Process Safety Engineer (24 hours per week)

About Porthos
Porthos is a project that aims to transport and store CO2 from the industry in the Port of Rotterdam in empty gas fields beneath the North Sea. Various companies capture the CO2 from their factories and deliver it to a pipeline operated by Porthos that runs through the Rotterdam port area. The CO2 is then compressed at a compressor station, and Porthos transports it via an offshore pipeline to a platform located about 20 km offshore in the North Sea. From there, the CO2 is injected into an empty gas field. These gas fields are located in a sealed reservoir of porous sandstone, more than 3 km beneath the North Sea. The project is expected to store about 2.5 million tons of CO2 per year starting in 2026. The Porthos project is in the implementation phase.

Porthos is a collaboration between the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Gasunie, and EBN. Their combined expertise—Port of Rotterdam Authority with local market knowledge, Gasunie with gas infrastructure and transport experience, and EBN with expertise in deep underground and offshore infrastructure—is the foundation of Porthos.

Job Description

Porthos consists of a project organization and an operational entity, Porthos System Operator (PSO). PSO is a newly established company with Gasunie and EBN as shareholders, responsible for operating the entire Porthos System. We are looking for an experienced Process Safety Engineer with broad expertise in Process Safety.

The final responsibility for the Process Safety discipline lies both with the Project Director (Project Phase) as with the PSO Director (Operational Phase). Anticipating this, you will be positioned in the PSO, however you will also closely collaborate with the project organization.

The Process Safety Engineer will be appointed for at least one year, 24 hours per week with the option of extension. We expect you to be physically present in the office at least two days per week. The Porthos office is located in Rotterdam at George Hintzenweg 89, just a 5-minute walk from an intercity train station and the metro.

Responsibilities
As a Process Safety Engineer, you will be responsible for:

  • Coordinating Process Safety-related activities within Porthos in close collaboration with the Porthos project organization.
  • Working closely with an independent third party to conduct a Process Safety review of the entire Porthos system.
  • Implementing relevant insights and actions derived from the Process Safety review of the Porthos system.
  • Defining the Process Safety discipline within the Porthos Technical Authority Framework, including ensuring Process Safety in the Porthos MoC process.
  • Safeguarding the Process Safety discipline within the Porthos organization and the Porthos Integrated Management System, focusing on the following areas:
    • Leadership accountability.
    • Compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and standards regarding Process Safety.
    • Asset Integrity and Process Safety Management.
    • Technical codes/standards.
    • Process Safety Information.
    • Operational procedures and processes.
    • Providing Process Safety training.
    • Conducting audits and incident investigations related to Process Safety.

Additionally, you should be comfortable providing the organization with advice—both requested and unsolicited—on related topics and processes such as:

  • Onshore and offshore operations and maintenance.
  • Asset Integrity and Process Safety Management.
  • Management of Change process.
  • Safety and Health Management System.
  • Commissioning and Start Up/Ramp Up (C&SU).
  • Operational Readiness and Assurance (OR&A).
  • Process Engineering and Flow Assurance.

Requirements
To qualify for this position, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • University or higher vocational education (preferably technical or related to (process) safety).
  • Demonstrable experience with evaluating and managing Process Safety risks.
  • Experience with relevant safety/risk studies (Bow-Ties, HAZID, HAZOP, SIL, LOPA, QRA).
  • Minimum of 15 years of Process Safety experience in both design and operation.
  • Experience transitioning from construction to C&SU and operational phases and delivering and operating a complex industrial installation.
  • Expertise in developing and applying “Asset Integrity and Process Safety.”
  • Proven experience working with regulators.
  • Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Dutch and English.
  • Ability to be both hands-on and proactive in identifying problems and providing solutions.

Additional Pluses:

  • Experience with developing, realizing, delivering, or operating a new project (preferably O&G).
  • Experience with setting up a new organization and/or working in various types of organizations.
  • Experience with Offshore Safety Directive and Dutch mining laws and regulations.

Recruitment process
Porthos hires people exclusively on a hiring basis, with the recruitment process taking place through a tendering process organised by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Individuals have the option to register and offer themselves as self-employed without staff (zzp’er) for available vacancies. An alternative approach is to run the application process through a recognised provider/supplier of temporary work who is already registered with the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Click here for instructions on how to apply. You can apply for this vacancy until 9.00 am on 14 April at the latest.