Officials at the Hovensa oil refinery on St. Croix announced Thursday that it will begin accepting applications on Monday for 30 process-operator positions the company plans to hire.
Hovensa said it will accept applications through Oct. 31. The positions require a process technology degree, and applicants must have passed a basic operator exam in the past two years, or be able to successfully take and pass the basic operator exam. Beginning Monday, job candidates can submit an application online at the Hovensa employment website. Go to www.hovensa.com and click on the careers link.
In its news release, Hovensa said it is filling these hourly positions for several reasons, including regular attrition.
The positions, Process Operator Helper, are the most basic level of operator, but because the workers will be members of the United Steelworkers AFL/CIO-CLC Local 8526, as they gain experience and training they can become eligible for promotion based on the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
“This is a hiring decision that was made out of necessity for our future operations,” said Hovensa President, Brian Lever. “These are positions that are essential for the safe, efficient and reliable operation of the refinery.”
Lever added that many operators have been at the refinery for more than 20 years.
“A point is going to come when people want to retire and we need to have the foundation laid to replace them with trained and qualified employees who can step in and fill their shoes,” Lever said.
