Process Engineer

Job description

Solvay is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Solvay is a multi-specialty chemical company committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. We innovate and partner with customers in diverse global end markets. Soda Ash & Derivatives is the world’s largest producer of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate, sold primarily to the glass industries and also used in detergents, agro, food and feed industries. It provides resilient profitability thanks to good pricing, dynamics growing at mid-single digit rate, underpinned by high-quality assets.

Job Overview and Responsibilities:

The Role: Production Engineer

The Production Engineer is responsible for providing technical support to internal customers (manufacturing, maintenance, laboratory, etc.) by: 

·  Monitoring all aspects of the process by analyzing and interpreting process data.
·  Identifying, troubleshooting, and propose solutions and solve process problems.
·  Provide technical tools and training for manufacturing personnel to better interpret process data and identify, troubleshoot and correct process problems.
·  Design DCS modifications and force-outs.
·  Configure Aspen process historian to meet plant needs.
·  Optimize the process by reducing variable and fixed costs, increasing plant production, improving product quality and food safety and optimizing product mix.
·  Work with production, site personnel and outside vendors to identify process improvements, optimization projects, debottlenecking projects and cost-saving opportunities.
·  Provide technical information and support to manufacturing and maintenance for capital project work.  Perform capital cost estimates and manage approved projects.
·  Improve process safety by training plant personnel and working on safety improvement projects.
·  Provide input for the annual budgeting processes.
·  Interact with maintenance to ensure equipment maintenance is scheduled appropriately to ensure safe and proper operation of the plant.
·  Determine importance of projects to company, and design and implement projects conceived by others in order to save money, increase safety, streamline operation, add new capabilities, etc.
·  Maintain current knowledge and understanding of the policies and practices relating to the quality and food safety plans and perform work in accordance with these policies and practices.
·  Comply with all Safety, Industrial Hygiene, and Environmental policies and procedures.  Incorporates these requirements into applicable procedures and work instructions.  
·  Support the maintenance function at the facility as necessary.
·  Utilize SAP-PM for maintenance and capital projects.
·  Provide support for the laboratory function at the facility.
·  Assist in defining process operation conditions.
·  Troubleshoot and resolve process problems, DCS logic problems, DCS hardware problems, equipment and analyzer problems.
·  Select and design effective tools to communicate process data to plant personnel.
·  Design, prioritize, and implement manufacturing improvement studies.
·  Analyze, interpret and communicate process and laboratory data.
·  Responsible for engineering support for 150,000 ton per year sodium bicarbonate facility.
·  Familiarization and compliance with ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 Quality and Food Safety Standards.
·  Internal interactions with Laboratory, Purchasing, Warehouse, Shipping, Manufacturing, Maintenance, HSE.
·  External interactions with vendors, contractors, engineering firms, DCRT (Solvay Technical Group in Brussels).

Education and Experience:

Bachelors degree in Engineering from a four year accredited college or university.
5-10 years engineering experience in a processing plant.
Experience in leading and managing teams of 5 to 10 people.

Skills:

Working knowledge of the production process, maintenance, process safety training, quality and food safety systems.
Strong and effective oral and written communications and problem solving skills.
Ability to work effectively and learn relevant computer software such as Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Access, SAP, and others.
Ability to effectively communicate with all levels and to work with peers in a variety of functions (Accounting, A/P, Purchasing, Maintenance, Engineering, Manufacturing, Corporate Staff, Contract Staff, outside vendors, etc.) with limited supervision.