Process Engineer

Element Solutions Inc•Piscataway Township, NJ

35d•$81,470 - $122,206•Onsite

About The Position

The Chemical Process Engineer II supports the design, development, scale-up, commissioning, and continuous improvement of chemical manufacturing processes and equipment from laboratory development through pilot plant and commercial production. Working under the guidance of senior process engineers and project leaders, this position performs process calculations, prepares engineering documentation, supports pilot plant experimentation, analyzes manufacturing data, and assists with the execution of capital projects and process improvement initiatives. The engineer will be a member of the Global Process Engineering Group and will collaborate with R&D, Operations, Quality, EH&S, Maintenance, Automation, Supply Chain, contractors, and equipment vendors. The role supports global manufacturing operations, new product introductions, process safety activities, equipment installations, commissioning, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement programs. The position requires a foundational understanding of chemical engineering principles and an interest in developing practical experience in chemical factory design and operation. Relevant areas include process flow diagrams, P&IDs, mass and energy balances, equipment sizing, utility requirements, process controls, materials of construction, relief and venting concepts, and engineering standards such as API, ASME, OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and related industry practices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, or related discipline required; master’s degree preferred.
Minimum 1 year of experience in chemical process development, scale-up, or manufacturing.
Has knowledge of engineering documentation, including PFDs, P&IDs, Plant 3D models, equipment specifications, control narratives, operating procedures, commissioning plans, and technical reports.
Experience with specialty chemicals, electronic chemicals, advanced materials, batch chemical processing, reaction systems, or complex formulated products is preferred.
Demonstrated expertise in reaction chemistry and complex process troubleshooting.
Demonstrated experience with process calculations, including mass balances, energy balances, heat transfer, fluid flow, mixing, reaction engineering, equipment sizing, pressure drop, utility sizing, and process scale-up.
Basic understanding of applicable engineering standards and regulatory frameworks, including API, ASME, OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and process safety management principles.
Advanced ability to perform chemical engineering calculations, including material balances, energy balances, reaction calculations, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mixing, equipment sizing, pressure drop, and utility calculations.
Ability to use data analytics to identify trends, process variation, root causes, and improvement opportunities

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience with specialty chemicals, electronic chemicals, advanced materials, batch chemical processing, reaction systems, or complex formulated products is preferred.
Demonstrated expertise in reaction chemistry and complex process troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

Support the design, development, scale-up, and implementation of chemical manufacturing processes from laboratory scale through pilot plant and commercial production.
Assist with the preparation and review of process engineering deliverables, including process flow diagrams, P&IDs, mass balances, energy balances, heat-transfer calculations, fluid-flow calculations, equipment-sizing calculations, utility-demand estimates, process-control narratives, and operating envelopes.
Support the design and modification of chemical manufacturing facilities, process skids, reaction systems, mixing systems, filtration systems, material-transfer systems, storage tanks, utility systems, and related infrastructure.
Apply established engineering standards, company procedures, and regulatory requirements to process and equipment design activities under the direction of senior engineering personnel.
Assist with evaluations related to pressure relief, process venting, secondary containment, flammable vapors, hazardous-material handling, and other process-safety considerations.
Support the selection, specification, and evaluation of process equipment, including reactors, vessels, tanks, pumps, heat exchangers, condensers, filters, piping systems, instrumentation, control valves, relief devices, and utility equipment.
Prepare and update equipment datasheets, technical specifications, scopes of work, vendor requirements, bid documentation, and other engineering documents for capital and process-improvement projects.
Support capital project execution activities, including design reviews, vendor evaluations, contractor coordination, factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, equipment installation, commissioning, startup, and project closeout.
Develop and execute experimental plans using basic engineering and statistical methods, including design of experiments, hypothesis testing, sampling plans, process capability studies, and process validation approaches.
Collect, organize, and analyze process and manufacturing data to identify trends, sources of variation, operating limitations, and opportunities for improvement.
Apply statistical process control and process-performance monitoring techniques to support improvements in yield, quality, manufacturing consistency, and process capability.
Analyze data using tools such as Excel, Minitab, JMP, Python, SQL, Tableau, or equivalent analytical platforms.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, cycle time, yield, quality, safety, cost, reliability, waste reduction, and process capability.
Collaborate with R&D, Operations, Quality, EH&S, Maintenance, Automation, Supply Chain, and external vendors to support technology transfer and manufacturability of new and existing products.
Assist with the development of process automation and control requirements, including instrumentation selection, control descriptions, PLC or DCS interface requirements, alarm requirements, process monitoring, and data-historian needs.
Participate in process risk assessments, design reviews, process hazard analyses, management-of-change reviews, commissioning reviews, and pre-startup safety reviews.
Perform other duties and support global engineering initiatives as required.
Support development and operation of pilot lines and beaker level experimental work under minimal guidance from managers and senior engineers.