Manufacturing Engineer

Ascend Performance Materials - Decatur, AL

Full-time - Mid Level

Decatur, AL

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high-quality chemicals, fibers, and plastics. With world-scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of our customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution with five manufacturing facilities in the United States. The primary purpose of the Manufacturing Engineer located in Decatur, AL is to run the unit safely, reliably, and efficiently. The manufacturing engineer is responsible for unit operating performance to include production, raw material usage, energy usage, quality, daily performance tracking, troubleshooting, and basic unit optimization. The manufacturing engineer adds direct value to the business by driving real-time unit performance in these areas.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates leadership in driving Ascend's zero-incident safety culture through safe work practices and operator engagement.
• Develop excellent, collaborative working relationships with Operations, Manufacturing, Production & Process Engineering, Reliability, Quality Assurance, Production Planning, & other support groups.
• Design, put into practice, lead, and champion the use of best-in-class and lean/six sigma-based work processes to meet safety, regulatory compliance, operating cost, reliability, quality, and other performance goals directed at achieving Entitlement performance.
• Drives continuous improvement culture through participation and guidance in cross-functional teams.
• Leads in developing and maintaining a healthy pipeline of Six Sigma projects to deliver on safety, quality, and productivity goals.
• Consistently meet all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), budgeted, and forecasted commitments.
• Manages production plans vs Sales Order Inventory Planning to optimize inventories.
• Functions as a technical resource for the area in key processes including Process Hazard Analysis (PHA's), Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA's), & Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA's).
• Lead Management of Change (MOC's) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA's) as needed to drive safety & unit performance.
• Ensure quality requirements are met consistently. Represents manufacturing in determining and eliminating the root causes of customer complaints.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, & Reliability to schedule and execute outages safely and efficiently.
• Partner with the Site Engineering organization to develop cost-effective capital projects that drive KPI goals.
• Provide support on executing technology programs that deliver breakthrough solutions to achieve entitlement performance.

Requirements

• 3 years Chemical manufacturing experience
• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
• Demonstrated ability to work as a member of self-directed team.
• Commitment to plant safety, environmental, and industrial hygiene practices
• Excellent oral and written communications
• Strong Computer skills including Microsoft Office, SAP, Minitab
• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex technical issues down to basic terms and economic impacts to upper management.
• Demonstrated ability to coach & mentor other manufacturing engineers.
• Time management and organizations skills
• Familiarity with Process Flow Diagrams and P&ID's
• Ability to generate heat and material balances.
• Knowledge of basic accounting and plant cost economics
• Proactive leadership & team building skills with the ability to work effectively throughout the organization in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong sense of ownership and a drive to improve existing systems and processes by creative & innovative approaches.

Nice-to-haves

• Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Green Belt, or Black Belt
• Knowledge of PSM, Title V, and ISO9001
• Provox/DeltaV based DCS System knowledge.
• Knowledge of quality systems (ISO:9001) and requirements - able to ensure consistency of operations within the established quality system guidelines.

Benefits

• Access to on-site medical clinics at U.S. facilities
• Global wellness rewards program
• Employee-driven recognition plan
• Commitment to Zero personal injuries, process safety incidents, and environmental releases
• Community engagement opportunities through Ascend Cares Foundation