Air Permit Lead

Company:

INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA

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

INEOS Olefins and Polymers USA

Job title

Senior Environmental Engineer – Permits Lead

Grade

36 Salaried Exempt

Location        

Chocolate Bayou Works – Alvin, TX

Closing date

DATE

Organizational context
and job purpose

The Olefins & Polymers USA (O&P) division of INEOS is one of the largest producers of olefins and polyolefins in North America. From its manufacturing locations at Chocolate Bayou and the Battleground Manufacturing Complex, it is a merchant marketer of butadiene, ethylene, polypropylene and high-density polyethylene with annual revenue of over $4b.

The Chocolate Bayou (CBW) Site is located in Southeastern Texas about 40 miles South of Houston and consists of two Olefins units that produce approximately 4.0bn pounds/year of ethylene, 2 Polypropylene units that produce approximately 1.0bn pounds/year of polypropylene, and the Light Ends storage & transfer facilities at Stratton Ridge.

There is a need for a Senior Environmental Engineer to Lead our Air Permitting efforts. This position leads air permitting activities across Texas, with a focus on New Source Review (NSR), Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), Permits by Rule (PBR), Standard Permits, and Title V (TV). This role supports capital projects, enhances permitting processes, and improve regulatory compliance while enabling operational flexibility through permitting actions.  The person in this role will need to have a strong background in permitting, compliance and experience interacting with permitting authorities. The position oversees permits with a diverse range of environmental media including air, water, waste, soil, groundwater, and wetlands. The position reports to the business Environmental Manager as part of the business Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) team. This role is the primary O&P representative for permitting authority interactions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and other environmental agencies.

Responsibilities AND Accountabilities

Accountability 1

The position is accountable for understanding, cascading and putting into practice the INEOS 20 Principles. 

• Champion the INEOS 20 Principles.
• Apply them to all safety, health and environmental (SHE) goals and work processes.

Accountability 2

Act as a technical authority for O&P site/ asset operating permits.

• Manage inventory of O&P operating permits
• Lead O&P permitting efforts for new assets, renewals & amendments
• Maintain and build a strong technical background on non-attainment permitting (netting, PSD, NNSR) and Title V permitting
• Monitor developing regulations to identify those that affect O&P assets, and support assets with path-forward to comply. 
• Permitting Strategy & Execution
  • Develop permitting strategies aligned with company objectives and regulatory requirements.
  • Manage external consultants for large-scale permitting projects and oversee internal preparation of minor applications (e.g., PBRs, amendments, alterations).
  • Prepare and submit permit applications that reduce compliance risk and allow operational flexibility, while maintaining adherence to state and federal regulations.
  • Collaborate directly with TCEQ and other regulatory agencies to secure timely approval of permit modifications.
• Project Review & Process Optimization
  • Evaluate capital projects for permitting implications and identify opportunities to streamline permitting workflows.
  • Recommend improvements to existing permitting systems and documentation practices.
• Stakeholder Communication
  • Engage with internal stakeholders to communicate upcoming permitting changes.
  • Work closely with Operations team(s) to establish and implement effective compliance strategies.
• Compliance Tools & Tracking
  • Design and maintain a robust permitting tracking system to support netting analyses, baseline emissions reviews, and deconstruction permit compliance.
  • Ensure accurate documentation and traceability of all permitting activities.
• Collaborate & support other SHE team members to ensure compliance with existing environmental permits, including data collection and analysis, auditing, annual reporting, and trouble-shooting for improvements.

Accountability 3

Establish environmental performance expectations, requirements and plans to improve.

• Support development of a multi-year environmental improvement plan with respect to improving permit compliance across O&P.
• Participate in developing and updating Environmental elements of the business SHE Management System (SMS).
• Cost center custodian, responsible for departmental spending and identifying cost improvement initiatives.
• Establish key performance indicators to measure and track permit compliance and actions for O&P
• Establish tactics and tools that will engage all levels of the workforce in desired behaviors and activities that will derive desired performance results.
• Monitor environmental performance data and trends, audit to ensure compliance and suggest tactics to improve performance.
• Challenge status quo and constantly look for ways to improve systems and performance.

Accountability 4

Develop and maintain a strong stakeholder focus to ensure compliance with SHE policies and procedures.

• Develop and implement environmental strategies that balance regulatory compliance and business needs
• Support O&P Environmental Manager on ESG reporting efforts, as needed.
• Foster environmental awareness among employees and contractors.
• Liaise, cultivate, and develop solid relationships with internal and external stakeholders including regulators and community industrial associations to represent the company’s interest..
• Include fellow work group members, employees across the organization, and occasionally external customers in the decision-making process as warranted to obtain good information, make appropriate decisions, and ensure buy-in and understanding.
• Leverage talents and expertise of department to manage multiple priorities in a changing environment.
• Champion corrective actions and improvement initiatives.

Skills & Knowledge Required

Education / Experience

• Bachelor Degree in engineering/technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10+ years plant experience in environmental permitting and regulatory compliance
• Advanced degree(s) may be considered for relevant experience
• Multi-media environmental experience, with extensive background in air permitting applications
• Proven project experience implementing environmental permit strategy for a chemical manufacturing operation
• Ability to interpret SHE regulations and understand their applicability to site operations
• 5-7 years experience managing air programs in a petrochemical or refinery facility

Key Skills & Knowledge

• Demonstrated ability to directly and indirectly lead/ influence diverse groups of people successfully.
• Strong technical written and oral communication skills needed to interact effectively with regulatory agencies, community and plant operations personnel and leadership.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, coaching and mentoring skills.
• General knowledge needed of chemical reaction and distillation process design to effectively demonstrate routine emissions for permit applications and upset conditions.
• Strong initiative to solve problems and make timely and effective decisions.
• Proficient use of computer applications and databases allowing position to implement or improve environmental programs.
• Defines personal success in terms of the whole team.

How to Apply

Please obtain line manager approval before applying for this position.

Interested candidates should submit their resume and last two performance appraisals to by close of business on DATE

HIRING MANAGER  

Xuemei Feng

O&P Environmental Manager

Xuemei.feng@ineos.com

HR CONTACT    

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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.