Sr Mechanical Plant Engineer

Evonik•Lafayette, IN

About The Position

The Senior Mechanical Plant Engineer provides direction and monitoring of maintenance activities and small capital projects within his/her assigned building(s) and areas. The Senior Mechanical Plant Engineer works independently to provide engineering support to a production plant or an area. The Senior Mechanical Plant Engineer is responsible to define, organize, plan, and execute all small capital investment projects to be cost effective, timely, and safely utilize state of the art engineering concepts. The incumbent has to ensure all activities in assigned area are in accordance with accepted engineering practices, regulations, cGMP and Evonik Corporation policies and standards. This position provides technical expertise to maintain and continuously improve assigned areas in order to minimize costs and to ensure technical means for safe and high quality operation. The Senior Mechanical Plant Engineer is expected to be project responsible on small to medium size capital projects and could also be tasked with providing input to new product estimates.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
5+ years of plant engineering experience in a chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing environment
Strong HVAC expertise (design, operation, and troubleshooting)
Proven project management skills and experience leading engineering projects
Knowledge of safety, environmental, and regulatory standards
Experience with mechanical systems, utilities, and infrastructure in a regulated plant
Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional teamwork abilities

Responsibilities

Owner’s Representative for Facilities Engineering: Serves as the accountable owner’s representative at Evonik Tippecanoe Laboratories, providing technical leadership, direction, and oversight for a wide range of HVAC and mechanical systems that are critical to site operations.
HVAC & Mechanical Systems Leadership: Takes ownership of HVAC systems and associated mechanical infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance, reliability, and efficiency across complex, high-impact environments.
Multi-Building Facility Scope: Oversees sixteen buildings within the Facilities Management portfolio, each with diverse systems and technologies, requiring strong coordination, prioritization, and technical expertise.
Critical Laboratory Systems (Fume Hoods): Ensures safe and compliant operation of laboratory systems, including fume hoods, which are essential to maintaining controlled environments and protecting personnel and processes.
Secondary Utility Systems of Interest–Fire Protection & Boilers : Provides oversight and technical guidance on critical site utilities, including natural gas boilers for steam generation and fire protection systems such as the fire water loop—both vital to plant safety, reliability, and continuous operations.
Consultative Site-Wide Role: Acts as a trusted technical advisor to internal partners and customers, supporting decision-making and providing expert guidance across cross-functional teams throughout the site.
Maintenance & Troubleshooting Excellence: Supports daily maintenance and troubleshooting efforts for plant equipment and systems, quickly resolving issues to minimize downtime and maintain optimal operational performance.
Process Improvement & Continuous Optimization: Identifies opportunities to improve processes and implements solutions that enhance efficiency, reliability, and safety—driving continuous improvement across the plant.
Project Leadership & Execution: Manages small capital and technical change projects from concept to completion, including planning, scheduling, budgeting, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes.
Regulatory & Safety Compliance: Ensures full compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory standards, actively participating in audits and inspections to uphold the highest levels of operational integrity.
Training & Talent Development: Mentors and develops junior engineering staff, sharing expertise to build technical capability and strengthen the overall engineering team.
Engineering Documentation & Standards: Develops and maintains critical engineering specifications, standards, and work instructions to improve system reliability, increase uptime, and reduce maintenance and spare part costs.
Cross-Functional & Engineering Collaboration: Works closely with production, quality, process engineering, and maintenance teams, while leveraging internal expertise across civil, structural, architectural, and electrical disciplines, as well as external consulting partners when needed.
Integrated Engineering Impact: Delivers a holistic approach to facilities engineering by combining technical depth, ownership mindset, and collaborative leadership to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable site operations.