Plant / Staff Chemist

Philadelphia Gas Works•Philadelphia, PA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) is the largest municipally owned gas utility in the nation, supplying gas service in the City of Philadelphia to over 500,000 customers. From its humble beginnings in 1836, PGW has grown into the large, modern facility that exists today. As one of the nation's leading natural gas providers, PGW prides itself on stability and continual growth. PGW is dedicated to becoming the Greenest Natural Gas Delivery Company in the region. Become part of the PGW Team! This position is located in Philadelphia, PA at our Passyunk Plant – 3100 Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19145. This position may be eligible for a hybrid work week after six months for PA residents (4 days in, 1 remote). Initially you will be required to be on site 5 days per week. On call rotation required.

Requirements

Bachelor degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Industrial Hygiene, Safety, or similar degree required.
2 years’ work experience with exposure to science or technical disciplines.
Field experience is highly preferred.
Valid PA Driver`s License with good driving record.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
Working knowledge of scientifically approved and recognized methodologies with the ability to apply learned skills/knowledge to ensure the accuracy of results through appropriate quality control and quality assurance measures.
Knowledge of federal, state, and local public safety regulations covered by Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Centers for Disease Control, etc.
Self-motivated with the ability to work independently on both routine and non-routine duties and assignments, with little or no assistance supervision required to perform job functions.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to interpret and convey technical information in clear terms for non-technical staff of all business disciplines.

Nice To Haves

40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations Training (HAZWOPER) preferred but training can be provided for the right candidate.
Knowledge of gas chromatography and instrumental analyses as well as experience maintaining instrumentation is highly desirable.
Certifications from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (CSP), Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (CHMM), or the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (CIH) are desirable.

Responsibilities

Assist in planning, coordinating, and executing laboratory and fieldwork in support of safe, economical, and efficient operations for the processing and distribution of natural gas.
Conducts routine and non-routine sampling of natural gas for quality control, safety assurance, and troubleshooting purposes.
Collects and analyzes or coordinates external laboratory analysis of samples of other materials encountered as needed to assist other PGW Departments to address operational problems or safety concerns.
Assists in analytical assessment of PGW properties and facilities as well as PGW jobsites for safety and environmental hazards prior to renovation or demolition work or in response to requests for such services; for example, assists with asbestos-containing material (ACM) surveys, lead-containing paint (LCP) surveys, indoor air quality surveys, etc.
Oversees the work of contractors remediating asbestos, lead paint, mold or other hazards at PGW locations.
Recommends personal protective equipment, work practices, and other remedial actions as needed.
Coordinates and/or assists with health and safety assessments, annual respirator fit testing, and annual odorant recognition testing to assure maximum safety of PGW employees and facilities.
Provides guidance to PGW personnel for health and safety protocols and policies and ensures that relevant PGW health and safety policies and procedures are current, documented, and distributed.
Manages and/or assists with management of testing, evaluating, and recommending new products and materials to be used by PGW on the basis of toxicity, flammability, reactivity, routes of exposure, protective equipment requirements, and product effectiveness.
Recommends personal protective equipment and work practices for employees handling hazardous materials and/or wastes in the workplace.
Manage and/or assist with management of PGW’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)/Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and Right-to-Know (RTK) programs, and assists with advanced training, instruction, and lectures for Operations and Service Department employee education and awareness.
Assists with PGW’s storage tank compliance program by conducting monthly inspections, assisting with leak detection system recordkeeping, assisting with system troubleshooting, and providing oversight during testing, repairs, and upgrades performed by contractors.
Recommends repairs and upgrades to storage tank systems as needed and takes initiative to implement corrective actions to ensure compliance.
Coordinates and/or assists with waste characterization and oversees waste pickups; reviews and signs PGW waste manifests, and supports annual waste reporting activities on behalf of PGW.
Respond on an on-call basis to Field Operations and Gas Processing unknown product analysis requests, Field Operations mercury spills, and other spilled material, low and supplemental odorant verification requests, explosions or potential explosions, and suspected asbestos or chemical releases.
Provides supplemental odorization services, including liquid odorant injections, wick odorizer installation, and portable odorizer installation and monitoring, for Field Operations as needed.
Mercury spill response and supplemental odorization services typically require extensive planning, mobilization of equipment, and multiple repeat visits to resolve the situation.
Assists with calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of field and laboratory instrumentation possessed by Chemical Services as well as calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of certain instruments possessed by Field Operations (i.e. DTEX) and Gas Processing (i.e. sulfur analyzers).
Assists with maintenance and servicing of environmental remediation systems and assists with wastewater sampling and compliance reporting in support of National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and industrial wastewater discharge permits.
Generates various reports on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.
Must be flexible to work between sites and out-of-hours for various projects and emergency responses to PGW jobsites at non-PGW locations.
Typically scheduled to provide on-call response 24 hours per day for 180-190 days per year on a rotating schedule.
Response time for on-call services - on site within one hour.
On-call response services typically range from 2 to 12 hours on site.
Performs other special projects and assignments as requested.