Lead LOTO Engineer

Lead LOTO Engineer – Ensuring Operational Excellence Through Rigorous Safety Protocols

As the Lead LOTO Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in safeguarding personnel and assets during critical phases of project execution—from construction completion and pre-commissioning to full plant handover. This position demands a strategic mindset, technical expertise, and an unwavering commitment to compliance with global safety standards. You will develop, implement, and oversee the Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and Energy Isolation Program, ensuring seamless coordination across EPC contractors, OEMs, commissioning teams, construction personnel, HSE, and future operations staff. Your leadership will be instrumental in preventing inadvertent energization, equipment startup, or energy release, thereby mitigating risks and maintaining operational integrity.

This is an opportunity to shape best-in-class safety protocols in a high-stakes environment, where precision, collaboration, and proactive risk management are non-negotiable. If you thrive in a dynamic, results-driven setting and are passionate about advancing safety culture, we invite you to take the helm in this critical role.

Key Responsibilities

Your role will encompass a broad spectrum of responsibilities, ensuring that every phase of the project adheres to the highest safety standards:

• LOTO Program Development: Lead the creation and continuous refinement of the project’s LOTO Procedure, aligning it with international standards (OSHA, NFPA 70E, IEC), company HSE policies, and project-specific requirements. Define isolation management processes for mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, and thermal energy sources, establishing clear isolation boundaries and energy isolation philosophies for all plant systems.
• Isolation Planning and Coordination: Collaborate with Construction, Commissioning, System Completion, and EPC teams to meticulously plan safe equipment release and energization activities. Review commissioning schedules to identify critical isolation requirements for testing and energization, ensuring all isolations are properly documented and executed before commissioning commencement. Actively participate in System Handover and Ready for Commissioning reviews to validate readiness.
• Commissioning Support: Provide expert guidance during the first energization of complex systems, including Gas Turbine Generator systems, Steam Turbine systems, HRSG systems, Electrical substations, MV and LV distribution systems, DCS and control systems, and Auxiliary systems. Coordinate both temporary and permanent isolations throughout commissioning and testing phases, while managing simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) to ensure safety and efficiency.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain comprehensive LOTO registers, isolation logs, and up-to-date isolation drawings, single-line diagrams, and mark-ups. Generate daily isolation status reports and weekly/monthly compliance reports to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Training and Awareness: Deliver impactful LOTO awareness and competency training to project personnel, fostering a culture of safety. Conduct regular toolbox talks and safety briefings focused on energy isolation best practices. Support contractor onboarding by ensuring alignment with project-specific LOTO requirements.
• Audits and Compliance: Conduct routine audits of active isolations to identify and rectify non-conformances. Participate in incident investigations involving energy isolation, analyzing root causes and recommending actionable improvements to strengthen isolation controls.

Qualifications and Experience

To excel in this role, you must bring a robust blend of technical expertise, leadership, and hands-on experience:

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, or an equivalent field is required.
• Experience: A minimum of 10 years in power generation, with 5 years dedicated to commissioning, startup, operations, or energy isolation management. Experience with Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCGT) is highly preferred, particularly in commissioning and startup of such projects.
• Technical Knowledge: Deep expertise in Lockout/Tagout systems, Permit-to-Work protocols, Electrical safety and switching operations, Mechanical isolation techniques, Commissioning and startup processes, System Completion and Turnover processes, SIMOPS management, and Risk assessment/Job Safety Analysis is essential.
• Preferred Certifications: OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety, NFPA 70E Awareness, Authorized LOTO Coordinator Training, NEBOSH IGC, and Electrical Safety Training are strong assets.

This is more than a job—it’s a chance to make a tangible difference in safety and operational excellence. If you are a detail-oriented professional with a proven track record in high-stakes environments, we encourage you to apply and help us elevate our safety standards to new heights.