Plant Engineer

Airgas•Merritt Island, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Engineer, operating at an advanced level of proficiency, contributes to a vital mission in supporting the continuous, secure, and highly efficient operation of the facility. This role plays a foundational part in the comprehensive support, accurate completion, and meticulous maintenance of all corporate Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) policies, procedures, and associated documentation throughout the facility. The individual is encouraged to nurture and embody a cohesive environment of safety consciousness within the team, all while diligently operating and maintaining the facility's complex systems in a manner that is secure, efficient, and environmentally conscientious. This position is vital to sustaining operational integrity and regulatory conformance, including a dedicated commitment to Food Safety, FDA, and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) policies.

Requirements

Bachelors in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering
A minimum of five (5) years of directly related industrial operations experience, preferably within a cryogenic air separation, chemical processing, or similar heavy industrial environment, is requisite.
Must possess the capacity and willingness to be on-call for critical plant emergencies, including requirements for coverage during holidays and weekends.
Possesses a comprehensive understanding of and commitment to plant safety rules, governmental regulations, and company safety policies/procedures.
Must execute all work activities in strict compliance with current standard operating/maintenance procedures, utilizing advanced Life Safety skills, Move Smart techniques, and all safety requirements including the preparation and use of Hazardous Work Permits, energy control isolation (lockout/tagout/try-out), Identification Devices/Lines (IDLs), confined space entry work, hot work permits, detailed work plans, pre-job discussions, and participation in plant safety inspections.
Demonstrates a fundamental understanding of governmental regulations including Food Safety, FDA, Current Good Manufacturing Practices, environmental permitting/compliance, loading/quality assurance procedures, basic principles of electricity, national/local operating procedures, CMMS system functionality, maintenance management processes, assists in Audits (internal and external) and all specific HSE issues associated with the facility.
Candidates must have valid employment authorization in the U.S. and must not require visa sponsorship now or in the future. This position is not open for non-immigrant visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Ability to plan, schedule, organize, prioritize, and coordinate project activities.
Ability to understand and work within a regulated environment.
Ability to manage multiple projects at one time.

Responsibilities

Nurtures a shared safety commitment among all team members by promoting a safety-conscious culture and consistently demonstrating excellent safety practices in all facets of work.
Engages actively in facility safety meetings and contributes to the thoroughness of routine safety inspections.
Provides dedicated alignment with all Food Safety, FDA, and cGMP policies across all operating practices and documentation protocols.
Guides and supports on-site contractors, vendors, guests, or visitors throughout the facility as requisite, ensuring their consistent care for all national and site-specific safety policies and procedures.
Monitors all Hazardous Work Permits (HWP) for on-site contractors, verifying that partners conform to Airgas Local Work Instructions (LWIs) and possess the necessary qualifications to execute the work.
Reports equipment needs, unsafe conditions, and potential environmental hazards to the Plant Manager immediately and documents all findings in a timely and comprehensive manner.
Conducts and meticulously documents Acceptance Pre-Start-up Safety Reviews (PSSRs) in close partnership with operations personnel and zone engineers to ensure the safety and readiness of new or modified equipment.
Applies heightened risk awareness during non-routine operations (startups, shutdowns, abnormal conditions), including oxygen cleanliness, cryogenic hazards, and contamination prevention.
Recognizes when maintenance activities introduce process risk and coordinates appropriately, including Management of Change (MOC) awareness.
Studies, maintains, and develops a deep understanding of all site-specific Local Work Instructions (LWIs), Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), and all other critical technical documentation pertinent to operational and equipment processes.
Gains and sustains high proficiency in all plant operations, including process flow and complex equipment functionality.
Schedules, plans, and coordinates all routine, preventative, and corrective maintenance activities for critical Air Separation Unit (ASU) Launch Support System (LSS), Kennedy Space Center pipeline (KSC) equipment, pumps, compressors, valves, analytical equipment, and other plant assets.
Helps implement and sustain comprehensive Preventative Maintenance (PM) schedules for all Process Critical Equipment (PCE) within the plant.
Generates detailed and accurate work orders within the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), ensuring the completeness, clarity, and accuracy of all information pertaining to the maintenance requirement.
Identifies potential future maintenance requirements and accurately enters them into the SAP system.
Determines the necessity of immediate maintenance action, accurately documents the requirement, and promptly reports the status and urgency to the appropriate supervisory and national maintenance personnel.
Partners with Field Service Support (FSS) to ensure all repair and maintenance solutions are cost-effective and executed with efficiency.
Maintains the plant HVAC system, executing necessary repairs or effectively coordinating external repair services as required.
Schedules and coordinates cosmetic maintenance of the entire facility, including, but not limited to, groundskeeping and minor building repairs.
Provides assistance with required medical maintenance reports and preparations for facility audits.
Participates in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and failure investigations, contributing technical insight and historical knowledge.
Supports Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) efforts by identifying improvement areas, PM effectiveness gaps, and repeat failures.
Demonstrates awareness of condition-based monitoring tools (vibration, oil analysis, thermography) and incorporates findings into maintenance execution.
Uses CMMS data to identify trends, repeat failures, and improvement opportunities.
Provides structured feedback to improve PM quality and job plans.
Utilizes digital tools (photos, measurements, mobile CMMS) to improve work quality and knowledge transfer.
Fosters open and supportive communication among all facility technicians and shift teams regarding best practices, critical operational/facility requirements, safety issues/concerns, and the dissemination of valuable operational knowledge and expertise.
Partners closely with the Lead Operator/Quality Technician (LOQT) or the Plant Manager regarding daily facility operational and maintenance necessities.
Communicates complex repair functions and planned outages effectively with plant management.
Works directly with Maintenance team members on daily activities, providing guidance and technical support, and effectively building alignment related to team job assignments and priorities.
Maintains accurate and complete records for all activities and demonstrates unwavering care in adhering to corporate documentation and record retention policies/procedures.
Specifically, maintains facility maintenance records in a clear, organized, and timely fashion.
Maintains the work area in a consistently neat, clean, and orderly condition.
Ensures all tools and equipment are secured properly when not in use.
Serves as a technical mentor and role model for junior technicians and operators.
Acts as a technical bridge between Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering during outages and abnormal situations.
Advocates for safer or more effective practices respectfully and constructively.
We encourage you to pursue personal growth and continuous career development through self-initiative, utilizing available training resources as coordinated and approved by the supervisor.
Adheres strictly to policies and procedures for proper notification regarding the scheduling of vacation time, floating holidays, and personal days off.