Process Safety Management Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Process Safety Management roles in the U.S. are consistently sponsored under the H-1B visa, as engineering and safety positions typically qualify as specialty occupations. Employers in oil, gas, and chemical manufacturing regularly file LCAs for PSM engineers, making this one of the more sponsorship-friendly corners of the engineering job market.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The Senior/Staff Engineer, Process Safety Management reports to the Engineering Superintendent, Process Safety Management, and will help to provide governance and assurance for an effective implementation of the Process Safety Management program elements. The Senior/Staff Engineer, Process Safety Management will support implementation and ongoing assurance of this Process Safety Management program and shall support the site’s procedures, guidelines, and tools, associated with Process Safety Management, with a focus on continuous improvement.
All activities will be delivered maintaining Cheniere’s core values: teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, nimble and safety.
This is a non-DOT position.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Dependent on the specific work assignment within the Process Safety program, some or all of the following apply:
- Support the adoption, implementation, and assurance of the PSM elements across the various site departments to ensure company best practices and procedures are understood, implemented and followed.
- Support and facilitate PHAs and other risk assessment processes.
- Identify and quantify Process Safety risks at the facility and measures for managing these risks.
- Ensure Process Safety risks are tracked, communicated, action plans are approved, and risks managed properly through the Process Safety Risk Register and Risk Action Plans (RAP). Maintain and update the Process Safety Risk Register. Provide technical leadership and support to identify hazards, evaluate the risk of those hazards, and assist in the development of effective solutions to mitigate risk.
- Develop and perform self-assessment for various PSM programs.
- Supports and manage the Incident Management Process and Incident Investigations associated with identified Process Safety Events (PSEs).
- Develop, monitor, and analyze trends in site PSM Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- Support the MOC Process to ensure risks are properly identified and managed for changes and PHAs and PSSRs are adequate.
- Support the Bypass Override Risk Assessment (BORA) process as required.
- Mentor others in process safety to understand, identify and reduce process safety risk.
- Support the site in identifying and sustaining the management of key Process Safety Information (PSI).
- Support the development of PSM software tools.
- Perform Building Siting reviews to evaluate occupied and non-occupied buildings and support Building Siting program at site.
The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Knowledge:
Possesses a thorough understanding of OSHA PSM, Responsible Care, and EPA – RMP regulations. Understands and can apply API Process Safety Performance Indicators, Management of Hazards associated with Process Plant Buildings and Process Safety Risks at a facility. As well as a general understanding of consequence modeling, Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) methods and interpreting results. General knowledge of API 752, 753, 756. Understands natural gas liquefaction, LNG transportation, operations, storage, and loading.
Familiar with the various applicable federal, state, and local agencies and applicable laws, regulations, codes, standards, and permits required to operate LNG terminals, including but not limited to: DOT, OSHA, USCG, EPA, FERC, NFPA, and knowledge of emergency response operations, planning, techniques, and reporting.
Skills:
- Strong leadership and administrative abilities are required.
- Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to articulate messages to a variety of audiences.
- Organized and able to manage multiple activities and programs timely and with a high degree of accuracy.
- Effective problem solving and analytical skills.
- Computer knowledge, including Microsoft Office Suite consisting of Word, Excel, SharePoint and PowerPoint.
- A thorough understanding of process safety and its application to facility assets, programs, and procedures.
- Experience and knowledge of process safety principles, methodologies, and tools.
- Able to understand and assess risks based on operating process plant changes and lead a team through a robust risk assessment of physical changes to an operating process plant (based on P&ID’s, ISO’s, Electrical Drawings, Cause and effects, Safe Operating Limits, Technical Drawings, Facility Siting, SDSs, Fire Hazard Analysis).
- Able to interpret consequence and QRA results and apply them to other activities.
- Ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal.
- Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations.
- Adept in report writing for PSM and skilled in leading a diverse technical and operations team through complex process operations conversations.
- Acute business acumen and understanding of organizational issues and challenges.
- Familiarity with project management approaches, tools, and phases of the project lifecycle.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in engineering is required; Chemical/Mechanical Engineering is preferred; A Professional Engineer (PE) license in good standing is preferred.
Experience:
- Senior: Minimum of seven (7+) years of direct experience in Process Safety Management in LNG, oil, gas, chemical, or related industry.
- Staff: Minimum of ten (10+) years of direct experience in Process Safety Management in LNG, oil, gas, chemical, or related industry.
DIRECT REPORTS
No direct reports.
FREEDOM TO ACT
The Staff Engineer, Process Safety Management is an expert in their field and requires minimal supervision.
WORK CONDITIONS
- Job is performed in an industrial plant environment.
- Occasionally, work may be performed from home, after normal work hours or on weekends.
- Limited travel required, as business conditions dictate.
- Subject to drug and alcohol testing, per applicable federal regulations or as required by Cheniere.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is often required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, work at height above ground on stairs and catwalks, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk, hear, smell, type and write.
- Must be able to board a ship via a gangway, climb to the top of a tank (200+ steps), scale vertical steel ladder up to forty feet or more in height and lift and move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work indoors and outdoors, and be exposed to year-round weather conditions, ocean environment, and noise. There is a considerable number of outdoor activities involved.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
- Required to pass regularly scheduled physical examinations mandated by regulatory authorities.
- Required to obtain mandated certification by attending Company-sponsored training in basic first aid and CPR.
- Must maintain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card in good standing status.
ADA JOB REQUIREMENTS
Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that the essential functions of the job can be performed and not hinder the employee's performance due to physical, mental or emotional disability.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Cheniere Energy is an equal opportunity workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation if requested for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.
INTRODUCTION
The Senior/Staff Engineer, Process Safety Management reports to the Engineering Superintendent, Process Safety Management, and will help to provide governance and assurance for an effective implementation of the Process Safety Management program elements. The Senior/Staff Engineer, Process Safety Management will support implementation and ongoing assurance of this Process Safety Management program and shall support the site’s procedures, guidelines, and tools, associated with Process Safety Management, with a focus on continuous improvement.
All activities will be delivered maintaining Cheniere’s core values: teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, nimble and safety.
This is a non-DOT position.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Dependent on the specific work assignment within the Process Safety program, some or all of the following apply:
- Support the adoption, implementation, and assurance of the PSM elements across the various site departments to ensure company best practices and procedures are understood, implemented and followed.
- Support and facilitate PHAs and other risk assessment processes.
- Identify and quantify Process Safety risks at the facility and measures for managing these risks.
- Ensure Process Safety risks are tracked, communicated, action plans are approved, and risks managed properly through the Process Safety Risk Register and Risk Action Plans (RAP). Maintain and update the Process Safety Risk Register. Provide technical leadership and support to identify hazards, evaluate the risk of those hazards, and assist in the development of effective solutions to mitigate risk.
- Develop and perform self-assessment for various PSM programs.
- Supports and manage the Incident Management Process and Incident Investigations associated with identified Process Safety Events (PSEs).
- Develop, monitor, and analyze trends in site PSM Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- Support the MOC Process to ensure risks are properly identified and managed for changes and PHAs and PSSRs are adequate.
- Support the Bypass Override Risk Assessment (BORA) process as required.
- Mentor others in process safety to understand, identify and reduce process safety risk.
- Support the site in identifying and sustaining the management of key Process Safety Information (PSI).
- Support the development of PSM software tools.
- Perform Building Siting reviews to evaluate occupied and non-occupied buildings and support Building Siting program at site.
The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Knowledge:
Possesses a thorough understanding of OSHA PSM, Responsible Care, and EPA – RMP regulations. Understands and can apply API Process Safety Performance Indicators, Management of Hazards associated with Process Plant Buildings and Process Safety Risks at a facility. As well as a general understanding of consequence modeling, Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) methods and interpreting results. General knowledge of API 752, 753, 756. Understands natural gas liquefaction, LNG transportation, operations, storage, and loading.
Familiar with the various applicable federal, state, and local agencies and applicable laws, regulations, codes, standards, and permits required to operate LNG terminals, including but not limited to: DOT, OSHA, USCG, EPA, FERC, NFPA, and knowledge of emergency response operations, planning, techniques, and reporting.
Skills:
- Strong leadership and administrative abilities are required.
- Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to articulate messages to a variety of audiences.
- Organized and able to manage multiple activities and programs timely and with a high degree of accuracy.
- Effective problem solving and analytical skills.
- Computer knowledge, including Microsoft Office Suite consisting of Word, Excel, SharePoint and PowerPoint.
- A thorough understanding of process safety and its application to facility assets, programs, and procedures.
- Experience and knowledge of process safety principles, methodologies, and tools.
- Able to understand and assess risks based on operating process plant changes and lead a team through a robust risk assessment of physical changes to an operating process plant (based on P&ID’s, ISO’s, Electrical Drawings, Cause and effects, Safe Operating Limits, Technical Drawings, Facility Siting, SDSs, Fire Hazard Analysis).
- Able to interpret consequence and QRA results and apply them to other activities.
- Ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal.
- Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations.
- Adept in report writing for PSM and skilled in leading a diverse technical and operations team through complex process operations conversations.
- Acute business acumen and understanding of organizational issues and challenges.
- Familiarity with project management approaches, tools, and phases of the project lifecycle.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in engineering is required; Chemical/Mechanical Engineering is preferred; A Professional Engineer (PE) license in good standing is preferred.
Experience:
- Senior: Minimum of seven (7+) years of direct experience in Process Safety Management in LNG, oil, gas, chemical, or related industry.
- Staff: Minimum of ten (10+) years of direct experience in Process Safety Management in LNG, oil, gas, chemical, or related industry.
DIRECT REPORTS
No direct reports.
FREEDOM TO ACT
The Staff Engineer, Process Safety Management is an expert in their field and requires minimal supervision.
WORK CONDITIONS
- Job is performed in an industrial plant environment.
- Occasionally, work may be performed from home, after normal work hours or on weekends.
- Limited travel required, as business conditions dictate.
- Subject to drug and alcohol testing, per applicable federal regulations or as required by Cheniere.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is often required to stand, walk, sit, climb stairs, work at height above ground on stairs and catwalks, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk, hear, smell, type and write.
- Must be able to board a ship via a gangway, climb to the top of a tank (200+ steps), scale vertical steel ladder up to forty feet or more in height and lift and move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work indoors and outdoors, and be exposed to year-round weather conditions, ocean environment, and noise. There is a considerable number of outdoor activities involved.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
- Required to pass regularly scheduled physical examinations mandated by regulatory authorities.
- Required to obtain mandated certification by attending Company-sponsored training in basic first aid and CPR.
- Must maintain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card in good standing status.
ADA JOB REQUIREMENTS
Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that the essential functions of the job can be performed and not hinder the employee's performance due to physical, mental or emotional disability.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Cheniere Energy is an equal opportunity workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation if requested for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.
See all Process Safety Management Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Process Safety Management Jobs
Target industries with mandatory PSM compliance
Employers in petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, and natural gas processing are federally required to maintain PSM programs. These companies have dedicated safety headcounts and are far more likely to sponsor visas than general engineering firms.
Confirm your degree field matches the role
USCIS requires a direct connection between your degree and the job. Chemical engineering, occupational health, or process engineering degrees map cleanly to PSM roles. A general business or unrelated STEM degree will make H-1B approval harder to argue.
Professional certifications strengthen your petition
Credentials like CSP, CFSE, or a NEBOSH qualification signal specialized knowledge to both employers and USCIS adjudicators. They reinforce that the role genuinely requires specialized expertise, which supports the specialty occupation classification your visa depends on.
Look beyond the Fortune 500 for sponsors
Midsize chemical and petrochemical contractors frequently sponsor PSM engineers but receive fewer applicants than major corporations. Smaller sponsor pools and genuine hiring need often translate into faster offer timelines and more flexible sponsorship conversations.
Be specific about your regulatory knowledge in interviews
Employers want OSHA PSM regulation familiarity, specifically 29 CFR 1910.119 and EPA RMP. Demonstrating you understand process hazard analysis, management of change, and incident investigation shows you can step in without an extended ramp-up period.
Understand the LCA and its role in your start date
Your employer must file a Labor Condition Application with the Department of Labor before submitting your H-1B petition. LCA processing typically takes seven business days. Factor this into your expected start date when negotiating with a hiring manager.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Process Safety Management role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, in most cases. USCIS looks for roles where a bachelor's degree in a specific field is the standard entry requirement. PSM positions in refining, chemicals, and gas processing routinely cite chemical engineering, safety engineering, or occupational health degrees as required qualifications, which satisfies the specialty occupation threshold. Generalist safety roles at smaller employers may face more scrutiny if degree requirements are vague.
Which employers most commonly sponsor PSM engineers on work visas?
Large operators in oil refining, petrochemicals, and industrial gas, such as ExxonMobil, BASF, Dow, Honeywell, and Air Products, have established sponsorship pipelines for process safety roles. Midsize EPC contractors and safety consulting firms also sponsor regularly, particularly when a candidate brings direct experience with OSHA PSM-covered facilities. Browse current openings on Migrate Mate to see which employers are actively hiring sponsored candidates.
Can an E-3 visa work for Australian PSM engineers applying in the U.S.?
Yes. Australian citizens can use the E-3 visa for PSM roles, provided the position qualifies as a specialty occupation and you hold the relevant degree. The E-3 has no lottery and can be renewed indefinitely in two-year increments, making it a practical long-term option. The employer still needs to file an LCA, but the overall process is significantly faster than the H-1B visa cap cycle.
What degree does USCIS expect for a Process Safety Management sponsorship petition?
Chemical engineering is the most straightforward match, but USCIS also accepts mechanical engineering, occupational safety, environmental engineering, and related disciplines when the job description aligns. If your degree is adjacent rather than exact, your employer's attorney may use a combination of coursework, certifications, and progressive work experience to build the specialty occupation argument. A degree from outside the U.S. will typically need a credential evaluation.
How competitive is the H-1B lottery for PSM roles compared to software engineering?
PSM roles attract far fewer H-1B registrations than software engineering positions, which reduces the risk of getting caught in a high-competition registration pool. That said, your odds still depend on whether USCIS is running a general lottery or a wage-based selection. Employers who classify PSM roles at higher wage levels have historically seen better selection rates under the wage-tiered system USCIS has periodically proposed.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Process Safety Management jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.