Principal Process Engineer

Kuraray - La Porte, TX

Full-time - Senior

La Porte, TX

10,001+ employees

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The primary purpose of this position is to provide troubleshooting, technical assistance, and engineering design activities on projects with the aim of increasing production and improving quality while meeting high process safety and environmental standards. This position will also be the SME of Kuraray Pipeline to provide technical guidance for the safe, efficient, and effective operations of our pipelines. Use sound engineering practices, experience, and process safety management principles to assure safe and efficient plant operations.

Responsibilities

• Design and improve manufacturing processes and systems to meet cost, quality, and efficiency objectives while ensuring compliance with organizational and regulatory standards.
• Provide day-to-day troubleshooting for deviations from normal operation and recommend effective solutions to maintain process reliability and performance.
• Initiate, sponsor, and lead scope definition and engineering activities for mid-size and large capital and expense projects, ensuring adherence to standards and codes from conceptual phases through startup.
• Lead or participate in safety, environmental, and production incident investigations using root cause failure analysis methodologies.
• Identify and implement process improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality, capacity, and emissions reduction while analyzing cost-benefit and justification.
• Maintain accurate as-built plant documentation and ensure adherence to documentation standards in assigned areas.
• Prepare and analyze project costings and contribute to budgeting efforts by delivering accurate financial analyses.
• Develop and maintain knowledge management systems to support the organization's continuous improvement goals.
• Provide mentorship to junior engineers and interns, sharing technical expertise and offering constructive feedback to build team capabilities.

Requirements

• B.S. Chemical Engineering
• Minimum of 10 years of directly related engineering experience in a chemical, petrochemical, or oil refinery environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in chemical processes with strong knowledge of engineering principles and various unit operations and chemical plant equipment.
• Proven experience in OSHA PSM (Process Safety Management) covered processes.
• Proficient in process design, troubleshooting, and the evaluation of complex systems for quality and integrity.
• Skilled in engineering inspections and conducting justifications and cost-effective solutions.
• Strong project management capabilities with a history of successfully managing multiple projects or initiatives simultaneously.
• Deep understanding of safety and environmental regulations and standards.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary and cross-functional environment, collaborating with drafters, engineers, technicians, maintenance personnel, and contractors.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to understand and explain complex problems and solutions.
• Exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to manage priorities and meet tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated collaboration and influencing skills, fostering teamwork across diverse teams.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently with limited supervision.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, including presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Creative thinking, consulting, and analytical abilities to develop innovative and practical solutions.
• Candidates must have a valid driver's license.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive.
• Robust healthcare package that includes wellness reimbursements.
• Three weeks of paid time off.
• Ten company holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Education reimbursement.
• Matching 401k plan.