Plant Engineer

Airgas•Kent, WA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Engineer provides hands-on technical expertise, mechanical engineering support, and operational oversight for the Kent Air Separation Unit (ASU) and regional nitrogen production plant. This role is responsible for maximizing plant reliability, optimizing energy efficiency, executing capital expenditure (CapEx) projects, and maintaining strict regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will blend analytical deep-dives with physical troubleshooting to keep critical cryogenic processing systems operating safely and efficiently. This role requires a high degree of situational awareness, sound practical judgment, and the ability to prioritize multiple competing tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

B.S. in Engineering (Chemical or Mechanical) preferred.
3-5+ years of operational or project engineering experience required
Ability to provide on-call technical assistance to plant personnel.
Proven familiarity with high-pressure fluid systems, rotating equipment, thermodynamics, and PLC-controlled automation frameworks.
Ability to move around an active industrial site, stand or walk for long periods, scale vertical structures, and lift up to 25 lbs.

Nice To Haves

Specific expertise operating or maintaining cryogenic air separation units (ASUs) and dealing with bulk liquid nitrogen/oxygen systems.
Demonstrated experience using Maximo, SAP, or similar CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems) for predictive maintenance workflows.
Proficiency reading logic maps (Allen-Bradley or Siemens platforms) and diagnosing control loop discrepancies.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary onsite technical expert for all processing equipment, including multi-stage compressors, cryogenic pumps, expansion turbines, storage vessels, and the distillation (coldbox).
Lead the plant's Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and failure investigations to eliminate critical asset downtime and establish long-term preventative fixes.
Monitor and interpret plant performance data, key performance indicators (KPIs), and diagnostic readouts to identify efficiency degradation or mechanical strain before failures occur.
Understand process control variables (purity, flow, thermal gradients) to maintain equilibrium inside the cryogenic coldbox.
Ensure full plant compliance with OSHA, EPA, FDA, cGMP, and internal EHS guidelines, relating to pressure relief devices, hazardous fluid handling (liquid oxygen/nitrogen), gas detection systems, etc.
Oversee and execute engineering plans for complex operational windows, such as plant maintenance outages, equipment overhauls, or plant restarts/thaws.
Serve as a core technical contributor to PHA studies (including HAZOP reviews).
Identify potential process safety hazards, evaluate risk mitigation safeguards, and track the timely resolution of action items.
Design and execute minor-to-midsize capital projects targeting efficiency and modernizing plant infrastructure, including design, design approval, quotation process, and execution.
Manage contractors, third-party consultants, and vendor technicians during installation, checkout, and final commissioning phases.
Lead and manage the site's MOC process.
Ensure all technical, equipment, and procedural modifications undergo rigorous engineering review, safety assessment, documentation updates, and pre-startup safety reviews (PSSR) prior to implementation.
Interpret, review, and update plant documentation, including Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), process logic sheets, interlock matrices, and equipment specifications.
Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks, shifting priorities effectively between long-term engineering projects and immediate daily plant operational needs.