Senior Process Engineer

Kent•Houston, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Kent is hiring a Senior Process Engineer to work from its Houston, Texas office and support regional project sites. The role requires at least 10 years of relevant process engineering experience in onshore oil and gas and related industries, with project experience spanning development, pre-FEED, FEED, detailed design, and EPC execution. The engineer will serve as a client-facing process engineering focal point, representing Kent in technical discussions, defining scope, resolving technical issues, and coordinating work with clients and multidisciplinary project teams. The successful candidate will execute and lead process engineering scopes for greenfield and brownfield projects. Work includes developing and reviewing process deliverables, performing simulations and design calculations, troubleshooting facility performance, evaluating project and operating options, coordinating with other disciplines, and supporting project planning, proposals, vendor activities, field work, and commissioning. The role also involves mentoring engineers, managing assigned work against quality, budget, and schedule expectations, and ensuring that designs meet applicable safety, quality, client, company, and regulatory requirements. This is a direct-hire role. Travel is required according to project needs. Kent describes a diverse and inclusive workplace with family-friendly policies, flexible working arrangements, and employee networks. The position requires compliance with company, client, and regulatory HSSEQ requirements and integrating health, safety, sustainability, environmental, and quality considerations into engineering work.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
At least 10 years of process engineering experience in onshore oil and gas production, NGL processing, midstream facilities, gas compression, refining, petrochemicals, and/or chemicals.
Experience across project development, pre-FEED, FEED, and detailed design, including execution in an EPC environment.
Strong working knowledge of process facilities, equipment, utilities, and offsites, including design considerations for modifications to operating facilities.
Demonstrated experience troubleshooting process and equipment performance issues and developing practical optimization recommendations for operating facilities.
Strong knowledge of process engineering fundamentals, including thermodynamics, heat and material balances, fluid flow, heat transfer, separation processes, equipment performance, and process control.
Proficiency in process simulation using Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, and/or PRO/II, including selection of thermodynamic property packages and validation of simulation results.
Experience developing and reviewing process engineering deliverables, including PFDs, P&IDs, hydraulic calculations, equipment and instrument process datasheets, relief calculations, and process control narratives.
Working knowledge of pressure relief and depressuring principles, relief contingency analysis, and applicable industry codes and standards.
Working knowledge of process safety and risk management practices, including HAZOPs, MOC, and safe design.
Experience supporting brownfield modifications, including evaluation of existing equipment, tie-ins, utilities, and operating constraints.
Ability to work effectively with operations, maintenance, and project personnel in office and site environments.
Ability to lead assigned process engineering scopes, coordinate multidisciplinary interfaces, review technical work, and guide less-experienced engineers.
Ability to develop workhour estimates, plan engineering activities, and manage assigned work against scope, budget, and schedule requirements.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including evaluating incomplete information and applying sound engineering judgment.
Demonstrated client-facing experience and ability to communicate technical findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English.
Professional commitment to engineering ethics, safety, and compliance with applicable company, client, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to work independently, take responsibility for technical decisions and assigned-work delivery, involve appropriate stakeholders, and adapt to changing project priorities while communicating impacts.
Ability to maintain technical knowledge of relevant processes, engineering standards, and industry practices.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) licensure is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Execute process engineering work for onshore oil and gas production, NGL processing, midstream, gas compression, refining, petrochemical, and chemical projects across development, pre-FEED, FEED, detailed design, and EPC execution, including greenfield and brownfield projects.
Serve as a client-facing process engineering focal point, participating in technical discussions, communicating recommendations, resolving technical issues, and aligning work with project objectives and client expectations.
Develop, review, and approve assigned process engineering deliverables, including design bases and criteria, PFDs, heat and material balances, P&IDs, hydraulic and line-sizing calculations, equipment and instrument process datasheets, relief analyses and calculations, relief-system load summaries, and process control narratives.
Perform process simulations and design calculations using tools such as Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, and/or PRO/II; select suitable thermodynamic property packages, validate results, and apply findings to design and operating decisions.
Troubleshoot process and equipment performance by evaluating operating data, performing engineering analyses, and working with operations and maintenance personnel to identify causes and recommend corrective actions.
Evaluate facility capacity, operating performance, process configurations, operating scenarios, and modification options; provide recommendations and support project development and scope definition.
Act as Lead Process Engineer for assigned projects or scopes, coordinating deliverables, providing technical direction, reviewing engineers’ work, and mentoring less-experienced team members.
Plan and manage assigned process engineering work, including workhour estimates, staffing-plan and schedule inputs, and progress monitoring against quality, budget, and schedule requirements.
Support proposal development through scope definition, technical input, and basis-of-estimate development; identify potential follow-on work and communicate opportunities to leadership.
Work with client operations, technical, and project teams to define scope, confirm design requirements, and develop practical facility solutions.
Lead or participate in P&ID reviews and design workshops; participate in HAZOPs, MOC reviews, and technical review meetings, and ensure assigned actions are resolved and reflected in the design.
Coordinate with piping, mechanical, I&C, electrical, and CSA teams to translate process intent into multidisciplinary design deliverables.
Coordinate assigned work across multiple offices and engineering centers, maintaining consistent technical quality and delivery expectations.
Review designs from an owner/operator perspective, identifying process-safety, operability, maintainability, constructability, and long-term reliability risks.
Support vendor and package activities, including technical bid evaluations, vendor document reviews, and resolution of technical queries.
Provide field support as required, including site visits, walkdowns, operating data collection, construction support, commissioning, and startup assistance.
Support brownfield execution, including tie-in definition, battery limits, evaluation of existing equipment and utility capacity, and coordination with operating facilities.
Identify and communicate scope changes, technical risks, and potential cost and schedule impacts; support mitigation strategies with project leadership.
Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of engineering procedures, guidelines, and work practices.
Apply engineering judgment to deliver solutions that are safe, operable, and constructible, balancing technical rigor with practical execution.
Execute work in accordance with applicable company, client, and regulatory requirements, with a strong focus on safety and quality.
Perform other ad hoc tasks within the reasonable scope of the employee’s skills, capabilities, and role, as assigned by a supervisor or management.
Comply with company, client, and regulatory HSSEQ requirements; integrate HSSEQ considerations into engineering decisions, identify and communicate risks, and support mitigation measures.