Chemical Engineer

Axalta Brasil - Front Royal, VA

Full-time

Front Royal, VA

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

About the position

As a Chemical Engineer at Axalta, you will provide essential technical expertise, resourcing, and leadership to ensure that the Production System meets the desired plant and business output in terms of Delivery, Productivity, Safety, Quality, and Cost. Your role will involve identifying and evaluating necessary process improvements or changes due to growth in volume and/or new technologies. You will support front-end loading and start-up tasks for capital projects within the Production System, working collaboratively with self-managed teams to identify needed improvements and reconcile diverse views to implement effective solutions. You will participate fully in area management processes and interact with external technical groups, including Research and Development, Product Group, Engineering, Safety/Health/Environmental, and Maintenance, to accomplish Business and Site Critical Operating Tasks (COTs). Utilizing your engineering knowledge of processes, materials, and equipment, you will provide the necessary technical expertise to the coatings manufacturing operation, ensuring production performance and restoring process capability when the product or standard process is no longer safe, stable, predictable, or in control. Your responsibilities will also include participating in various Safety and Quality audits, such as Process Safety Management (PSM) and Reactor Safety (RS-01). You will employ your analytical skills to troubleshoot process, equipment, or instrumentation and control system issues, working towards their resolution. Additionally, you will coach area operators and other personnel on existing and newly aligned technologies and products, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise, resourcing, and leadership to ensure desired plant and business output.
• Identify and evaluate process improvements or changes needed due to growth in volume and/or new technologies.
• Support front-end loading and start-up tasks for capital projects in the Production System.
• Work with self-managed teams to identify needed improvements and reconcile diverse views to implement solutions.
• Participate fully in area management processes.
• Interact with external technical groups to accomplish Business and Site Critical Operating Tasks (COTs).
• Use engineering knowledge to provide necessary technical expertise to maintain production performance.
• Participate in Safety and Quality audits as needed.
• Use analytical skills to troubleshoot process, equipment, or instrumentation issues.
• Coach area operators and personnel on existing and newly aligned technologies and products.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum of 5+ years Chemical Engineering experience specific to process improvement in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work directly with teams in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization.
• Ability to reconcile diverse viewpoints within teams and between teams.
• Ability to utilize data effectively to show performance and drive decision making.
• Ability to lead improvements in a flat organizational structure.
• Leadership skills to identify opportunities and act upon them by effectively utilizing resources.
• Computer application skills with working knowledge of MS Office (Excel, Word, Power Point).

Nice-to-haves

• Demonstrated Six Sigma competency, especially Green Belt or Black Belt.
• Experience with PLC/DCS plant control systems.
• Knowledge and experience with implementation of Process Safety Management and Quality systems (e.g. ISO).