Advanced Production Engineer

Celanese•Wilmington, DE

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Engineer - Production provides technical and operational leadership to support the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of assigned manufacturing assets. Serving as the primary technical resource for production operations, this role focuses on process optimization, loss elimination, equipment reliability, workforce capability development, and continuous improvement. The Manufacturing Expert works closely with the 24/7 operations team, maintenance, engineering, quality, and stewardship resources to achieve Safety, Quality, Reliability, and Efficiency (SQRE) objectives and production entitlement targets. This is an on-site role in Wilmington, North Carolina. The position has technical ownership of the Line 2 production area and its associated process equipment and operating systems. It supports process and equipment troubleshooting, operating discipline, preventive maintenance optimization, root cause investigations, Management of Change (MOC), operating documentation, technical training, product quality, and environmental and stewardship compliance. The role also represents Operations on technical and capital project teams and may recommend shutdowns, delayed startups, or operating restrictions when safe operation cannot be assured.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent manufacturing experience.
5 or more years of experience in a manufacturing, chemical, refining, petrochemical, or industrial environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting continuous manufacturing or chemical processing operations.
Strong understanding of production processes, equipment systems, and operational troubleshooting.
Experience leading Root Cause Analysis and corrective action implementation.
Working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM), Management of Change (MOC), and Conduct of Operations principles.
Proficiency with PI systems, data analysis tools, and manufacturing information systems.

Responsibilities

Monitor process, product quality, and equipment performance to identify and address emerging issues.
Analyze data, conduct field observations, and lead structured problem-solving to minimize Operational and Scheduling Reliability (OSR) losses.
Establish, communicate, and maintain operating parameters for safe and efficient production.
Anticipate operational risks and implement strategies to maintain unit performance at entitlement targets.
Identify and remove daily execution barriers with the 24/7 operations team, and communicate issues that may affect production schedules, reliability, or product quality.
Serve as the primary process and equipment expert for assigned production areas and troubleshoot using field observations, PI data, operating data, and technical expertise.
Participate in alarm management reviews and drive improvements in operating discipline.
Support product changes, run-plan reviews, startups, shutdowns, outages, and operational transitions; develop strategies for safe and efficient execution.
Maintain technical ownership of the Line 2 production area and its associated process equipment and operating systems.
Maintain and improve the Preventive Maintenance (PM) program, including optimizing tasks, reviewing frequencies, and adding or deleting PM activities; audit compliance with program requirements.
Partner with Maintenance Gatekeepers, Production Engineers, and Reliability resources to prioritize repairs and reliability improvements.
Lead and facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations, develop action plans, implement corrective actions, and track action-item completion.
Lead initiatives to improve unit reliability, operating discipline, and production performance.
Champion safety and compliance through visible field leadership and routine walkthroughs; evaluate performance in Conduct of Operations, Energy Isolation (LOTO), Safe Work Permitting, Equipment Opening and Line Breaking, and Alarm Management.
Collaborate with operations teams on continuous improvement, stop unsafe acts or conditions, and recommend shutdowns, delayed startups, or operating restrictions when safe operation cannot be assured.
Initiate and manage MOC activities, conduct field walkdowns to confirm implementation, and provide technical rationale and documentation for operational changes.
Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures, operating documentation, check sheets, operating limits, and process instructions.
Develop and implement technical training programs; coach, mentor, and transfer knowledge to operations personnel and core team members.
Partner with Learning Facilitators to improve operational competence and technical expertise, and serve as a technical mentor and subject matter expert.
Participate in quality investigations involving off-specification product and support stewardship and environmental compliance initiatives.
Ensure operating practices support product quality and regulatory requirements, and contribute to Tier 3 performance reviews and operational reporting.
Represent Operations on technical and capital project teams and collaborate with the listed operations, engineering, stewardship, learning, utilities, maintenance, and reliability groups.
Escalate issues affecting SQRE performance, enforce operational discipline related to alarms, manual operations, flooding events, and abnormal operations, and prioritize activities needed to achieve SQRE objectives.
Deliver improvements in asset reliability, OSR losses, production entitlement performance, training, operating parameters, MOC implementation, process safety, and preventive maintenance.