Darnell Knight
Airgas
11
years of professional experience
Experienced with monitoring and controlling complex systems. Utilizes advanced operational skills to ensure seamless and efficient workflows. Strong understanding of system diagnostics and incident response, ensuring continuous operational excellence.
Work History
Lead Control Room Operator / Process Operator
5 Months- Remotely operate multiple cryogenic Air Separation Units (ASUs) utilizing advanced Distributed Control Systems (DCS), ensuring continuous, stable, and highly optimized control room operations.
- Monitor real-time process trend analysis, engineering dashboards, and critical KPI metrics to proactively adjust variables, maintain tight product quality specifications, and meet daily production targets.
- Perform precise control valve and control loop tuning, managing manual loop operations during critical transitions, startups, shutdowns, or upset conditions to safely stabilize plant processes.
- Lead comprehensive shift handovers and review comprehensive plant status logs to ensure complete operational continuity and clear communication across multi-disciplinary teams.
- Execute rapid and structured alarm responses and technical troubleshooting protocols to mitigate process deviations and prevent unplanned downtime.
- Coordinate cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Logistics to schedule preventive maintenance, optimize product distribution, and resolve physical asset constraints.
- Direct and align daily tasks with local field operators to manage physical valve manipulations, system line-ups, and precise analytical instrument and analyzer calibrations.
- Maintain meticulous documentation including detailed shift logs, process metrics, and compliance forms within SAP and dedicated plant databases.
- Perform Root cause analysis (RCA)
- Monitored control room operations to ensure compliance with safety regulations and operational standards.
- Create, revise, and maintained Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) to improve operational consistency, safety, and regulatory compliance.
Petroleum Terminal Operator / Operations Specialist
7 Months- Independently managed and executed end-to-end petroleum terminal operations, ensuring the safe storage, transfer, and custody transfer of volatile refined petroleum products.
- Supervised complete tank farm operations, including manual and automated system line-ups, product transfers, inventory management, and accurate tank gauging.
- Coordinated pipeline scheduling and executed complex product transfers in alignment with logistics, dispatch, and external supply chain partners.
- Oversee truck rack operations, including driver orientation, safety compliance verification, loading authorization, and systemic driver coordination.
- Issue and review rigorous Work Permits, Job Safety Analyses (JSAs), and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) forms to ensure maintenance coordination and contract personnel execute work safely.
- Utilize SAP for tracking product movements, auditing physical vs. book inventory, ordering critical operating materials, and managing asset maintenance workflows.
- Perform precision sampling of petroleum products, executing standard quality control and laboratory testing to confirm product specification adherence prior to custody transfer.
- Conduct daily safety inspections, equipment rounds, and preventive maintenance on terminal components, pumps, valves, and vapor recovery units (VRU).
- Maintain continuous readiness for emergency response protocols while ensuring absolute compliance with local, state, and federal OSHA, EPA, and DOT regulations.
- Performed quality control testing on jet fuel, diesel, gasoline, and other petroleum products to verify compliance with product specifications before distribution.
- Performed routine and corrective maintenance on terminal loading rack and pipeline equipment to maintain safe and reliable operations.
- Replaced loading heads, hoses, couplings valves, and related loading rack components to ensure equipment reliability and product integrity.
- Participated in a rotating on-call schedule, providing after-hours operational and maintenance support for pipeline and terminal equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and uninterrupted operations.
- Operated, monitored, and troubleshoot the John Zink Vapor Recovery Unit(VRU), responding to alarms, diagnosing operational issues, and supporting maintenance activities to ensure environmental compliance and uninterrupted terminal operations.
Production Technician/Chemical Process Operator
6 Years 7 Months- Operated filtration, blending, mixing, transfer, and packaging systems for finished chemical products.
- Operated Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to manage highly specialized, exothermic chemical batch processing operations, maintaining absolute control over thermal and pressure parameters.
- Managed reactor operations and auxiliary production vessels, regulating feed rates, agitator speeds, and raw material loading/unloading cycles to optimize batch cycles.
- Monitored process indicators continuously, making real-time process adjustments to preserve kinetic stability and maximize high-value chemical yields.
- Executed strict raw material verification, loading formulas precisely into the system, and oversaw the safe packaging of finished chemical products.
- Conducted routine laboratory sampling and quality control (QC) testing, interpreting laboratory data to verify chemical specification profiles before releasing batches to inventory.
- Collaborated intimately with Engineering, Maintenance, and Laboratory teams to troubleshoot equipment anomalies, calibrate online instrumentation, and minimize cycle variations.
- Compiled thorough and accurate production documentation, including mandatory batch records, quality logs, material tracking reports, and shift handovers.
- Maintained absolute compliance with OSHA standards, participating actively in routine safety meetings, root cause investigations, and plant-wide continuous improvement initiatives.
- Loaded and unloaded railcars, tank trucks, and raw materials while ensuring compliance with safety, environmental, and quality standards.
- Collected samples from reactors, process vessels, and finished products, performing quality testing to verify compliance with customer and production specifications.
- Trained new technicians on operational procedures and equipment handling.
- Prepared, set-up and operated high-pressure water jetting to clean reactors, piping, and process equipment during maintenance and production changeovers.
- Performed manual charging of raw materials and chemicals into reactors in accordance with batch recipes and operating procedures.
Lead Air Quality & Repair Technician
3 Years 5 Months- Calibrated, inspected, repaired, and certified environmental monitoring and industrial safety equipment to manufacturer specifications.
- Diagnosed mechanical and electronic equipment failures using testing and troubleshooting procedures to restore equipment to service.
- Performed preventive and corrective maintenance on gas detection instruments, air monitoring equipment, and environmental testing devices.
- Disassembled, repaired, cleaned, and reassembled precision instruments while ensuring proper functionality and calibration.
- Conducted functional testing, performance verification, and quality inspections prior to customer delivery.
- Interpreted technical manuals, wiring diagrams, and manufacturer specifications to perform repairs and equipment diagnostics.
- Documented repairs, calibrations, inspection results, and service records to maintain regulatory and quality compliance.
- Managed multiple repair and calibration projects while meeting production schedules and quality standards.
- Utilized hand tools, precision measuring instruments, calibration gases, and electronic test equipment to diagnose and repair equipment.
- Maintained a strong commitment to safety, quality, and customer satisfaction while servicing a wide variety of industrial equipment.
Education
High School Diploma
Skills
Distributed Control Systems (DCS)
Process Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis
Process Optimization & Production Operations
Maintenance & Logistics Coordination
SAP ERP & Inventory Management
AutoCAD & Microsoft Efficient
OSHA
EPA
& DOT Compliance
Process Safety Management (PSM)
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
Laboratory Sampling & QC Testing
Timeline
Lead Control Room Operator / Process Operator
Airgas
03.2026 - CurrentRead More
Petroleum Terminal Operator / Operations Specialist
Energy Transfer
08.2025 - 03.2026Read More
Production Technician/Chemical Process Operator
Synthomer
01.2019 - 08.2025Read More
Lead Air Quality & Repair Technician
Pine Environmental
08.2015 - 01.2019Read More
Akron North High School
High School Diploma
Read More