Process Modeling Engineer

PPG Industries • Springdale, AR

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Process Modeling Engineer, you will bridge plant operations and digital process modeling to support operational troubleshooting, continuous improvement, and technology deployment. You will develop unit operation and process line models, including early-stage digital twins, in close collaboration with plant teams, automation systems, and manufacturing leadership. This position is based in Springdale, PA, but open to other PPG locations globally. You will report to the Global Process Modeling Leader for Operations. If you are a process or plant engineer with hands-on batch manufacturing experience and a desire to deepen your modeling and simulation expertise using Aspen tools, this role offers an excellent growth opportunity.

Requirements

• BS in Chemical Engineering with 5+ years of experience in process modeling for chemical reactors, or MS in Chemical Engineering with 1+ year of hands-on reactor modeling experience in real-world applications.
• Hands-on experience with Aspen tools (Aspen Plus, Aspen Batch, or Aspen HYSYS).
• Experience with batch processes and reactor operations, preferably in resins, polymers, paints, or coatings.
• Exposure to advanced process modeling or simulation tools (academic or industrial), such as Star-CCM+, M-Star CFD, COMSOL, ANSYS Fluent, or similar; CFD experience preferred.
• Familiarity with liquid polymer or coatings manufacturing.
• Experience analyzing plant data using tools such as Excel, JMP, or similar.
• Willingness to travel domestically up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply process models for batch unit operations (e.g., reactors, mixers, tanks) and early-stage digital twins for process lines, with an initial focus on operational understanding and data alignment.
• Build simplified and reduced-order models (e.g., mixing, reaction progression, heat transfer) to support troubleshooting, debottlenecking, and optimization.
• Collaborate with plant operations, manufacturing engineering, and R&D to ensure models reflect real operating practices, constraints, and variability.
• Leverage plant data by understanding information flow from field instruments and control systems (DCS/PLC) through historian systems for model development and validation.
• Validate and calibrate models using historical plant and batch data.
• Support new product introductions, scale-ups, and technology transfers by translating operational knowledge into modeling insights.
• Prepare clear summaries, reports, and visualizations tailored to operations, engineering, and site leadership.
• Contribute to standardized modeling workflows, templates, and best practices across manufacturing sites.
• Demonstrate initiative in learning advanced modeling, simulation, and digital twin methodologies.
• Translate operations-focused discussions into actionable modeling concepts and results.

Benefits

• An opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level