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Utilities Process Engineer

Company:

INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees are empowered to make a difference?

Job title

Utilities Engineer

Salary Range

$99,000 - $159,762 (Commensurate with experience)

Location

Chocolate Bayou Works, Alvin Texas

Organizational context and job purpose

Organizational Context

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products.  It comprises 18 businesses each with a major chemical company heritage.  Its production network spans 67 sites in 16 countries throughout the world.  The INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA business is a major participant in the North American chemical industry, with an annual manufacturing capacity of 9.6 billion pounds of petrochemicals.  Manufacturing sites include Chocolate Bayou Works (Alvin, TX), Battleground Manufacturing Complex (La Porte, TX), and Carson (Carson, CA), with a corporate office in League City, TX.

The Chocolate Bayou Site is located in Southeastern Texas about 40 miles South of Houston and consists of two Olefins units that produce approximately 3bn pounds/year of ethylene, 2 Polypropylene units that produce approximately 800m pounds/year of polypropylene.

Purpose of the job

The Utilities Unit Engineer will be a member of the Feedstocks and Infrastructure Resource Team at the Chocolate Bayou Works.  A primary focus for the role is optimizing and troubleshooting gas-fired steam sources (boilers and cogeneration systems), however the engineer will also work on activities to assure unit optimization for all Utilities assets.  This includes daily engineering support to process operations such as, water and waste water treatment, instrument and utility air systems, fire water system, cooling towers, chemical management, and barge, rail and truck loading operations. In addition, provide engineering support to the monthly material balance, champion lean initiatives, assist in coordinating maintenance activities, and support of the CBW laboratory as needed.

Successful incumbents of this position are dedicated toward the achievement of SHE objectives, business goals and improvements in an environment of conflicting and rapidly changing priorities to meet the site performance contract. Must be able to quickly adapt to organizational and business priority changes. This role reports to the Resource Team Leader.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Role includes the support of the department operations through a project and technical service emphasis. Responsibilities include the following:

  • Strong engineering skills. The demonstrated ability to be innovative and to apply technical skills to improve SHE and quality, reduce costs and increase equipment reliability/performance.

  • Day-to-day interface with operations, laboratory, maintenance and commercial team to help maintain, support, troubleshoot, and maximize the unit performance. This also includes preparation and support for unit shutdowns, turnarounds, and start-ups.

  • Perform as the site technical lead for site steam generation from gas-fired boiler and cogeneration operations.

  • Leads and supports financial performance tracking and optimization of cost structure for the assets.

  • Works with the feedstock and product schedulers in troubleshooting, validating, and variance analysis of the CBW material balance by using computational tools (e.g. Aspen).

  • Lead various monthly material accounting closing activities requiring interaction with feedstock and product schedulers, pipeline, commercial, and 3rd party groups within and outside CBW.

  • Takes the lead role representing Operations team on capital projects and serve as project manager on small projects.

  • The ability to work with technology team and outside vendors to successfully develop and implement new technologies.

  • Assist in the monitoring of unit performance variables and support benchmarking efforts.

Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE) 

  • Demonstrates Safety Leadership through the promotion of the INEOS 20 Safety Principles.

  • Support environmental activities to ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations while focusing in efforts to reduce emissions for permitting as applicable.

  • Promote, ensure and sustain commitment to operate assets with no harm to people and to the environment by visibly demonstrating Safety Leadership.

  • Actively support all SHE activities, meetings, and inspections to ensure the assets’ compliance with plant policies and procedures, OSHA, PSM, DOT, EPA, RRCT, TCEQ and US Coast Guard.

  • Assist operations with maintaining air permit limits (NOx, CO, etc.) for steam generating equipment.  This includes optimizing and troubleshooting SCR systems.

  • Support HAZOPs and SHE compliance audits by ensuring resources are available to participate and resolve recommendations by thoroughly evaluating rejection or implementation.

  • Monitor and communicate unit operating conditions against equipment operating limits.

  • Participate in SHE systems and processes including but not limited to Safety Investigation and Root Cause Analysis.

  • Promptly perform leak calculations when needed to meet environmental reporting requirements.

  • Support compliance and resolution of Management of Change (MOC’s) and Gensuite action items.

Optimization

  • Identify improvements opportunities in the areas of Safety, Reliability, and Productivity.

  • Support business planning/organization alignment processes and activities between site resource teams to improve the Feedstocks and Infrastructure manufacturing organization performance.

  • Utilize modelling and data analytics to facilitate process troubleshooting and identify system limitations

  • Champion Lean and six sigma concepts and projects within the Utilities team

  • Support the accountability for and tracking of reliability and process KPI metrics.  This includes metrics related to steam generation.

  • Actively share lessons learned in operations performance and best operating practices across Chocolate Bayou Works and with other manufacturing locations.

Quality

  • Support quality management process in the day-to-day activities of the assets to ensure the materials produced and services rendered meet or exceed the requirements of customers.

  • Work with chemical and water contract service providers to maintain and optimize utility streams.

Skills & Knowledge Required

Education/Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or other engineering discipline with 3+ years operational experience in the core areas of wastewater management, air system management, water purification, potable water distribution, fire water system, boilers and cogeneration, and steam and condensate management required.

  • Three (3) plus years of experience in manufacturing of olefins, polyolefins, or similar process industries is preferred.  

Key Skills / Competencies

Strong engineering skills with extensive knowledge of process engineering.  Demonstrated ability to be innovative and to apply technical skills to improve safety and quality, reduce costs, and increase production.

  • Anticipate problems and adjusts accordingly

  • Strong understanding of cost/benefit economic analysis and budgeting

  • Ability to generate new ideas from within self and from others 

  • Can implement new and useful concepts effectively

  • Effective oral and written, fosters open dialogue, listens attentively, understands appropriate audiences

  • Excellent communication with all levels of the organization and across different groups

  • Can make timely, effective decisions consistent with business plans and department goals; able to manage change and multiple priorities

  • Mutually defines requirements with internal/external customers

  • Organizes work effectively and uses available resources

  • Proven track record in problem solving and decision making and exceeding objectives and delivering results.

  • Demonstrated ability to manage progress and deliver multiple and competing priorities.

  • Works and interacts effectively as a team member and acts as mentor to others.

  • Ability to lead and positively influence others/promote philosophy, win concessions without damaging relationships.

Other Requirements

New employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their start date.

Must be able to perform office tasks to include but is not limited to computer work that involves but is not limited to generation of reports, scheduling, data entry, calculations, research and electronic mail.  Computer tasks may be performed up to 4-6 hours per day.  These tasks may include but would not be limited to frequent: 

  • prolonged sitting

  • prolonged mouse and keyboard usage

  • prolonged visual focusing

  • reaching in various planes 

  • other physical tasks as needed

The engineer may also attend meetings averaging 4-6 hours per week or more. Must be able to perform fieldwork tasks in order to perform assigned tasks according to the engineer’s responsibility throughout the plant. These tasks may involve but would not limited to occasionally:

  • walking varied distances

  • climbing up to 150 feet occasionally and up to 300 feet on a rare basis

  • Note:  Confined space entry may be essential for the Process Engineer only. 

  • bending, kneeling, knee standing, crawling or squatting

  • maneuvering in tight spaces

  • reaching in various planes

  • lifting of objects primarily less than 10 pounds

  • grasping (exerting up to 50 pounds) for various tasks

  • minimal pushing and pulling (approximated at less than 25 pounds for manipulation of lightweight items)

  • exposure to extreme heat for short periods of time due to PPE, weather conditions or equipment

  • entry, working and maneuvering in confined spaces (*entry into confined space 20 inches in diameter)

INEOS offers a competitive wage/benefits package and a safe, healthy, and professional work environment.

This position will work a flexible 9/80 work schedule which provides the flexibility of alternating Fridays off.

INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment women, minorities, qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.