Sr. Project Engineer

Kaneka Americas Holding•Pasadena, TX

About The Position

The Sr. Project Engineer manages capital projects from initial concept through closeout, leading work through Propose, Feasibility, Define, Execute, and Closeout phases. The role establishes project objectives, scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and measures of success, while ensuring technical solutions align with business, operational, safety, environmental, reliability, and lifecycle objectives. The engineer monitors performance and addresses risks, issues, changes, and deviations, and provides timely project status reports to leadership and stakeholders. The role develops and maintains project execution plans, schedules, budgets, forecasts, resource plans, estimates, milestone plans, and critical-path visibility. It manages budgets, commitments, expenditures, contingency, and cash flow; evaluates change requests; and communicates their potential effects on cost, schedule, scope, and project economics. The engineer coordinates project execution with plant operations, maintenance, outages, and turnaround schedules. Projects are led through a formal stage-gate or Front-End Loading (FEL) methodology. The engineer facilitates gate reviews, coordinates funding authorization packages and review materials, ensures phase deliverables are complete and documented, and validates readiness, definition maturity, and risk disposition before recommending advancement. The Sr. Project Engineer manages engineering and construction contractors, vendors, consultants, and specialist resources. Responsibilities include developing scopes of work; supporting bid evaluations, contractor selection, negotiations, and contract administration; coordinating equipment, materials, and long-lead procurement; and monitoring contractor performance, schedules, deliverables, safety, quality, and commercial compliance. The position also supports construction planning, field execution, commissioning, startup, and turnover, including field supervision of contractors and engineering firms. The position applies engineering principles and industry practices and coordinates multidisciplinary engineering work across process, mechanical, piping, civil/structural, electrical, instrumentation and controls, and automation. It reviews engineering deliverables for completeness, constructability, operability, maintainability, and technical adequacy; supports design and technical assurance reviews, hazard reviews, risk assessments, and Management of Change activities; participates in project HAZOPs and PHAs; and adheres to onsite safety policies. The role also makes recommendations for process/production and department improvements, undertakes design and installation of non-process projects as needed, and supports special assignments for administration and technical labs. The engineer leads, coaches, mentors, motivates, and supervises project team members and contractors, and mentors department interns and junior engineers when needed. The job description calls for emotional empathy, a positive attitude, excellent communication, flexibility and adaptability, and interpersonal skills. Participation in continued learning initiatives is also expected.

Requirements

Demonstrated emotional empathy.
Positive attitude.
Excellent communication skills.
Flexibility and adaptability.
Interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

Manage capital projects from concept through closeout across Propose, Feasibility, Define, Execute, and Closeout phases.
Establish project objectives, scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and success measures, and ensure technical solutions support business, operational, safety, environmental, reliability, and lifecycle objectives.
Monitor project performance and proactively address risks, issues, changes, and deviations; provide timely status reports to leadership and stakeholders.
Develop and maintain project execution plans, schedules, budgets, forecasts, resource plans, estimates, milestone plans, and critical-path visibility.
Manage budgets, forecasts, commitments, expenditures, contingency, and cash flow; evaluate change requests and communicate potential impacts.
Coordinate project execution with plant operations, maintenance, outages, and turnaround schedules.
Lead projects through formal stage-gate or Front-End Loading (FEL) methodology; facilitate gate reviews and coordinate required business, technical, and funding approvals.
Ensure phase deliverables are complete, reviewed, and documented; prepare or coordinate funding authorization packages and gate review materials; validate project readiness, definition maturity, and risk disposition before recommending phase advancement.
Manage engineering contractors, construction contractors, vendors, consultants, and specialist resources; develop scopes of work and support bid evaluations, selection, negotiations, and contract administration.
Coordinate procurement of equipment, materials, and long-lead items, and monitor contractor performance, schedules, deliverables, safety, quality, and commercial compliance.
Support construction planning, field execution, commissioning, startup, and turnover; provide field supervision of contractors and engineering firms.
Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering activities across process, mechanical, piping, civil/structural, electrical, instrumentation and controls, and automation.
Review engineering deliverables for completeness, constructability, operability, maintainability, and technical adequacy; support design reviews, hazard reviews, risk assessments, Management of Change activities, and technical assurance reviews.
Adhere to onsite safety policies and participate in project HAZOPs and PHAs.
Recommend process/production and department improvements; design and install non-process projects as required; support special assignments for administration and technical labs.
Coach, mentor, motivate, and supervise project team members and contractors, and mentor department interns and junior engineers when needed.
Participate in continued learning initiatives and demonstrate emotional empathy, a positive attitude, excellent communication, flexibility/adaptability, and interpersonal skills.