Viva Energy

What attracted you to apply to Viva Energy?

Viva Energy's diverse specialisations from fuel, retail to commercial operations offers a bright future prospect to grow within the business. As a fresh graduate with a distinct major, these upcoming years are critical in not only allowing myself to fully immerse in the property field but also to broaden my knowledge in other areas to gain valuable work experience and equip me for the future. Furthermore, I have always wanted to be a part of something bigger. It’s a thriving, dynamic industry with endless opportunities, especially in sustainable alternatives, which is something I feel proud taking part in and I can't wait for what the future holds and how we can shape it!

What do you love about your work?

The different aspects and variables to property is what makes it exciting and interesting every day. There is never a day where I don't learn something new. It is a fast paced changing industry with information coming in that can affect our everyday operations from exchange rates down to our consumer engagement. 

Another favourite would be the nature of the job. I get to interact with a diverse range of staff across the business, outside and visit sites and learn how they work. It is fascinating to see how our work comes to life helping millions of Australians to get to their destinations everyday.

How has the graduate program supported you in launching your career?

The graduate program is well led, established and supported with opportunities to learn and grow in a safe environment.  It’s structured around the graduates and our needs with transitioning sessions, one-on-one meetings with our line managers, HR, mentors and with each other. The extensive support network means we gain valuable perspectives on how we can navigate through our career trajectory with insightful real life experiences and advice. Furthermore, the rotations allows us to experience different parts of our organisation, developing our expertise whilst also discovering what we enjoy in the working world. I believe the graduate program will set myself up for success in my career.

What team do you work in and what are they responsible for?

Although I am officially a marketing grad for the 2023 grad cohort, I had the opportunity to work part time in the retail operations team after I graduated from university mid-year 2022. The retail ops team is responsible for ensuring facilities are in top standard for employees and customers on the forecourt and in stores. Roles within the retail ops team include areas such as retail and fuel maintenance, brand compliance and retail safety. Specifically, during my time with VEA (Viva Energy Australia), I have been working in inventory and asset management. The opportunity to explore different areas of the energy business outside my discipline (marketing) has allowed me to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the wider business.

What tips can you share with prospective graduates going through the application or recruitment process with us?

1. Prepare early! Begin your application as early as possible before the deadline. If you encounter any issues or have any questions regarding the graduate program, these can be resolved ahead of the due date. 
2. Be you! Recruiters want to see your quirky and authentic self which will set you apart from the competition. Consider what unique skills and experiences you can bring to the graduate program. 
3. Practice makes perfect! A cliché but true. Any assessment centre can seem daunting at first but with practice questions and working on your personal brand it can make the process a lot easier. Ask friends and family to help you practice. 

What attracted you to apply to Viva Energy?

I believe it is an incredibly exciting time to join the energy transition space. I was motivated to apply for VEA (Viva Energy Australia) because there is so much scope to learn across different remits and ability to create meaningful work that will immensely impact our future of energy. From a marketing perspective, VEA is customer-obsessed which aligned to my values as a marketer who wants to work in a customer centric environment and creating genuine connections with customers. Also, following my internship experience within the energy industry, it drew me to continue my journey in this field specifically with VEA as I resonated with its commitment to decarbonisation and net zero goals.

What attracted you to apply to Viva Energy?

As a graduate chemical engineer, the oil and gas industry was particularly appealing to me as it was an opportunity to apply fundamental principles and learnings from my degree directly in a unique and practical setting. The dynamic process that is refining, requires you to call upon your knowledge of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, vapour/liquid equilibrium, separation process and reactions all in one process; all cornerstones of a chemical engineering degree.

Viva Energy has fantastic career pathways for chemical engineers to move out of the technical space and into other roles such as management, supply/trading and project/design work. Viva Energy offers an opportunity for young engineers be a part of Australia’s critical energy sector and create change in the business as we look towards the future of energy. Looking beyond, Viva Energy values investing in future energy projects to remain competitive in an ever changing energy market which provides me, as a young chemical engineer, with confidence that my job will be secured for the duration of my career.

The culmination of all these reasons, coupled with the fact that Viva Energy owns and operates one of the last refineries in Australia, made the decision to apply for Viva Energy an easy one. The technical proficiency and industry experience that you can gain at a refinery as a chemical engineer is unparalleled by any other industry.

What do you love about your work?

What I love about my work at Viva Energy is the continual development opportunities within your day to day tasks, wider refinery and business and energy market at large.

From a technical point of view, as a chemical engineer, there is never a shortage of learning opportunities. The inherent complex nature of oil processing means that there is always something new to learn and an opportunity to demonstrate your problem solving skills and decision making.  

Outside of the technical space, the opportunities to learn about the supply and trading of the world’s biggest commodity opened my eyes to the integral part Viva Energy as a business plays in fuelling Australia and how we fit into the world market. 

How has the graduate program supported you in launching your career?

Chemical engineering graduates at Viva Energy are given real responsibility early on in their career, by being responsible for the efficient and reliable operation of complex refining units. Being the focal point for a particular area of the plant, develops your ability to think quickly, make informed decisions and communicate effectively to resolve issues all with real world safety and economic consequences. I believe this has accelerated my career far beyond any other graduate program could have, as I have now developed critical skills which I can use to further my career in both the engineering and corporate space.  

The Viva Energy graduate program provided me with opportunities to apply my technical and problem solving skills on dynamic process problems, all while considering safety, cost and efficiency implications. The inherent nature of a continuous process operating 24/7 means that there are always challenges to face and overcome to maintain the smooth operation of the plant. The graduate program has challenged me early on to be independent and be able to find reliable data, make informed decisions and perform cost-benefit analysis to reach a practical solution.

All of these skills are vital as a process engineer and can translate to other roles I might find myself in later on in my career. The Viva Energy graduate program has positioned me in a challenging environment with unique opportunities that has equipped me with the skills to succeed in a greater professional capacity.

QUESTION 1

What team do you work in and what are they responsible for?

I work in Supply and Trading which is responsible for ensuring that our terminals around Australia hold sufficient fuel stock to meet customer demands. My team consists of five shipping schedulers each designated to handle terminal stocks within specific locations. They are responsible for optimising vessel arrival times and load quantities to minimise the risk of stockouts and costs incurred due to delayed loading and discharging. I work closely with our marine team to ensure that vessels undergo a strict vetting procedure before performing a voyage to determine if it is suitable for use. This process includes submitting vessel clearance requests through our ship vetting portal to be assessed and reviewed by our marine technical advisors based on recent industry standard inspection reports. 

QUESTION 2

What tips can you share with prospective graduates going through the application or recruitment process with us?

My first tip would be to study the job description carefully and take note of the key skills and values mentioned as this instantly shows the interviewer that you possess the right qualities and are a great match for the role. It also helps to research on the company’s recent news and projects which is a great way to show that you are keen and knowledgeable of the business. You could even go a step further and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of key industry competitors, and areas where they may be doing something different that could be beneficial to Viva Energy. This would be helpful during the assessment center stage of the recruitment process where you may be asked to provide ideas and suggestions for the business to stay competitive within the industry. 

QUESTION 5

What do you love about your work?

I love how dynamic operations can be, it exposes me to new challenges and problems that need to be solved quickly on a daily basis. This requires me to be on the ball and think on my feet at all times which I enjoy. My role also allows me to have a good view of the entire supply chain of the company which helps to rapidly grow my knowledge of the business.  In addition, I appreciate the opportunities given to me to further my learnings through graduate projects, training workshops, refinery tours and shadowing colleagues.

 

QUESTION 4

What attracted you to apply to Viva Energy?

I have a strong passion in the energy sector, and knew I wanted to start my career journey by being exposed to major, impactful projects early in my career. Viva Energy is a leader in the energy market, with exciting projects constantly developing. This aspect drew me to apply as it stands out as an organisation where I have the opportunity to not only enhance my technical skills, but to also gain first-hand exposure and contribute to meaningful and dynamic projects and developments, which Viva Energy has offered me from day one. I find Viva Energy’s innovation and drive in the energy sector incredibly appealing, particularly the growth we are seeing at the new energy space, the terminals and the refinery, and I am excited about the growth opportunities this presents. 
Viva Energy has a strong emphasis on fostering an inclusive work culture. During my time here, I have received abundant guidance and mentorship from my team and broader Viva community, allowing me to feel included and supported. Often my colleagues would reach out and invite me to shadow or check out some new site work they’ve been working on, which I’ve also really appreciated. 

QUESTION 5

What do you love about your work?

My first graduate rotation is in the Supply Chain Engineering team, where I am currently working as a project manager at one of our Major Hazard Facilities. 
My current role is a mix of technical knowledge and stakeholder management. I like how I am building on my knowledge from University, by revisiting the concepts learnt in my Mechanical Engineering degree (e.g., Fluids and Thermodynamics), expand my understanding into new areas (e.g., piping and valve systems, rotating equipment, static equipment, welding systems, tank integrity and design) and see how it integrates together as working components. Working on-site at the terminal allows me to witness theory being applied to real-life scenarios, making it easier to understand how everything operates. 
One aspect I am enjoying is the dynamic nature of the projects I am involved in. They constantly evolve, presenting unexpected challenges and unknowns, whether related to safety, operational efficiency, finances or scheduling, keeping me engaged and continuously learning. Furthermore, working with multiple stakeholders who have diverse working styles and opinions has been interesting, and I’ve enjoyed the process of conflict resolution, problem-solving and decision-making required to delegate a plan to work towards a shared goal. 
Working with the assets allows me to gain exposure to the bigger picture, and experience in addressing challenges that arise during the design and execution phases of a project. It’s really rewarding knowing my contributions as a graduate will have an impact to the Viva Energy organisation and to Australia’s energy industry. 

QUESTION 6

How has the graduate program supported you in launching your career?

The graduate program has been really valuable and rewarding so far. The rotation aspect of the program has provided us the opportunity to actively engage with different teams and explore various career pathways within the engineering space. This year, 75% of my time is with the Supply Chain Engineering team, and 25% with the Reliability and Integrity team, with a different rotation planned for next year. Working in different teams has added variety to my skillset and knowledge, providing insights to different career options within the organisation early in my career, rather than being limited to one team. 
As part of the graduate cohort, we regularly touch base every few months to share insights and stories about our progress in our roles. We also participate in development workshops that enhance our career-related skills, such as time management, presentation, and communication. These workshops have been beneficial, allowing us to reflect on and transfer these skills to improve our professional and personal lives.

 

QUESTION 1

What team do you work in and what are they responsible for?

As part of the graduate program at the Geelong refinery, you are able to experience many different teams in a short period of time. In the 6 months that I have been working at Viva Energy, I have worked in:

Long term projects team including onboarding to the refinery, familiarising myself with site practices and standards, as well as commencement of small projects
Economics and scheduling team where I was the scheduler of diesel and jet fuel optimising daily targets to meet production goals and satisfy customer demand. 
Turnaround team working during the major event where several process units are shut down for maintenance and inspections. I completed confined space entry training and was able to enter vessels and distillation columns to inspect internal conditions.
Short term team in Process Area South in an operations facing role assisting with the daily optimisation and troubleshooting of process units as well as the temporary cover of the Utilities and the Alkylation unit process engineer roles. 
Working across these various teams has enabled me to develop a wider understanding of the many components that go into operating a refinery. Throughout the rest of the graduate program, I am looking forward to spending a rotation in the Future Fuels Projects team before going back to the short-term team and taking on the role as a unit process engineer for an extended duration. 

QUESTION 2

What tips can you share with prospective graduates going through the application or recruitment process with us?

The first tip I would give to prospective graduates going through the application process is to research Viva Energy and what the role you are applying for looks like .Try to understand how this role could fit into the business as a whole and the importance of this role to keep everything running smoothly. In particular, think about why you want to work in this role. Additionally, I think it is a good idea to look up “The Viva Way” containing our purpose as a business, as well as the values and behaviours we as employees strive to implement in our day-to-day work. Finally, in the interview stage itself, use the STAR method- a structured manner of response outlining the situation, task, action and result of the situation you are describing. Using the STAR method in addition to utilising the knowledge of Viva Energy, its values and your potential role, will hold you in good stead for the recruitment process. 

QUESTION 5

What do you love about your work?

I love my work for several reasons. It offers abundant development opportunities, both through internal and external training programs. The learning curve at a refinery, while immensely steep, sets you up for a great career as a chemical engineer as you interact with the fundamental principles from university every day. I appreciate the complexity of the processes and equipment involved which challenge me to problem-solve and think critically on a daily basis. Seeing in real life the equipment I learnt about at university such as pumps and compressors also really help to develop my understanding of how they work and what can go wrong with them. I am always amazed by the sheer scale of our operations, such as processing up to 14,000 tonnes of crude oil per day in 60m distillation columns.

 

QUESTION 1

What team do you work in and what are they responsible for?

I work in the Reliability team at the Geelong Refinery. The Reliability team is made up of electrical, instrumentation, condition monitoring, and mechanical (rotating equipment) disciplines. As a mechanical engineer in this team, I look specifically at rotating equipment, which includes pumps, compressors, and turbines. More specifically, this has involved long term projects such as planning an overhaul of a compressor, and shorter term projects including assessing options so that a stand-by pump can meet its process requirements. 
The refinery has equipment that can be decades old and a big part of Reliability is to support maintenance strategies and actions to ensure smooth running of the refinery. Where possible, potential issues are identified and proactively addressed before they escalate and affect the operation of the refinery. 

QUESTION 2

What tips can you share with prospective graduates going through the application or recruitment process with us?

It’s useful to come prepared and learn about the company’s values, and have an idea of what projects are happening at the moment. Specifically for engineering, it’s also helpful to have an idea of what role you would like to undertake at Viva Energy. There are different roles that graduate engineers can apply for such as: working at the refinery, at the Newport terminal, and in supply and trading - to name a few. 
As usual, come prepared to the interview with specific examples from university and/or work that highlight your actions and strengths. It’s also normal to be nervous in the interview, so remember to take a few breaths and relax. Most of all, be curious and interested! Your interviewers want to see your personality and why you would be a good fit at the company. 

QUESTION 3

What have been some highlights of the Graduate Program?

I’ve been lucky to start as a graduate at the beginning of this year as the refinery had a large TA (turnaround) scheduled in May. TAs are large, planned maintenance projects where one or more units in the refinery are shut down so that maintenance that can’t be completed while the unit is running can be undertaken. This was an exciting opportunity to see equipment being taken apart – something that you don’t usually get to see while the units are running, and in particular, be involved with an overhaul of a compressor on the Platformer unit.
As a whole, the refinery is a fascinating place to work in and people have been extremely generous with their time and knowledge - something that I’ve valued immensely especially as an engineer at the beginning of my career.