Principal Specialist - Process Safety

Westlake•Geismar, LA

About The Position

This position provides leadership in the continuous improvement of Westlake Vinyl’s Process Safety Management and Risk Management Plan (PSM and RMP) program. It owns the development and implementation of program goals, standards, and expectations, and serves as the lead for the PSM program and the plant expert on PSM/RMP regulations and related issues. The role works with corporate Health, Safety & Environmental to establish and monitor measurable program metrics and report on progress. The position oversees day-to-day Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) activities and action plans, maintains electronic management-of-change and procedure systems, and keeps records demonstrating regulatory compliance. It conducts internal audits, analyzes data for program improvements, reports API Process Safety Event data annually, and supports incident investigations using corporate-approved root-cause analysis methods. It may provide emergency on-call HSE coverage, cover other department members as needed, drive company vehicles, and take on additional assigned duties. The role also supports continuous improvement and operational excellence through improvement initiatives and project-team participation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
More than 15 years of progressive process safety, HSE, or engineering experience, including substantial leadership and cross-site or corporate-level responsibilities.
Legal authorization to work in the United States on a full-time basis for an employer other than the current employer.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Strong computer software skills, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and the ability to learn and master new software products.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health, Occupational Safety and Health, Chemical/Process Engineering, or a related field.
Process Hazard Analysis and Safety Instrumented Systems experience.
Apollo RCA experience.

Responsibilities

Lead Westlake Vinyl’s PSM program and serve as the plant expert on PSM/RMP regulations and related issues.
Work with corporate Health, Safety & Environmental to develop and implement PSM goals, standards, policies, and expectations.
Develop measurable PSM metrics, monitor them, and report regularly to drive continuous improvement.
Maintain a working knowledge of PSM/RMP regulations and interpretations.
Maintain and continue developing the electronic management-of-change and procedure systems.
Provide oversight and quality assurance for day-to-day PHA activities and manage PHA action plans through closure.
Maintain files demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements, including inspections, procedures, and checklists.
Conduct regular internal audits of PSM program elements and analyze data to identify program improvements.
Provide annual reporting of API PSE data to employees and resident contractors.
Assist with accident, injury, near-miss, and unsafe-condition investigations; use corporate-approved RCA methods to determine root causes and produce required reports.
Assume duties of other department members as needed during sickness, vacation, and other absences.
Provide emergency on-call HSE coverage for the complex.
Support continuous improvement and operational excellence by identifying improvement opportunities, initiating projects or communicating ideas to management, and actively participating on project teams.
Drive company vehicles from time to time if required.
Perform additional duties as assigned.