Utilities & Material Handling Operations Engineer

Stepan Company • Wilmington, NC

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a motivated and hands-on Utilities & Material Handling Operations Engineer to join our team at our Wilmington, NC manufacturing facility. In this role, you will support the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of site utility systems and material handling processes while partnering closely with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence. This position is ideal for an engineer who enjoys working in a manufacturing environment, solving real time operational challenges, and developing broad plant experience across utilities, logistics, and production support.

Requirements

• 5+ years of manufacturing experience or relevant co-op/internship experience preferred.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering teams.
• Understanding of manufacturing KPIs and continuous improvement principles preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with utility systems such as steam, boilers, cooling water, and compressed air.
• Experience with bulk solids or liquid material handling systems.
• Knowledge of process safety, LOTO, permits, and PSM-regulated environments.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement programs.
• Strong interest in plant operations and hands-on field support.

Responsibilities

• Support daily operation of site utilities including steam, condensate, water, compressed air, power distribution, and wastewater interfaces.
• Monitor utility performance and investigate deviations in reliability, efficiency, and availability.
• Assist with troubleshooting utility upsets and abnormal operating conditions alongside Operations and Maintenance teams.
• Support operating procedures, startups, shutdowns, and seasonal operating adjustments.
• Identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reliability, and environmental performance.
• Provide technical support for raw material receiving, internal transfers, bulk material handling, packaging, and shipping operations.
• Troubleshoot material flow issues, transfer inefficiencies, contamination risks, and equipment constraints.
• Support safe loading and unloading activities for trucks, railcars, totes, and bulk storage systems.
• Participate in investigations of material handling incidents, near misses, and losses.
• Analyze utility usage, downtime, material losses, and operating performance data.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action development.
• Support development of standard work, operating limits, and visual management tools.
• Track and help close action items from audits, investigations, and improvement initiatives.

Benefits

• Gain broad exposure to plant operations, utilities, logistics, and manufacturing systems.
• Work alongside experienced Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering professionals.
• Help drive improvements that directly impact safety, reliability, and operational performance.
• Build a strong foundation for future technical and leadership opportunities within chemical manufacturing.

What This Job Offers

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