Technical Authority

Company Bio

Kiefner and Associates, Inc., an Aegeus company, is a well-established engineering consultancy with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Kiefner provides various industries with engineering services focused on asset assurance, safety, and reliability.

We offer a broad range of consulting services including fitness for service assessments, failure and welding analyses, external loading analysis, ILI data solutions, and training workshops.  

Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status

Position Purpose

The Technical Authority is a pivotal leadership role responsible for the strategic oversight, guidance, and management of our pipeline integrity, corrosion control, and engineering operations. With over four decades of deep industry experience, the ideal candidate will offer unparalleled expertise in pipeline engineering design, operation management, and corrosion control, ensuring rigorous integrity management across our expansive pipeline network. This role demands an individual who is deeply networked with industry integrity professionals and has been a significant contributor to technical standard and RP development.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the company's pipeline integrity management, engineering, operations, and maintenance departments.
• Drive the application and enhancement of pipeline integrity management and corrosion control techniques.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, and construction teams, offering expert guidance and mentoring.
• Champion industry best practices, ensuring compliance with all regulatory standards and requirements.
• Play a key role in the development of technical standards and RPs, staying informed about the latest industry trends and innovations.
• Conduct risk assessments on crude oil pipeline stations, selecting appropriate inspection techniques.

• Provide technical expertise regarding gas transmission corrostion monitoring and mitigation.

• Provide technical expertise regarding gas transmission ILI tool runs, pipeline burst calculations, anomaly evaluations, and repair recommendations.

• Provide technical expertise regarding PHMSA Mega Rule and 49 CFR Part 192.

• Provide consulting and mentoring for the company's integrity engineers and project managers.
• Engage in industry leadership and benchmarking through prominent industry bodies such as API, AMPP (NACE), PRCI, ASME, and others.
• Lead and participate in regulatory audits, ensuring full compliance and addressing any identified issues promptly.
• Develop, implement, and oversee internal and external training programs to uplift the skill levels of the team and external partners.
• Maintain impeccably detailed records of billable hours, project progress, and client interactions, facilitating astute decision-making and proficient project management.
• Generate insightful, meticulously structured reports delineating project status, accomplishments, and prospective opportunities, fostering transparent communication and strategic planning within the organization.
• Collaborate seamlessly with multifaceted, cross-functional teams, amalgamating welding, fitness for service, and materials engineering solutions into comprehensive engineering projects, nurturing an inclusive, harmonious work milieu.
• Foster a culture of shared knowledge and expertise within the team, serving as a mentor and guide to colleagues, cultivating collective skills and capabilities in alignment with our commitment to continuous learning and growth.
• Embrace a team-centric approach, providing unwavering support and encouragement to colleagues, and commemorating shared achievements in attaining project and organizational objectives.
• Assume the mantle of a mentor to junior and less knowledgeable employees, offering strategic guidance, constructive feedback, and tailored professional development opportunities to fuel their growth within the organization.
• Facilitate enlightening knowledge-sharing sessions and conduct technical training to augment the skill set and competencies of junior team members, underlining a culture of continuous learning and refinement.
• All other duties assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Mentors and trains engineers, specialist, and other skilled laborers to execute projects through on the job training in safe work practices, technical skills, critical problem solving, and compliance with Company policy.

Knowledge and Skills

• Proficient in welding engineering principles, fitness for service assessments, engineering critical assessments, fatigue analysis, and materials lab analysis.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of business development in a consulting environment.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, both technical and non-technical.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, prioritizing effectively.
• Proficiency in proposal writing and reviewing, with keen attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Willing to work with others, collaborating and compromising where necessary; promptly share relevant information with others.
• Maintains a positive “can do” outlook, rebounds quickly from frustrations and unpleasantness, and maintains composure and friendly demeanor while dealing with stressful situations.
• Must have working knowledge of MS Office Suite of products.
• Firmly adheres to the values and ethics of Kiefner. Exhibits honesty, discretion, and sound judgment.

Education and Work Experience

• BS, MS or PhD in engineering or science discipline, PhD preferred.
• 15 years of engineering experience in the relevant industry.
• Experience working on code committees or participating in industry recognized projects, preferred.
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United Sates. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Certificates and Licenses Required

• Professional Engineering (PE) License or other technical certification demonstrating a high degree of knowledge within the area of authority is preferred.

Physical Activities and Requirements

• The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction
• Standing: Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles.
• Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and making fine discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
• Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures at distances close to the eyes.
• In compliance with American with Disabilities Act (ADA), Kiefner will make reasonable accommodations that are appropriate and consistent within our legal obligations.

Working Conditions

• The physical environment requires the employee to work inside an office environment, protected from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate
• Overtime may be required during the week and weekend dependent on work volume and/or business needs.