Pilot Plant Engineer - Shelter R&D

Dupont•Midland, MI

3d•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

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
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
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
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
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
Maintain accurate technical documentation, SOPs, and engineering records
Communicate findings, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders
Prepare clear reports and presentations to support decision-making