Senior APC Engineer

Shell•Norco, LA

10d•$149,000 - $223,000

About The Position

The Senior Advanced Process Control (APC) Engineer serves as the Norco site technical authority for APC applications, providing technical leadership for the development, implementation, sustainment, and lifecycle management of APC solutions. The role develops and implements the site APC strategy to improve throughput and yield, energy efficiency, reliability, operational stability, and overall margin performance. Norco’s APC platform is Shell PACE, considered equivalent to Dynamic Matrix Control or Model Predictive Control. This working technical leadership role provides site-wide leadership and day-to-day assurance for APC applications supporting Norco Refining and Chemical Production. The engineer identifies, prioritizes, documents, and leads APC improvement opportunities from concept through realized and sustained business value, and is accountable for application performance, uptime, conformance, and continuous improvement. The position works with Production, Asset Operations, Asset Optimization, Process Engineering, Control Systems Engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure APC solutions align with operating objectives, constraints, optimization plans, and safe operating limits. The role also applies company processes for safe production, management of change, engineering work, performance monitoring, opportunity tracking, and Process Control Domain security. The position is based in Louisiana, United States of America. The posting lists flexible working hours and the possibility of remote/mobile working.

Requirements

Must have legal authorization to work in the United States on a full-time basis for anyone other than the current employer.
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, or another relevant engineering discipline.
Minimum 8 years of experience in industrial process control and/or dynamic matrix control.
Demonstrated APC experience, including application development, commissioning, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and sustainment.
Demonstrated knowledge of base-layer control, complex control, and manufacturing operations.
Ability to identify and translate operating and economic opportunities into practical APC solutions and sustained business value.
Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and provide site-wide technical leadership.

Nice To Haves

PACE experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as the site APC and PACE technical authority and focal point for APC strategy, performance, technical assurance, and lifecycle management.
Develop, maintain, and implement the site APC strategy, aligning priorities with Production, Asset Operations, Asset Optimization, Process Engineering, and PACO objectives.
Develop and improve proactive technical monitoring of existing APC applications to maintain and improve controller uptime, utilization, and conformance.
Resolve APC issues by troubleshooting application performance and coordinating internal, off-site, and external support resources.
Develop a comprehensive support strategy for APC controllers using site, enterprise, vendor, and specialist resources effectively.
Identify, document, prioritize, and lead site-wide APC improvement opportunities, including resource allocation.
Lead development and implementation of APC solutions to increase throughput and yield, reduce product giveaway and energy consumption, improve reliability and operational stability, and maximize sustained margin capture.
Monitor controller performance and conformance, identify performance gaps, and drive continuous improvement.
Collaborate with Control Systems Engineers to improve base-layer and complex control performance foundational to APC effectiveness.
Engage Production Teams and Process Engineering to align APC actions with operating objectives, unit constraints, optimization plans, and safe operating limits.
Mentor APC Engineers and Control Systems Engineers in PACE controller development, improvement, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
Provide APC technical assurance and support for management of change, projects, turnarounds, and other applicable site work processes.
Communicate APC performance, risks, priorities, and realized benefits to stakeholders.
Participate in alarm and process-control performance activities where APC performance interfaces with safe, stable unit operation.
Apply management-of-change processes to APC and associated control changes and provide technical evaluation for PACO-related changes.
Use approved engineering processes to develop, assure, implement, document, and sustain APC applications and improvements.
Maintain visibility of controller uptime, conformance, improvement opportunities, execution status, and business benefits.
Follow site Process Control Domain security requirements for secure development, support, access, and maintenance of APC and PACE applications.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage options.
Life insurance, Business Travel Accident Insurance, and Occupational Accidental Death Benefit programs.
Company pension plan and 401(k) plan.
Up to 6 weeks of paid vacation time and up to 11 paid holidays.
Paid parental leave: 16 weeks for birthing parents and 8 weeks for non-birthing parents.
Short-term disability leave for up to 26 weeks at 100% or 50% of base pay, as well as Long-Term Disability insurance.
Financial reimbursement for adoption, wellness, education, and personal learning expenses.
Some roles are eligible for discretionary long-term incentives.
Flexible working hours and the possibility of remote/mobile working.
Competitive starting salary and annual performance-related salary increase.
Access to training and development programs.
The opportunity to grow through diverse career opportunities in national and international teams.