Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Unit Operator

🎯 Role Definition

As a Unit Operator you will be responsible for the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of one or more process units in a refinery, chemical plant, power generation facility, or industrial manufacturing site. The role centers on monitoring and adjusting process variables via local and distributed control systems (DCS/PLC), performing routine mechanical and process checks, executing startup/shutdown procedures, troubleshooting upsets, and proactively supporting reliability and continuous improvement initiatives. Strong emphasis is placed on process safety, environmental compliance, and disciplined execution of procedures, permits, and lockout/tagout.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Process Technician / Operations Trainee
Maintenance Technician or Mechanical Helper
Control Room Operator or Field Operator Trainee

Advancement To:

Senior Unit Operator / Lead Operator
Shift Supervisor or Operations Supervisor
Process Technician / Process Specialist
Reliability Coordinator / Operations Trainer
Plant Superintendent / Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Control Room Operator
Maintenance Technician (mechanical or electrical)
Safety Specialist / Process Safety Analyst
Instrumentation & Controls Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Operate and control process unit equipment and auxiliary systems, using distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLC), field instruments and local control panels to maintain product specifications, unit stability, and throughput targets while minimizing emissions and waste.
Monitor process variables including temperatures, pressures, flows, levels and compositions; analyze trends and alarms in the DCS and adjust valves, pumps, compressors and heat exchangers to stabilize the process and prevent excursions.
Execute startup, shutdown and turnaround procedures for assigned units, following written procedures and checklists to ensure safe, sequenced transitions and minimize mechanical stress and process upsets.
Perform routine rounds and inspections of unit equipment (pumps, compressors, vessels, columns, heat exchangers, burners) and document abnormalities, performing initial troubleshooting and tagging for maintenance when required.
Conduct required process sampling, field testing, and basic lab verification (e.g., pH, density, flash point, moisture) per QA/QC protocols and enter results into logs or laboratory information systems.
Implement and comply with permit-to-work systems, lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined-space entry and hot-work procedures before conducting or supporting maintenance and contractor activities.
Respond to alarms, process upsets and emergency conditions (fires, spills, releases) promptly using emergency response procedures, coordinating with emergency response teams and notifying supervisors per incident protocols.
Perform basic mechanical repairs and adjustments (packing, gasket changes, valve troubleshooting), assist maintenance crews during repairs and support troubleshooting efforts to restore equipment to service quickly and safely.
Maintain accurate shift logs, unit histories, start-up and shutdown records, and handover reports to ensure continuity of operations and clear communication between shifts and teams.
Adhere to and promote process safety management (PSM), OSHA, EPA and company-specific safety and environmental programs; participate in pre-job safety reviews, HAZOP follow-ups and safety observations.
Interpret piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), equipment datasheets and work orders to carry out operations and communicate operational status to engineering and maintenance.
Adjust chemical feed rates, catalyst/adsorbent handling and utility flows to meet product quality specifications while controlling operating costs and minimizing off-spec production.
Interface with laboratory, process engineering and quality control teams to investigate off-spec material, support root cause analyses and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Execute and document routine tests and calibrations for field instruments, gauges and safety devices, escalating instrument failures to the instrumentation and controls group.
Coordinate with turnaround and project teams to provide operational insight for equipment isolation, system integrity verification and safe restoration to service after outages or maintenance activities.
Conduct routine housekeeping, containment checks and secondary containment verification to reduce slip/trip hazards and ensure compliance with environmental discharge and spill prevention requirements.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives such as reliability-centered maintenance, cost reduction projects and LEAN process optimization, providing practical operations input and data to support improvements.
Train, mentor and provide on-the-job coaching to junior operators, new hires and contractors to build team capability and ensure consistent adherence to procedures and safety culture.
Maintain and verify inventory of critical spares, chemicals and consumables for assigned units, raising purchase or requisition requests to maintain continuity of operations.
Prepare incident reports, near-miss entries and corrective action items following company reporting standards and participate in incident investigations to identify and implement preventive measures.
Operate confined space monitoring equipment, gas detectors and personal protective equipment (PPE) properly, and ensure team compliance during hazardous operations, H2S risk zones or high-voltage areas.
Support shift handover with detailed operational status briefings, highlighting deviations, ongoing troubleshooting actions and pending maintenance to the incoming crew.

Secondary Functions

Support reliability and engineering teams by providing operational data, root-cause observations and ideas for improved maintainability and uptime.
Participate in continuous improvement and cost-savings projects; provide practical feedback on proposed modifications and participate in pilot testing as needed.
Assist with environmental reporting activities, such as emissions monitoring, waste disposition records and regulatory inspections.
Contribute to the development and revision of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and job aids based on field experience and process changes.
Support ad-hoc process data requests, trend analysis and incident data collection to help engineering and HSE teams with investigations and optimization efforts.
Provide training sessions and competency assessments for cross-trained operations staff and contractors.
Participate in pre-shutdown planning and readiness reviews to ensure operational considerations are captured in project plans.
Act as a backup for adjacent unit operators during absences, ensuring continuity and consistent operation across shifts.
Maintain certifications and training records; ensure required licenses and trade certifications are up to date for compliance audits.
Support vendor and contractor coordination during inspections, tests and commissioning activities, acting as the operations point of contact.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong experience operating and troubleshooting distributed control systems (DCS) and PLCs (e.g., Honeywell, Emerson DeltaV, Siemens, Allen-Bradley) with the ability to navigate alarm systems and control graphics.
Proficiency reading and interpreting Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) and equipment datasheets.
Solid understanding of process fundamentals (heat transfer, fluid flow, mass balances) and unit-specific chemistry/physics (distillation, reaction, separation, filtration) relevant to assigned unit.
Hands-on knowledge of mechanical systems: pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, valves, and rotating equipment maintenance basics.
Experience with startup, shutdown, and turnaround (S/U/T) procedures and checklists, including isolations and system re-commissioning.
Working knowledge of process safety management (PSM) elements, HAZOP outcomes, HAZMAT handling, and hazardous energy control (LOTO).
Field sampling & laboratory coordination skills, including safe sample collection, labeling and documentation for quality/compliance testing.
Familiarity with emission monitoring systems, environmental permits, and routine environmental compliance checks (e.g., CEMS, stack tests).
Competence with instrumentation basics and ability to perform routine calibrations and point checks for transmitters, gauges, and safety devices.
Ability to use maintenance management systems (CMMS) to raise work orders, log defects and verify completed repairs.
Basic computer skills: Microsoft Office (Excel for logs and trend export), electronic logbooks and digital procedure systems.
Knowledge of emergency response protocols, fire suppression systems, and spill control measures.

Soft Skills

Strong safety mindset with disciplined adherence to procedures and ability to influence others toward safe behavior.
Excellent observation and attention-to-detail skills to detect subtle deviations in process behavior and equipment condition.
Clear oral and written communication skills for accurate shift handovers, incident reporting and cross-functional coordination.
Problem solving and analytical thinking to diagnose causes of upsets and develop effective corrective actions quickly.
Teamwork and collaboration across operations, maintenance, engineering, HSE and laboratory groups.
Time management and prioritization to balance rounds, log entries, sampling and troubleshooting during busy shifts.
Adaptability to work rotating shifts, overtime, weekends and emergency call-outs when required.
Coaching and mentoring capacity to train junior operators and support competency-based development.
Professional integrity and accountability—ownership of assigned units and follow-through on corrective actions.
Customer and quality-oriented mindset to maintain product specifications and meet production commitments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent (required) with demonstrated experience in industrial operations or mechanical trades.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree, technical diploma or certificate in Process Technology, Mechanical Technology, Instrumentation, Industrial Operations, or related field.
Vocational training or apprenticeship in mechanical, electrical or instrumentation disciplines is an advantage.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Process Technology / Chemical Technology
Mechanical or Industrial Maintenance Technology
Instrumentation & Controls
Electrical Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of process unit or industrial operations experience (entry-level to mid-level).
Preferred: 3+ years of direct unit operation experience in refinery, petrochemical, chemical, power generation or industrial processing environments, with documented shift work and emergency response exposure.