Sr. Manufacturing Engineer

Ascend Performance Materials•Pensacola, FL

About The Position

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer drives safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective unit and utility operations. The role monitors production, quality, material and energy use, and operating losses; troubleshoots performance gaps; and leads improvement actions. It provides technical support for site utilities, including steam generation and distribution, cogeneration, steam turbines, electrical distribution, compressed air, nitrogen, water systems, and deep-well injection. The role also supports compliance with applicable environmental permits for wells, stormwater, and river water systems. The position aims to achieve operational entitlement in yields, usages, reliability, and quality; meet annual productivity targets through unit performance tracking; account for production losses and correct them; and improve utility reliability, energy and water use, and operating costs. It maintains a proactive compliance program for applicable FDEP permits through condition tracking, monitoring and reporting coordination, recordkeeping, and timely escalation of deviations or potential noncompliance. The role reports to the Senior Production Manager - Powerhouse and may cover for the Senior Production Manager as needed. It collaborates with production and process engineering, operations, maintenance, environmental teams, and other stakeholders, and mentors junior manufacturing engineers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in chemical, electrical, or mechanical engineering.
7–15 years of relevant experience, including at least five years supporting industrial utilities, a powerhouse, or comparable energy or water infrastructure in manufacturing or process industries.
Experience with several of the following: boilers and steam distribution, cogeneration or power generation, steam turbines, electrical distribution and protection, compressed air, nitrogen, industrial water treatment, demineralized water, river water, and deep-well or underground injection systems.
Experience interpreting and implementing environmental permit requirements for wells, underground injections, stormwater, or surface-water use.
Working knowledge of Aspen products, heat transfer, and hydraulics.
Strong knowledge of process safety management (PSM).
Strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Effective communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to work in a dynamic environment and provide after-hours support.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong technical knowledge of steam, compressed air, water, and electrical distribution systems.
Ability to analyze utility balances, equipment performance, energy usage, and operating data, and translate findings into practical reliability, cost, and process improvements.
Ability to interpret P&IDs, electrical one-lines, equipment datasheets, control narratives, operating procedures, and permit documents.
Strong project execution and stakeholder coordination skills, including work with Operations, Maintenance, Process/Production Engineering, Environmental, and external service providers.

Nice To Haves

Green Belt Certification

Responsibilities

Monitor unit performance and troubleshoot process issues.
Work with Production Engineering to apply entitlement models, improve tracking tools, implement technology, and deliver productivity plans.
Work with Process Engineering to develop improvement projects and escalate issues requiring advanced analysis.
Track and categorize production losses and address KPI gaps.
Support unit regulatory compliance and understand applicable environmental permit requirements.
Facilitate management-of-change (MOC) reviews for unit needs.
Train operators and support production planning, tracking, and closeout.
Maintain unit process safety information (PSI).
Participate in process hazard analyses (PHAs) and coordinate recommendation follow-up.
Review and improve preventive maintenance strategies.
Lead root cause analyses (RCAs) for incidents.
Cover for the Senior Production Manager as needed.
Mentor junior manufacturing engineers.
Drive safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective utility generation and distribution.
Identify and execute opportunities to reduce energy and water consumption, improve equipment reliability, and optimize operating costs.
Maintain a proactive compliance program for applicable FDEP permits, including permit-condition tracking, monitoring/reporting coordination, recordkeeping, and timely escalation of deviations or potential noncompliance.