DALE WILLIAMSON
Summary
I am a dynamic and adaptable people leader with over 13 years’ experience in operations and maintenance in the petrochemical industry. My strong technical expertise in operational processes and assets has enabled me to lead, mentor, and train teams while effectively delivering on strategic initiatives. In high-pressure environments, I maintain a calm, results-oriented approach, consistently delivering high-quality, cost-effective, and safe outcomes. Fluent in technical, operational, and corporate languages, I excel at cultivating cross-functional relationships and influencing stakeholders at all levels to deliver solutions.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Shutdown Process Lead
Qenos Pty Ltd
08.2024 - Current
- Company Overview: Qenos utilised ethane, a byproduct of natural gas, to operate under its Major Hazard Facility licenses and be the sole Australian manufacture of polyethylene and polymers
- Appointed by the leadership team to lead the operations team in the $10M permanent shutdown and make-safe project of the Resins site
- Delivered Phase 1, ‘bulk hydrocarbon free,’ 10 days ahead of schedule, $2.4M under budget, and achieved 0 lost time injuries
- Additionally, executed 60% of Phase 2 works during Phase 1
- Developed and implemented strategy for isolating equipment for decommissioning, saving an estimated 3000+ maintenance labour hours ($300k), and enabled early equipment availability for make-safe
- Established and implemented processes to develop key shutdown documentation, including 35 new shutdown procedures
- This process included weekly stewardship meetings and a tracking spreadsheet with reporting metrics, facilitating timely execution of operational and maintenance shutdown tasks
- Created a shutdown schedule using MS Project, incorporating a strategic plan for equipment availability, which facilitated clear communication of expected milestones
- Spearheaded the development of an interactive digital Equipment Tracking Register on MS Excel, tracking the status of over 250 major site assets, thereby ensuring effective communication to the key stakeholders
- Implemented a strategic framework for sitewide pipeline validations, including identification of all high-risk pipelines, ensuring pipelines were adequately prepared and documented ready for site handover
- Key member of the site organisational change team, providing operations input to restructure guidelines for personnel, equipment, and emergency response requirements, allowing the business to clearly define and meet milestones
- Achieved milestones that facilitated the dissolution of 24/7 operations coverage and Distributed Control System (DCS) power off
- Qenos utilised ethane, a byproduct of natural gas, to operate under its Major Hazard Facility licenses and be the sole Australian manufacture of polyethylene and polymers
Operations Shift Team Leader
Qenos Pty Ltd
06.2023 - 08.2024
- Led and developed a team of six Plant Technicians in a 24/7 operations environment, identifying growth opportunities and providing tailored coaching to enhance performance
- Developed 1 team member to Lead Technician by creating a bridging plan and coaching technician through plan
- Assumed Emergency Controller role during site emergencies, liaising with emergency services, onsite advisory team, and external regulators
- Demonstrated a strong command of emergency response procedures and effective decision-making under pressure
- Responded to pump mechanical seal failure fire which resulted in the evacuation of control room, no injuries to personnel, and minimal damage to assets
- Monitored and improved team performance against KPIs (quality, costs, alarms, safety, production), driving accountability and ownership via transparent communication
- Provided in-depth knowledge of the business’ permit to work system to authorise site-wide high-risk maintenance works including hot work, live line, hot tap, confined space entries, high voltage
- Chaired daily operations meetings with maintenance, operations, management, and engineering teams, ensuring alignment on production, safety and performance targets
- Led troubleshooting of process and equipment issues, coordinating cross-functional teams, and drawing upon technical drawings when required to minimise and avoid downtime of key operating assets
- Championed continuous improvement by encouraging team ideas and bringing them to life, boosting operational efficiency and resulting in a safer work environment
Site Maintenance Coordinator
Qenos Pty Ltd
03.2020 - 06.2023
- Coordinated all sitewide planned and reactive maintenance works with a 70/30 split, while directing cross functional-collaboration across teams to meet asset management, safety and broader business objectives through effective stakeholder management and results-driven leadership
- Managed annual fixed-cost maintenance budget of $10M, consistently meeting financial targets while ensuring compliance with safety, health, and environmental guidelines
- Developed yearly budget and rolling forecast tools for cost control
- Successfully led three major site shutdowns, including four-yearly site high voltage shutdown
- Delivered each shutdown on time, under budget, and without major safety incidents
- Created a shutdown planning schedule template to streamline future shutdowns, ensuring the process was transferable to incoming personnel
- Spearheaded continuous improvement initiatives, optimising processes, and managing small to medium projects from inception to completion
- Led project that migrated in person daily maintenance meeting that utilised the whiteboard as a planning tool, to video conferencing and the adoption of Trello
- Ensured effective weekly maintenance scheduling, optimising safety, cost, labour, and execution to maximise resource utilisation
- Developed and implemented a fortnightly interactive Excel report to lead stewardship of critical maintenance activities which resulted in 0 non-compliances
- Conducted root cause investigations into safety incidents and quality non-conformances, delivering thorough investigations with actionable insights to prevent recurrence and capture learnings
- Led daily maintenance meetings, prioritising maintenance tasks when conflicts arose between operations, scheduled and emergency maintenance, while fostering communications across key stakeholders
- Provided technical insights to annual technical hazard and operability analysis team to improve the overall safety of the operating plant and drive continuous improvement initiatives
- Developed and updated key operational and maintenance procedures and documentation, ensuring they are user-friendly and effectively captures the hazards and controls of tasks
- Acted as a core member of the site emergency response advisory team, providing technical insights and guidance to support timely response to site emergencies
- Utilised SAP extensively for maintenance processing, fixed-cost budgeting, and reporting, ensuring accuracy and consistency
Career Break
06.2022 - 04.2023
- During my career break, I travelled extensively across multiple continents, immersing myself in diverse cultures
- Concurrently, I completed the final units of my Bachelor of Commerce
- This period allowed me to develop a range of soft, technical, and life skills, enriching both my personal and professional growth
Process Plant Technician - Lead Technician/Trainer/Assessor
Qenos Pty Ltd
08.2013 - 03.2020
- Promoted to Lead Technician, I trained and assessed five technicians, tailoring programs to individual learning styles
- I developed a standardised training plan for the DCS console section and exemplified high operational and safety standards while supporting my team
- Additionally, I resolved complex process issues to streamline operations, led the operational workgroup during a successful one-week planned shutdown, and acted as backup Emergency Controller during a simulated emergency scenario
Process Plant Technician - Cadetship
Qenos Pty Ltd
03.2011 - 08.2013
- Operated and optimised various plant processes in all site operating units, including hydrocarbons, through both DCS systems and fieldwork
- Managed safety protocols, responded to alarms, assisted in maintenance tasks, and utilised documentation and permit-to-work systems while working 12-hour rotating shifts
Education
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance, Business Analytics
Deakin University
01.2022
Certificate IV in Process Plant Technology -
Box Hill Institute
01.2014
Certificate III in Process Plant Operations -
Box Hill Institute
01.2012
Skills
- Leadership trained
- Customer focus
Professional Development
- Assess Competence - Workforce Development, 2017
- Provide Work Skill Instruction - Workforce Development, 2017
Timeline
Shutdown Process Lead
Qenos Pty Ltd
08.2024 - Current
Operations Shift Team Leader
Qenos Pty Ltd
06.2023 - 08.2024
Career Break
06.2022 - 04.2023
Site Maintenance Coordinator
Qenos Pty Ltd
03.2020 - 06.2023
Process Plant Technician - Lead Technician/Trainer/Assessor
Qenos Pty Ltd
08.2013 - 03.2020
Process Plant Technician - Cadetship
Qenos Pty Ltd
03.2011 - 08.2013
Certificate IV in Process Plant Technology -
Box Hill Institute
Certificate III in Process Plant Operations -
Box Hill Institute
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance, Business Analytics
Deakin University
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