Chevron Chair in Gas Process Engineering - His.admin.uwa.edu.au

Engineering, Computing and MathematicsChevron Chairin Gas Process EngineeringInformation for CandidatesMay 2009

Chevron Chair in Gas Process EngineeringContentsIntroduction.......................................................................................................................................... 4The University of Western Australia...................................................................................................... 5Role, Responsibilities, Selection Criteria and Conditions of Employment.............................................. 6The Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics.................................................................... 8Chevron’s Energy Technology Company.............................................................................................. 9Western Australia and the City of Perth.............................................................................................. 10Applications....................................................................................................................................... 11National Employer of Choice for Women for seventh successive year3

IntroductionThe University of Western Australia has a long anddistinguished history and has produced many outstandinggraduates who have given service to Australia and theinternational community. As a member of the prestigious Groupof Eight research-intensive universities, it is consistently rankedamongst the top Australian universities.Professor Alan RobsonVice-ChancellorApplications are invited for the newly establishedChevron Chair in Gas Process Engineering. TheChair’s role calls for an outstanding engineer witha demonstrated record of achievement in processengineering. Applications are also encouraged fromindividuals early in their career who can demonstrateoutstanding potential. The appointee will have primaryresponsibility for building and leading a unique andsustainable research and education enterprise,focusing on gas process engineering, and will alsoprovide technical advice and research services to thesponsoring company. The Chevron Professor of GasProcess Engineering will play a leading role in thedevelopment of The University of Western Australia,in partnership with Chevron, as a centre for worldclass capabilities in training of engineers for the oil andgas sector. The appointee will be expected to lead amajor world-class research programme in gas processengineering in close collaboration with Chevron EnergyTechnology Pty Ltd.UWA is actively building upon its already substantialcapacity and impact in the Oil and Gas sector andrecent appointments include a Woodside-ChevronChair in Petroleum Geoscience. The Chevron Chairin Gas Process Engineering will provide the seniorleadership to draw together the various capabilities tocreate a comprehensive, world-class capacity in gasprocess engineering teaching and research.The appointee will be responsible to the Head of theSchool of Mechanical Engineering, and will provideleadership and foster excellence in teaching andresearch within the School, the University and thecommunity generally. In particular, the appointee willaddress the petroleum industry’s need for enhancedtertiary education and research in gas processengineering. Primary teaching objectives are toproduce high quality engineering graduates with skillsrelevant to the petroleum industry.To discuss or clarify any aspects of the position pleasecontact:Professor David SmithDeanFaculty of Engineering, Computing and MathematicsTelephone +61 8 6488 3704Email dean@ecm.uwa.edu.auProfessor Brett KirkHead of SchoolSchool of Mechanical EngineeringTelephone +61 8 6488 1848Email brett.kirk@uwa.edu.auORMs Lisa HawkerManager,Western Australian Alliance forAdvanced Energy SolutionsTelephone +61 8 9485 5753Email lisahawker@chevron.com4

The University of Western AustraliaThe University of Western Australia – a member of Australia’s Group of Eight – combinesthe traditions of the world’s old and great universities with the vitality and excitement ofinnovative study and research in the 21st Century. It is recognised internationally as anexcellent teaching and research university, and a leading intellectual and creative resource tothe community it serves.Situated on an attractive garden campus on theSwan River just five kilometres from Perth’s citycentre, The University of Western Australia is a highqualityresearch-intensive university with a broad andbalanced coverage of disciplines in the arts, scienceand major professions. It is Western Australia’s oldestuniversity, established in 1911, and currently has astudent population of about 21,000.The University has acquired an international reputationfor excellence and enterprise and is regarded asone of Australia’s best research institutions. Itsstrong research culture sees it attract high levelsof competitive research funding. At the sametime the University places great emphasis on highquality in teaching and learning, and is committedto the development of innovative and responsiveprogrammes. It has focused on the teaching-researchnexus, so that teaching and learning take place in anatmosphere of research scholarship.The University’s high quality teaching and researchensures it remains the university of preference forWestern Australia’s highest achieving school leavers,as well as attracting high-calibre undergraduate andpostgraduate students from around the nation andoverseas. The quality of the student population isextremely high by national and international standards.The University is recognised nationally andinternationally for the quality of its academic staffand has strong strategic partnerships with industry,the professions and government. It operates incollaboration with other research intensive universitiesin Australia and around the world. The University ofWestern Australia Graduates are highly competitiveinternationally, achieving success in higher study andin wide-ranging fields of employment. Many graduateshave risen to prominence in leadership roles inindustry, government, education and the professions,in Australia and overseas.Specific Information onThe University of Western Australia:• The University of Western Australia Web sitehttp://www.uwa.edu.au• Faculty of Engineering, Computing andMathematicshttp://www.ecm.uwa.edu.au• Annual Reportshttp://www.publishing.uwa.edu.au/annualreport/• Strategic Planhttp://www.admin.uwa.edu.au/reg/stratplan.html• Statisticshttp://www.stats.uwa.edu.au• Research Centreshttp://www.research.uwa.edu.au/centres/welcome/centres• Facultieshttp://www.uwa.edu.au/about/the_university/faculties• Australian Universities Quality Agency(AUQA) The University of Western AustraliaPerformance Portfoliohttp://www.qualityassurance.uwa.edu.au5

Role, Responsibilities, Selection Criteriaand Conditions of EmploymentROLEThe Chevron Professor of Gas ProcessEngineering will play a leading role in thedevelopment of The University of WesternAustralia, in partnership with Chevron, as a centrefor world class capabilities in training of engineersfor the oil and gas sector.UWA is actively building upon its alreadysubstanial capacity and imapct in the Oil andGas sector and recent appointments includea Woodside-Chevron Chair in PetroleumGeoscience.The Chevron Chair in Gas Process Engineeringwill build upon these developments and providethe senior leadership to draw together thevarious capabilities to create a comprehensive,world-class capacity in gas process engineeringteaching and research.The appointee will be responsible to the Head of theSchool of Mechanical Engineering, and will provideleadership and foster excellence in teaching andresearch within the School, the University and thecommunity generally. The appointee will addressthe petroleum industry’s need for enhanced tertiaryeducation and research in gas process engineering.Primary teaching objectives are to produce highquality engineering graduates with skills relevant to thepetroleum industry. The appointee will be expectedto lead a major world-class research programme ingas process engineering, in close collaboration withChevron Energy Technology Pty Ltd.RESPONSIBILITIESKey responsibilities include:• Contributing to and leading the teaching of worldclass undergraduate and postgraduate coursesin process engineering, with particular emphasison gas process engineering, and increasing therecruitment rate of high quality students into thecourses;• Building a vibrant research team, including the useof Chair support funding to immediately hire twopost-doctoral staff and engage two PhD students;• Utilising the Chair discretionary funding to build theeducation and research programmes• Identifying and developing a wide range of researchprojects, consistent with the mission and themesof the University and the needs of the sponsoringcompany, Chevron, and obtaining funding(especially through applications to competitivegrant schemes) to support individual projects asrequired;• Devoting up to 1 day/week to provide consultingservices to Chevron Energy Technology Pty Ltd• Working co-operatively with other cognate UWApersonnel and with the University’s researchpartners through WA-ERA;• Supervising undergraduate and postgraduatestudent projects;• Contributing to the development of oil and gasengineering at UWA through involvement inprofessional associations, conferences, and otherexternal activities;• Serving as the UWA-Chevron relationshipmanager in the field of oil and gas engineering,and maintaining a productive and constructiverelationship with Chevron Energy Technology PtyLtd according to the agreement between UWA andChevron;• Working within the legislative requirements ofthe University and supporting the University’scommitment to health and safety, equity anddiversity.6

SELECTION CRITERIAQualifications• PhD or equivalent is essential.Leadership and TeachingApplicants are required to demonstrate:• A strong personal commitment to high qualitytertiary education;• Commitment to the creation of teaching programsto meet the needs of the petroleum industry;• Ability to undertake an active role in themaintenance of academic standards and inthe development of educational policy and ofcurriculum areas within the discipline;• Involvement in quality improvement processesincluding a commitment to personal professionaldevelopment;• Evidence of involvement in policy development andadministrative matters;• The capacity to advance the University’scommitment to equity and diversity.Research and ScholarshipApplicants are required to demonstrate:• Successful scientific leadership through thesupervision and development of individuals andgroups in a process engineering environment andin the development and leadership of major newresearch initiatives;• A record of outstanding achievement in theidentification, development and delivery of novelideas and research in gas process engineering;• Successful supervision of postgraduate researchstudents and a willingness to supervise majorhonours and postgraduate research projects.ServiceApplicants are required to:• Demonstrate a willingness to be involved in Schoolpolicy development and administrative matters;• Demonstrate a willingness to represent thediscipline at School and University level;• Demonstrate an ability to liaise and communicateeffectively with members of the community,professional and industry bodies, especially withmembers of the international petroleum industry;• Show willingness to provide leadership in relevantcommunity affairs;• Provide technical advice to the sponsoringcompanies.Conditions of EmploymentThe appointment will be fixed term for three years, willbe subject to annual performance reviews and maybe renewed. An attractive and flexibly constructedremuneration package will be negotiated on the basisof the total cost to the University: It will include:• Employer contribution to superannuation of 17%(employees are required to contribute 7% also);• Recreation leave of 20 working days per annum;• Long service leave after 10 years;• Study leave of one year after six years continuousservice;• In addition, reasonable assistance will be providedfor relocation expenses including air fares for theappointee and dependants.7

The Faculty of Engineering,Computing and MathematicsThe Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics has a long track record ofdistinction in research and teaching, and in serving the needs of the local and internationalcommunity, particularly in the resource-rich State of Western Australia.The Faculty is home to two Federation Fellows andthe 2007 Prime Minister’s Young Scientist of the Yearfor the Physical Sciences, together with many otherdistinguished academics. Graduates from the Facultyare greatly sought after by employers and competitionfor places in the Engineering program in particular isextremely high. The UWA Engineering programme hasone of the highest entry standards in Australia andattracts the bulk of the top students from the State.At a postgraduate level, the Faculty is experiencingstrong growth, again in response to increasingdemand from industry.The Faculty is home to the Schools of MechanicalEngineering; Civil and Resource Engineering;Environmental Systems Engineering; Electrical,Electronic and Computer Engineering; ComputingScience and Software Engineering; and Mathematicsand Statistics. The Faculty is also host to the Centrefor Offshore Foundations Systems and the AustralianCentre for Geomechanics.The engineering degree offers 12 programmes ofstudy, including Chemical and Process Engineering,Petroleum Engineering and Process Instrumentationand Control. Students may also take majors within theprogrammes, such as the Offshore major within theCivil Engineering programme and the HydrocarbonProcessing major within the Chemical and ProcessEngineering programme. Research and teachingrelevant to the Oil and Gas industry is conductedacross several schools and centres in the Faculty,across faculties and across institutions through variouscollaborative Centres and alliances.The School of Mechanical EngineeringThe UWA School of Mechanical Engineering isthe largest of the Engineering Schools at UWAand is involved in a wide range of disciplines andactivities. The School runs undergraduate programsin Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronics, Chemical &Process, and Petroleum Engineering. In addition, theSchool runs a variety of industry oriented postgraduateteaching programs with a specific focus on theOil and Gas sector. The School also prides itselfon the strength of its research programs includingpostgraduate research, industry research andfundamental research across the full scope of School’sactivity.The School of Mechanical Engineering works inclose collaboration with the petroleum industry onmany exciting new technological advances andprovides leading-edge training to undergraduate andpostgraduate students through its wide teachingand research programs. To build on this record ofachievement within the energy industries, and toaddress the challenges presented by the futureenergy sector, the University of Western Australia hasestablished a Centre for Petroleum, Fuels and Energywithin the School of Mechanical Engineering.The Chevron Professor will work closely with theCentre and its staff to build upon synergies to facilitategrowth in both fundamental and collaborative researchwith the School’s partner organisations.Further information may be found at:www.ecm.uwa.edu.au8

Chevron’s Energy Technology CompanyChevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading integrated energycompanies with subsidiaries that conduct business across the globe.The company’s success is driven by the ingenuity and commitment ofapproximately 59,000 employees who operate across the energy spectrum.Chevron has been present in Australia for morethan 50 years and operates the Gorgon Project, theWheatstone Project and the Barrow and ThevenardIsland oilfields.The company is a foundation partner in the North WestShelf Venture and the Browse LNG development, aswell as a significant investor in exploration and frontieracreage located offshore north-western Australia.Chevron’s Energy Technology Company has a provenrecord of developing world-class technology tosupport its operations worldwide.The company currently deploys its services throughtechnology centres located in the US, Scotland andnow in Perth, Western Australia.The establishment of the Global Technology Centre(GTC) in Perth was driven by Chevron’s view thattechnology is a key competitive advantage in theindustry and as a response to the challenge of findingand removing oil and gas from harsher and moredifficult environments.The GTC provides research, development andtechnical services for the company’s Asia Pacific andworldwide operations, and its mission is to developand deliver new technologies that add value to thebusiness.Perth was selected for the location of the GTC dueto proximity to Chevron’s interests in Australia andthe region, the growing reputation of the city as anexcellent, centrally-located core of operations for theregion’s oil and gas industry and growth opportunitiesto pursue R&D alliances with universities and industrypartners.In addition, the Perth centre has strengthenedChevron’s existing R&D relationship with the WesternAustralian Energy Research Alliance (WA:ERA) toconduct petroleum research, technology development,and education and training projects.9

Western Australia and the City of PerthWestern Australia is an enormous State covering250 million hectares of some of the most ancientlandscapes in the world that include rugged gorges,tropical reefs, towering forests, woodlands, whitebeaches and 12,500 kilometres of coastline. The Statehas one of the most diverse flora found anywhere,from giant karri trees to the renowned springwildflowers. There are about 3,000 native species ofanimals, birds and fish – and many more insects.The State’s population is rapidly growing and isnearing two million.Western Australia is located in the world’s fastestgrowing and developing economic regions – theAsia Pacific and Indian Ocean rim regions. WesternAustralia is one of the most dynamic and rapidlygrowing economies in the Asian Regions, accountingfor 25 per cent of the nation’s exports. The State’spopulation is rapidly growing and is nearing twomillion. Each year Western Australia’s high qualitypublic and private education systems attract morethan 12,000 fee paying overseas students.Western Australia’s economy is based significantly onprimary products, from agriculture and horticulture,mining, and, to a lesser extent, forestry and fishing.Gold and aluminium are the mainstay of the miningindustry, supplemented by nickel, diamond andmineral sands. Iron ore is the state’s major exportcommodity. Major resources of oil and natural gasare extracted from the northwest shelf (off the PortHedland-Karratha coast) and the Timor Sea. TheNorth West Shelf Project is Australia’s biggest resourcedevelopment. Production of oil from the northwestshelf was expected to surpass that from Bass Straitby the beginning of the 21st Century. Natural gas isexported in liquefied from and is also piped to thesouthwest for domestic and industrial use, includingpower generation.The state’s major industrial area is located at Kwinanain the Perth metropolitan region along the shoresof Cockburn Sound. The area has several majorindustries, including oil, alumina, and nickel refineries.The state’s service industry exports local expertise inareas such as resource development, environmentalmanagement, surveying, engineering andconstruction, and information technology applicationsare already well established in overseas markets.Perth, the capital of Western Australia has a populationof over 1.4 million. It is a cosmopolitan city, with a wideethnic and cultural diversity. It is situated on the banksof the Swan River and the Central Business District isless than 12 kilometres from the Indian Ocean. Perthenjoys a Mediterranean climate, with more hoursof sunshine than any other capital city in Australia.Summers are hot and dry and the winters mild andwet. Its world-famous beaches, extensive parklandsand wonderful variety of restaurants and cafes providea superb living environment. Perth is well served withart galleries, theatres and cinemas and is home to theWestern Australian Symphony Orchestra. The culturalhighlight of the year is the Perth International ArtsFestival, hosted by The University of Western Australia.http://www.westernaustralia.net10

ApplicationsThank you for your interest. If you wish to proceed,the following information will assist you with yourapplication. Note: see selection criteria on page 7.There are no specific application forms to complete.Your application should include the following:• A statement in relation to each selection criterionthat clearly demonstrates the extent to which yousatisfy the criteria.• A curriculum vitae that provides your personaldetails, qualifications and work history.• A list of publications.• The names, email, mailing addresses and thetelephone contact details of three referees who canbe contacted for a confidential report. Please notethat your permission will be sought before refereesare contacted.Please also note: If you are the successful candidatefor this position and you are not an Australian or NewZealand citizen, or a permanent resident of Australia,you will be required to obtain an entry visa to workhere. The University of Western Australia will sponsoryou for employment in Australia under the EmployerNomination Scheme.Supporting MaterialPlease do not include original documents with yourapplication. Photocopies are sufficient at this stage.Lodging Your ApplicationELECTRONICALLYSend your application as an email attachment.Email: toni.pilgrim@uwa.edu.auPlease include in the subject line:Chevron Chair in Gas Process Engineering,Ref 2803BY MAILMs Toni Pilgrim (ref: 2803)Human ResourcesThe University of Western AustraliaM35035 Stirling HighwayCrawley WA 6009Australia (If mailing from overseas)Closing DateThe closing date for applications isFriday, 10 July 2009The University reserves the right to make inquiries of any person regarding any candidate’s suitability forappointment. Further, the University reserves the right to appoint by invitation or to make no appointmentas a result of this announcement.Cricos Provider Code: 00126G11