Senior Operations Specialist, Salt Production Facility

Job Summary 

Kairos Power is seeking a highly motivated Senior Operations Specialist to serve as a senior technical resource within the Operations organization supporting plant design, construction, commissioning, startup, and transition to routine operations. 

The Senior Operations Specialist will provide experienced operational judgment throughout the project lifecycle, helping ensure plant systems and equipment can be safely, reliably, and effectively operated, commissioned, isolated, maintained, and turned over to Operations. This position will work closely with Operations, Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, and project teams to identify and resolve operability concerns early and to develop practical solutions that support successful plant startup and long-term operation. 

The successful candidate will bring significant hands-on experience with complex industrial facilities and will be comfortable working both in an engineering environment and directly in the field. This individual will provide technical leadership during construction and commissioning activities, support development of operating and commissioning procedures, and serve as an experienced Operations representative during design reviews, equipment acceptance, system turnover, and operational readiness activities. 

Responsibilities 

• Serve as the Operations group’s technical specialist for plant design, construction, commissioning, and startup, providing experienced operational judgment from engineering design through turnover to routine plant operations.
• Review engineering designs for operability and commissioning readiness, including Utility system, Piping and valve arrangements, Equipment layouts and accessibility, Isolation strategies, and Control strategies and system interfaces.
• Identify plant designs that may be difficult or unsafe to operate, commission, isolate, or maintain, and work collaboratively with Engineering to develop practical alternatives.
• Recommend improvements to equipment arrangement, routing, valving, accessibility, and other design features that affect safe and reliable plant operation.
• Represent Operations during equipment fabrication, construction, installation, testing, and acceptance activities.
• Participate in field verification and validation of operating and commissioning procedures, system configurations, and design assumptions before turnover to Operations.
• Capture and incorporate commissioning, startup, and operating lessons learned into procedures, design improvements, and future project activities.
• Support verification that required operating procedures, technical documentation, drawings, and system information are available and suitable for turnover to Operations.
• Participate in and support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), equipment receipt planning, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and field inspections.
• Independently identify, document, communicate, and drive resolution of construction and installation deficiencies that could affect safe or reliable operation, and work with appropriate stakeholders to support their resolution, including Flange integrity and torquing, Bolting and mounting, Fixed-equipment installation, Equipment accessibility, Piping, valve, and component configuration.
• Develop and coordinate Operations input to plant commissioning and startup plans and execution packages.
• Support development and integration of commissioning and startup schedules, including system turnover, sequencing, testing, and operational readiness activities.
• Define and coordinate commissioning activities such as Pressure testing, Water or other safe-material testing, System flushing and preparation, Equipment checkout, and System turnover and acceptance.
• Identify and support the procurement of temporary equipment, materials, and tools required for commissioning and startup, including generators, air compressors, temporary hoses, gaskets, tanks, pumps, and specialty tools.
• Provide technical guidance and hands-on field guidance during commissioning and startup activities.
• Troubleshoot plant, equipment, construction, and commissioning issues and develop practical solutions in collaboration with Engineering, Construction, and Operations personnel.
• Provide technical direction and training to operators performing commissioning and startup activities.
• Support Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), system turnover, plant readiness assessments, and operational readiness activities.
• Develop, review, and provide technical guidance for plant operating procedures, including Equipment-specific operating procedures, Commissioning procedures, Plant startup procedures, Plant shutdown procedures, and Abnormal and off-normal operating procedures.
• Provide Operations input and technical guidance for control narratives and other documentation defining how plant systems and equipment are operated.
• Support development, review, and rationalization of plant alarms to ensure appropriate operator response and effective plant control.
• Serve as a senior Operations technical resource to Engineering and project teams supporting Management of Change (MOC), Plant improvement projects, Design modifications, New capital projects, Construction and installation activities, and Commissioning and startup planning.
• Apply independent operational judgment to identify risks, improve designs, resolve technical challenges, and support safe and reliable plant operation.
• Proactively identify issues that could impact plant safety, operability, maintainability, commissioning, startup, schedule, or long-term reliability, and drive those issues toward resolution.
• Support plant Operations activities as directed by Operations leadership.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications 

• 10+ years of relevant experience in operations, commissioning, startup, maintenance, or technical support of complex industrial process facilities.
• Demonstrated experience supporting the construction, commissioning, startup, or operation of newly constructed or significantly modified industrial facilities.
• Experience coordinating or supporting system turnover and operational readiness activities.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, P&IDs, equipment documentation, and technical specifications.
• Experience providing technical guidance to operations or commissioning personnel.
• Experience reviewing engineering designs from an operational and field-execution perspective.
• Experience developing or executing commissioning plans, startup plans, operating procedures, test packages, or system turnover documentation.
• Experience participating in equipment inspection, FAT, SAT, construction walkdowns, punch listing, system turnover, or acceptance activities.
• Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary Engineering, Construction, Operations, Maintenance, and other project stakeholders.
• Experience working in facilities involving hazardous materials, complex chemical processes, high-temperature systems, or comparable industrial hazards preferred.
• Experience supporting PSSR, PHA/HAZOP, MOC, operational readiness, or comparable process-safety activities preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex plant and equipment issues and develop practical field solutions.
• Knowledge of industrial piping systems, valves, rotating and fixed equipment, utility systems, instrumentation, and process control systems.Experience coordinating or supporting system turnover and operational readiness activities.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, P&IDs, equipment documentation, and technical specifications.
• Experience providing technical guidance to operations or commissioning personnel.
• Strong knowledge of industrial plant operations, commissioning, startup, and system turnover principles.
• Ability to review engineering designs and identify operability, maintainability, accessibility, isolation, commissioning, and startup concerns.
• Strong field presence with the ability to independently recognize installation or construction conditions that could adversely affect plant operation.
• Ability to translate engineering design information into practical operating and commissioning requirements.
• Ability to make sound technical decisions and exercise independent operational judgment when resolving complex issues.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop clear, technically accurate operating, commissioning, and startup procedures.
• Ability to plan and coordinate work, resources, equipment, materials, and sequencing required to execute commissioning and startup activities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with operators, engineers, construction personnel, management, vendors, and other project stakeholders.
• Ability to provide technical leadership and direction without relying on formal supervisory authority.
• Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to balance safety, technical requirements, schedule, cost, and operational needs when evaluating solutions.
• Prioritizes and ensures the safety of oneself and others.
• Ability to proactively collect, manage, document, and transfer technical and operational knowledge.
• Ability to identify and implement practical improvements and efficiencies when addressing plant challenges and technical issues.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality work. 

Physical Demands 

• Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, scissor lifts, articulated boom lifts and the like
• Setting up and transferring temporary structures (e.g. scaffolding, ladders)
• Moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces
• Remaining in a stationary position, often standing, or sitting for prolonged periods
• Moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
• Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 30 pounds in all directions
• Communicating with others to exchange information
• Operating motor vehicles, heavy equipment or machinery
• Use hand tools 

Environmental Conditions 

• General office environment
• Low temperatures
• High temperatures
• Outdoor environment or elements such as precipitation and wind
• Noisy environments
• Small and/or enclosed spaces
• Odors or fumes from chemicals or chemical reactions
• Elevated heights
• Assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
• High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced
• Laboratory environment (chemical)
• Prototyping/Test Facilities
• Manufacturing/Industrial Environments 

Safety and PPE 

• Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
• Manipulating, cleaning and disposal of hazardous materials
• Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
• Color identification: detecting, distinguishing, recognizing and identifying colors
• Wearing proper PPE, to include respiratory protection, face protection, gloves, safety footwear, and other PPE as required
• Handling of Beryllium (Be) 

Travel 

• Some travel may be required (up to 20%) 

Certification 

• None required 

Additional Requirements 

• Requires occasionally working weekends
• Requires occasional schedule flexibility
• Requires occasional non-standard work-week hours
• Requires occasionally working 2nd shift, beginning at 3:00pm local time
• Requires occasionally working 3rd shift, beginning at 11:00pm local time
• Requires occasional extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines 

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