Chemical Process Engineer

Superior Essex•Fort Wayne, IN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

A Chemical Process Engineer in a polymer resin or enamel facility operates at the intersection of chemistry and mechanical systems. This role is primarily focused on data governance for all stages of resin production while ensuring rigorous safety and quality standards of chemical processing plant of Essex Solutions North America. The incumbent will be responsible for maximizing throughput and yield, precisely controlling polymer rheology, reaction engineering, process tracking, and statistical analysis.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical/Polymer/Materials Engineering or equivalent.
Minimum 2 years experience in a chemical manufacturing environment; resins, coatings, polymers, or plastics preferred.
Strong grasp of polymer rheology, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer.
Proficiency in process simulation, AutoCAD, and Origin Pro/JMP/similar.
Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
Willing to work on-site including navigating around hot surfaces and pressurized vessels.
Familiarity with lean principles, problem solving, and continuous improvement tools.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced changing environment.
Strong interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams.
Willingness to travel up to 20%.

Nice To Haves

Reaction engineering, process tracking, data logging, yield analysis, and first-line troubleshooting experience highly desired.
Lean or Six Sigma certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Monitor and optimize polymerization cycles, focusing on temperature and viscosity control, pressure regulation, and raw material addition rates.
Perform detailed calculations to improve raw material efficiency and reduce utility consumption (steam, cooling water/fluid, electricity).
Identify causes of "off-spec" batches and implement corrective actions to minimize waste.
Specify and size equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, distillation columns, and filtration systems to improve batch sizes and throughput.
Maintain and update Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) and Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs).
Collaborate with Controls Engineers to tune PID loops and refine PLC/DCS logic for better process stability.
Lead or participate in Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP) and Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA).
Work with the QC lab to ensure resin properties meet specifications, track and analyze QC data.
Utilize Six Sigma or Lean methodologies to investigate process excursions or equipment failures.
Support current and future automations. Manage capital expenditure projects from initial scoping and budgeting through commissioning and startup.
Oversee the technical documentation and safety reviews required for any process or equipment modifications.
Foster accountability, operational discipline, and a continuous improvement mindset.