Lead Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR Lead)

• Market Sector: Construction
• Recruiting Type: Professional & Technical

Remarkable people, trusted by clients to design and advance the world.

Wood is recruiting for a PSSR & Start-Up Readiness Lead to join our team for an immediate start, leading Pre-Startup Safety Review (PSSR) and operational readiness activities on a major EPCM refinery project with a valued client partner in Si Racha, Chonburi, Thailand.

This expatriate role is available on an "in country" residential basis, offered as an initial 12-month contract with opportunity to extend your assignment for the life of the project.

Designing the future. Transforming the World.

Wood has a deep history pioneering technical expertise globally for more than 160 years, from the North Sea to the Gulf of Thailand, and is now embarking on an exciting new chapter. Building on 40 years of engineering excellence in Thailand, Wood invites you to join our dedicated team to shape the future of the energy industry in Asia Pacific and beyond.

Join us in the heart of Chonburi, within a vibrant and fast-growing hub on Thailand's Eastern Seaboard where you will enjoy being close to major industrial and energy centres with the lifestyle advantages of a coastal location. Perfectly positioned within reach of Bangkok and minutes from the coastline of Pattaya, our office is the ideal blend of career opportunity and coastal lifestyle.

At Wood Thailand you will thrive in a collegiate team culture by partnering with like-minded, agile industry peers to inspire ingenuity and create new possibilities.

What We Can Offer

• Long term assignment on one of the world's most complex and strategically important projects delivered in partnership with an industry leader in energy
• Global connections through an inclusive and diverse international community of recognised industry experts and innovators
• Flexible working arrangements balancing client, team and individual needs
• Commitment to wellbeing, including annual health insurance contribution and 24/7 access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion across all aspects of our business
• Excellent rates, with regular reviews to ensure we are rewarding at the right level in line with the market

#LI-Onsite

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Senior Commissioning Manager and working closely with the Commissioning, Operations, Construction, HSE and Project Management teams, your immediate focus will be leading all PSSR and start-up readiness assurance activities across a major EPCM refinery project.

The Lead PSSR Coordinator is responsible for managing small team of PSSR Coordinators in the planning, coordinating, facilitating, and documenting all Pre-Startup Safety Reviews for the project. The role serves as the focal point between project, commissioning, operations, construction, engineering, HSSE, and client organizations to ensure all safety, operational, regulatory, and organizational readiness requirements have been satisfied prior to the introduction of hydrocarbons and commencement of operations. The position requires exceptional organizational capability, strong process safety knowledge, and a diplomatic yet persuasive management style to drive multidisciplinary teams toward safe and timely start-up readiness across multiple concurrent project phases.

You will play a pivotal role in ensuring a safe, efficient and structured transition from commissioning through hydrocarbon introduction and into operations. Leading by example, you will consistently display and enforce Wood values and behaviours, reflecting our commitment to the highest standards of safe and ethical conduct while delivering successful outcomes for our client.

In addition, you will:

• Lead the development and implementation of the project's PSSR and Start-Up Readiness strategy, ensuring all systems are safely prepared for hydrocarbon introduction and operational start-up.
• Manage and coordinate PSSR personnel, discipline engineers and key stakeholders, fostering a culture of safety, accountability and delivery excellence.
• Establish and govern PSSR processes, readiness criteria, approval workflows and certification requirements across all project systems and facilities.
• Ensure alignment between commissioning priorities, start-up philosophies, operational readiness requirements and project execution plans.
• Verify mechanical completion, commissioning activities, system testing and readiness requirements have been successfully completed prior to system release and start-up approval.
• Lead verification of safety-critical systems, including ESD, Fire & Gas, relief systems, safety instrumented functions, alarms, interlocks and control systems, ensuring they are operational, tested and validated.
• Coordinate closely with Operations and Commissioning teams to ensure safe system handover, readiness verification and effective management of brownfield interfaces, SIMOPS, tie-ins and isolations.
• Monitor and report overall PSSR and readiness status, identifying risks, driving resolution of critical issues and supporting achievement of project start-up milestones.
• Act as the focal point for clients, contractors, commissioning and operations stakeholders, providing technical leadership and formal readiness recommendations for hydrocarbon introduction and facility start-up.

Qualifications

What Makes You Remarkable?

At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. Even if you do not meet every requirement listed below but believe you have the experience, skills and capability to succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply.

It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world's most critical challenges.

Expected

You must be eligible to obtain legal working rights in Thailand and be able to pass a pre-employment medical, including a drug and alcohol screen.

Suitably qualified with a degree in an Engineering discipline from a recognized institution, you will have 12+ years of industry experience, ideally including proven experience in a PSSR Lead, Start-Up Readiness Lead, Process Safety Assurance Lead, Commissioning Lead or Commissioning Manager role on a major EPCM project within the Refinery, Petrochemical, LNG or Oil & Gas Processing sector, working with a leading contractor, owner-operator or engineering services company.

In addition:

• Exceptional Organization and Planning Skills
  Manages multiple PSSR reviews simultaneously across different systems, units, and commissioning phases while maintaining clear priorities, schedules, tracking tools, and reporting structures.
• Strong Diplomatic and Influencing Skills
  Engages effectively with client operations, engineering disciplines, construction teams, commissioning personnel, and contractor management using a collaborative, persuasive, and “soft management” approach.
• Excellent Stakeholder Management
  Builds strong working relationships across a diverse group of stakeholders while maintaining focus on project safety objectives and operational readiness requirements.
• High Level of Attention to Detail
  Thoroughly reviews PSSR documentation, action closure evidence, readiness assessments, and system turnover packages to ensure no critical safety or operational gaps remain before start-up.
• Ability to Work Under Pressure
  Maintains effectiveness and sound judgement when managing competing priorities, demanding schedules, changing commissioning sequences, and multiple concurrent start-up milestones.
• Strong Understanding of Process Safety Management
  Possesses knowledge of process safety principles and the ability to assess readiness arising from HAZOP, HAZID, SIL, LOPA, Management of Change (MOC), operating procedures, and start-up risk management activities.
• Leadership Through Coordination Rather Than Authority
  Leads multidisciplinary teams, facilitates discussions, drives action closure, and achieves consensus across organizations without direct reporting authority over all stakeholders.
• Effective Communication and Facilitation Skills
  Capable of chairing PSSR workshops, presenting readiness status to project management, challenging unresolved issues constructively, and clearly communicating risks, actions, and recommendations.
• Systematic Problem Solving and Risk Assessment
  Identifies readiness gaps, evaluates associated risks, develops mitigation strategies, and coordinates timely closure of outstanding actions that could impact safe start-up.
• Strong Operational Readiness Focus
  Understands the full spectrum of start-up readiness requirements, including:
  • Mechanical completion and construction handover
  • Operations staffing and shift structure readiness
  • Operator training and competency verification
  • Operating procedures and work instructions
  • HAZOP/HAZID/SIL action closure
  • Emergency response preparedness
  • Fire and gas system readiness
  • Laboratory testing capability
  • Regulatory and authority notifications
  • Community engagement requirements
  • Start-up and performance testing plans

Desirable

What will set you apart will be proven experience leading PSSR and start-up readiness activities on major refinery, petrochemical or LNG projects within a brownfield operating environment, including integration of new facilities into live operating plants through SIMOPS, tie-ins, isolations, operational readiness and commissioning interfaces.

Experience supporting hydrocracker, hydrotreater, CDU, VDU, delayed coker, residue upgrading or other complex conversion refinery units, together with prior involvement in hydrocarbon introduction and start-up of major process facilities, will be highly regarded.

It takes a diverse and inclusive community of inquisitive minds to unlock tomorrow's solutions to the world's most critical challenges.

If you are a PSSR & Start-Up Readiness Lead looking for a unique opportunity to join one of Asia's most significant EPCM refinery projects, apply today!

Shortlisting will commence immediately.

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