Optimization and Planning Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY

This role supports the commercial and operational optimization of refinery assets, focusing on planning, scheduling, and performance improvement. The position plays a key role in evaluating feedstocks, managing inventories, optimizing product blending, and coordinating product movement. It also contributes to strategic planning, budgeting, capital project evaluations, and commercial opportunity assessments. The individual in this role directly influences asset economics and value creation.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline required.
• Chemical Engineering degree strongly preferred.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 4 years of experience in a refinery or closely related process-industry setting.
• Background in optimization, planning, commercial operations, or scheduling preferred.
• Leadership or mentorship experience is a plus.
• Strong understanding of refinery processing fundamentals.
• Experience with refinery LP modeling tools, scheduling systems, and crude assay management platforms preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite preferred.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to adapt schedule based on business or operational needs.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Optimize clean-product blending and production scheduling to meet specifications, minimize quality giveaway, and enhance refinery profitability.
• Coordinate activities across operations, logistics, supply, and commercial teams to ensure alignment on schedules, blending plans, and daily execution.
• Monitor, analyze, and forecast inventories of crude, intermediates, and finished products to support refinery planning, marketing, and logistics decisions.
• Determine optimal feedstock selection, unit utilization, operating targets, and product slate to maximize overall margins.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to team members to strengthen refinery planning and optimization capabilities.
• Develop near-term and long-term operating plans that support strategic and commercial objectives.
• Partner with leadership across crude supply, clean products, operations, and finance to evaluate and develop improvement or investment opportunities.
• Provide actionable insights to operations to help drive performance toward optimal economic conditions.
• Utilize crude assay and LP modeling tools to evaluate feedstocks and ensure models accurately reflect refinery yields for reliable planning and forecasting.
• Maintain up-to-date planning models, software systems, and analytical tools.
• Communicate progress, issues, and improvement opportunities to leadership in a timely manner.
• Work may involve exposure to industrial environments where volatile or combustible materials are present.

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Consistent, accurate, and efficient workflow within the planning and optimization function.
• Timely communication of issues impacting refinery performance or constraints.
• Strong, effective working relationships with leadership and cross-functional teams.
• High-quality support and service delivered to internal and external stakeholders.
• Compliance with all organizational policies and procedures.