Position Summary

Kern is hiring a Senior Project Manager who will assume full ownership of major capital projects both currently in late-stage detailed engineering and active procurement and early engineering stage projects. This role is responsible for driving the project through permitting, construction, commissioning, and startup while ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, cost control, and schedule adherence. To be successful, this position will also exhibit Kern’s core values of Teamwork, Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Connection.

This position requires a highly experienced leader capable of managing complex interfaces between refinery operations, engineering contractors, equipment fabricators, regulatory agencies, and internal stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring strong execution discipline, permitting expertise, and the ability to lead a multidisciplinary team through project completion.

Job Function

• Assume full project lifecycle ownership of large capital projects from detailed design through commissioning and startup.


• Oversee the development and execution of project plans, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.


• Monitor project timelines, milestones, and deliverables to ensure the project execution work process is adhered to.


• Proactively identify and address potential risks and challenges, implementing effective mitigation strategies.


• Manage project milestones and interfaces between contractors, vendors and refinery teams and projects.


• Collaborate with contract engineers (EPCs), fabricators, and internal stakeholders to integrate Kern Energy’s project and cost management work processes.


• Stay abreast of industry trends and advancements to drive continuous improvement in project methodologies.


• Review of equipment, piping, instrumentation, and project designs to ensure adherence to Kern Energy standards and project goals.


• Maintain and drive project schedule, costs, and risks to identify critical path items and potential mitigation strategies.


• Provide timely and accurate project status reports on schedule, risks, and costs.


• Generate and see to completion ‘Management of Change’ (MOCs) for their assigned projects.


• Maintain and ensure complete information packages to satisfy process safety information requirements for Process safety management program.


• Verify and finalize components of engineering work packages including specialty items, tie lists, line lists, and related isometrics.


• Assist with incident investigations as required.


• Resolve PHA action items as required.


• Support construction activities, including resolving issues in the field.


• Support turnaround activities as required.


• Follow through on commitments made to others.


• Create and maintain a neat, clean well-organized, and professional-looking work area.


• Other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Mentor and guide a diverse team of engineers, operators, and inspectors, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.


• Develop and communicate a clear project vision, goals, and objectives to the team.


• Utilize deep technical knowledge to guide the team in solving complex engineering challenges.


• Effectively allocate resources, including personnel and equipment, to optimize project outcomes.


• Foster a culture of accountability and efficiency within the project team.


• Mentor team members on project execution and cost management.


• Deliver monthly engineering project status reports.


• Provide oversight and leadership to all engineering projects.


• Ensure projects are executed in a timely and professional manner.