Process Control Engineer

About the Company

INEOS Phenol is the world’s largest producer of phenol and acetone with an annual manufacturing capacity of over 3 million tonnes per annum. We employ around 600 people across four sites, located at: Antwerp (Belgium), Gladbeck (Germany), Marl (Germany), Mobile, AL, Singapore and Pasadena, TX. Our markets are growing worldwide. Our efficient, integrated assets provide a competitive global manufacturing base to grow with our customers, to continue to meet their needs around the world.

About the Role

As a Process Control Engineer at INEOS Phenol, you will play a critical role in ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient operation of our manufacturing facility by designing, optimising and maintaining advanced automation, control and safety systems. This is an exciting opportunity to combine cutting-edge technology, data analytics and engineering expertise to drive continuous improvement and enhance plant performance.

Responsibilities

• Promote and ensure a sustained commitment to operating without harm to our employees, contractors, third parties, communities, the environment, and our assets by visibly demonstrating leadership in safety.
• Promote safety and safe actions through communication such as discussing safety with employees/contractors before job tasks, during meetings, and as opportunities arise to promote safety to the fullest extent possible.
• Develop and implement preventative maintenance and inspection plans for the facility’s DCS/PLC control systems, Emergency Shutdown system, Data Historian, and Alarm Management system to ensure safe and reliable performance.
• Develop and implement a system to measure, track, and report on reliability and availability of the DCS, ESD, PLC, Data Historian, and Alarm management systems. Causes of deviations and failures should be evaluated and communicated to the organization.
• Coordinate with the I&E department for the maintenance and inspection of the DCS and ESD systems without interruptions to operations. This includes ensuring the DCS AMS database is maintained when devices are added, replaced, or modified.
• Perform and document annual and bi-annual safety Interlock checks to ensure compliance with mechanical Integrity requirements.
• Maintain DCS & ESD system backups and cyber security tools as per policies.
• Analyze process data to identify areas for improvement. Develop and implement control strategies including loop tuning, process variable calculations, alarm configuration, and interlocks to improve operational performance.
• Develop and implement advanced control algorithms and control sequences to continuously improve process safety, stability, efficiency and reliability.
• Support to the production, maintenance, ES&H, laboratory, and engineering departments, by analyzing process and system data to evaluate upsets, equipment failures, quality issues, etc.
• Provide training for all applicable plant personnel on automated systems as required.
• Support the PHA, PSSR, and SIL processes and PSPM initiatives as needed.
• Support the management of change processes (TEC, procedure review, and TPCC) by reviewing the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed change and completing all actions required by the automations group. Including a process to store, modify, and control the technical data for the DCS, ESD, PLC, Data Historian, and Alarm Management Systems.
• Compile, review, and produce reports required to track the ongoing performance of plant automations including but not limited to alarms, operator actions, controller mode, system health, system utilization, etc.
• Design and execute projects required for automation hardware or software systems.
• Design, implement, and support projects required improve instrumented process systems and automated functionality of the facility operations.
• Participate on the Phenol Smart Manufacturing team. Support global initiatives and when applicable, implement new initiatives at the Mobile facility.
• Provide Technical support for special interfaces to the DCS such as Loading operations (Z-load), SAP, Profibus, Modbus, and SQL applications.
• Support and participate in audits and reviews to support internal and external requirements, including INEOS 20 Principles, insurance, OSHA, ISO, etc.

Qualifications

• BS Degree in Engineering with minimum 5 years of experience in an industrial environment, or
• AAS Technical Degree with minimum 10 years of experience in industrial electrical, instrumentation & process controls.

Technical Skills

• In depth understanding of control theory, including PID control, advanced control strategies (model predictive control, adaptive control), and statistical process control (SPC)
• Expertise in a variety of instrumentation technologies (pressure, temperature, flow, level, etc.), distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and human-machine interfaces (HMIs)
• Able to configure and troubleshoot distributed control systems (Emerson RS3, Emerson DeltaV, Honeywell Experion)
• Able to configure and troubleshoot safety instrumented systems (Honeywell FSC, Hima).
• Proficient in PLC programming languages (e.g., ladder logic, structured text) and able to configure and troubleshoot field industrial controllers (Allen Bradley PLCs, Siemens PLCs, Local HMIs)
• Able to configure and troubleshoot data acquisition and alarm management systems (e.g. OSI PI, Process View, etc.)
• Proficient in using simulation tools to model and analyze complex chemical processes.
• Able to collect, analyze, and interpret large datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and opportunities for improvement
• Knowledgeable in industrial communications configuration protocols (e.g., Modbus, Profibus) and capability to configure and troubleshoot
• Knowledge of programming languages and scripting languages for automation, data analysis, and control system development.
• Understanding of industry standards (e.g. ISA and IEC) to ensure safe and sustainable operations
• Able to configure and troubleshoot smart instrumentation
• Able to read, generate, and modify P&IDs, loop sheets, and single line diagrams associated with instrumentation and controls connections to skid packages, distributed control systems (DCS), and safety instrumented systems (SIS)

Behavioral Skills

• Ability to identify and troubleshoot complex technical issues, develop innovative solutions, and make data-driven decisions
• Able to effectively communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders, including clear and concise written and verbal communication, presentation skills, and active listening
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, collaborate with engineers, technicians, and operations personnel, and build strong relationships
• Meticulous approach to ensure accuracy and precision in all work, including control system design, configuration, and troubleshooting
• Strong commitment to safety and environmental compliance, including adherence to safety procedures and risk assessments
• Commitment to lifelong learning and professional development to stay up to date with the latest technologies, industry standards, and best practices in mechanical integrity and inspections
• Objective oriented self-starter able to effectively manage priorities, quality, and timelines of self and contractors/consultants
• Maintains well developed outside contacts among other INEOS sites, technology providers, equipment suppliers, engineering firms, professional associations, and industry peers to share expertise and implement best practices
• Capacity to adapt to changing priorities, learn new technologies, and work under pressure in a dynamic environment