Pilot Plant Engineer - Shelter R&D

DuPont•Midland, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Pilot Plant Engineer is a hands-on, operations-focused engineer who plays a critical role in enabling Shelter R&D’s innovation pipeline. This position acts as the technical owner of pilot plant performance, partnering closely with Operations, R&D, EHS, and FSRE to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient pilot operations. This role is ideal for engineers who thrive in a run plant environment—someone who enjoys being close to the process, solving problems in real time, and continuously improving how the plant operates. This role is on-site at our Midland Headquarters location, and relocation is not supported.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline
0–5 years of experience in manufacturing, pilot plant, or process engineering
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with ability to diagnose process and equipment issues
Ability to design and implement practical engineering solutions
Effective collaboration and communication skills across functions
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Nice To Haves

Internship or co-op experience in manufacturing, chemical processing, or industrial operations
Exposure to Reliability Engineering, Lean/Six Sigma, RCA, or Continuous Improvement
Experience with process safety concepts (PSM, PHA, MOC)
Familiarity with process equipment, instrumentation, and troubleshooting
SAP experience

Responsibilities

Own Pilot Plant Performance: Serve as the first-line engineering lead for pilot plant operations. Rapidly troubleshoot process and equipment issues to minimize downtime and restore operations. Provide technical leadership during upsets, breakdowns, and unplanned events. Support pilot scheduling and execution to ensure high-quality, on-time trials.
Drive Reliability & Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement improvements in safety, reliability, and operational efficiency. Analyze process data and trends to eliminate recurring issues and improve performance. Lead root cause investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions. Recommend and execute process modifications to improve throughput, capability, and consistency.
Build & Scale New Capabilities: Translate R&D needs into practical engineering solutions and new pilot capabilities. Design, modify, and implement equipment or process enhancements (e.g., new attachments, flow systems). Support capital projects end-to-end, from idea generation through installation and startup.
Operate as a Technical Leader: Develop deep expertise across multiple pilot lines (extrusion, mixing, feeding, etc.). Act as the go-to problem solver for complex process and equipment challenges. Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Manufacturing, and external partners to deliver results. Progress into a role with broad ownership of pilot plant operations and team mentoring.
Champion Safety & Compliance: Promote a strong safety culture and ensure safe work practices are always followed. Participate in and eventually lead Process Safety Management (PSM) and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) activities. Support Management of Change (MOC) and environmental compliance requirements. Lead or support incident investigations and corrective action plans.
Document & Communicate: Maintain accurate technical documentation, SOPs, and engineering records. Communicate findings, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders. Prepare clear reports and presentations to support decision-making.