irving Oil promotes a diverse and inclusive workplace and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.