Process Engineer

Chemical Process Engineer

Location: Hungerford, TX

Industry: Chemical Manufacturing (Batch Processing)

Department: Operations

Reports To: Industrial manager

Position Summary

The Chemical Process Engineer is responsible for improving, optimizing, and safeguarding manufacturing processes within a batch chemical production facility. The role focuses on maximizing process safety, product quality, production efficiency, and cost performance through data-driven process improvement and engineering excellence.

This position serves as the technical owner of manufacturing processes and products from development through commercial production. The Chemical Process Engineer leads scale-up activities, manages process and product risk assessments, oversees Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), administers Management of Change (MOC) programs, and supports productions and investments operations.

The successful candidate combines strong chemical engineering fundamentals with extensive knowledge of process safety, risk management, and batch manufacturing operations, process safety analysis, gap analysis, swot analysis, MOCs, PSM , NFPA and Air regulations for United States.

Areas of Responsibility

Process Optimization & Manufacturing Excellence

· Analyze and improve existing manufacturing processes to increase efficiency, throughput, yield, and profitability.

· Identify opportunities to reduce batch cycle times, energy consumption, raw material losses, and operating costs.

· Monitor process performance through statistical and engineering analysis.

· Investigate process variability and implement sustainable corrective actions.

· Support troubleshooting of production challenges and recurring manufacturing issues.

· Develop and maintain process performance metrics and improvement plans.

Product Scale-Up & and Process development and implementation

· Lead scale-up activities from laboratory to commercial manufacturing.

· Develop manufacturing strategies for new products and process technologies.

· Evaluate process capability and identify scale-up risks.

· Coordinate plant trials and validation batches.

· Work closely with R&D, Production, Quality, and Laboratory personnel to ensure successful technology transfer.

· Establish critical process parameters and operate windows for safe and reliable production.

· Follow production operations until new product and process have been developed

· Support production in the creation and modification of batch tickets and batch process procedures.

Process Safety Management (PSM)

· Own and facilitate Process Hazard Analyses (PHA) for new and existing products and processes.

· Lead HAZOP, What-If, Risk Assessment, and other process safety reviews.

· Ensure PHA recommendations are properly evaluated, documented, and implemented.

· Assess process safety implications of process modifications, raw material changes, equipment changes, and new products.

· Promote strong process safety culture throughout the facility.

· Maintain and improve process safety documentation.

Management of Change (MOC)

· Serve as technical owner of the MOC process.

· Evaluate proposed process, equipment, raw material, packaging, and procedural changes.

· Ensure appropriate technical review, risk assessment, and approval before implementation.

· Verify changes are adequately tested and validated.

· Track completion of MOC actions and related documentation.

Technical Risk Assessment & Laboratory Coordination

· Identify knowledge gaps and technical uncertainties associated with products and processes.

· Define additional laboratory testing requirements to support safe scale-up and full production.

· Coordinate testing programs with laboratory personnel and external partners when necessary.

· Review test results and translate findings into practical manufacturing recommendations and process procedures.

· Ensure process decisions are supported by sound technical data.

Regulatory, Safety & Compliance

· Support compliance with applicable process safety, environmental, and chemical manufacturing regulations.

· Participate in incident investigations and root cause analyses.

· Support development of safe operating procedures and manufacturing instructions.

· Ensure process documentation remains accurate and current.

· Assist with audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Process Performance

· Batch cycle time reduction

· Manufacturing cost reduction

· Yield improvement

· Waste and scrap reduction

· Throughput improvement (OEE)

Scale-Up Success

· Successful commercialization of new products

· Time-to-commercial-production

· Number of successful first-pass scale-ups

· Reduction in scale-up related deviations

Process Safety

· Completion of PHA reviews on schedule

· Closure rate of PHA action items

· Number of process safety incidents

· MOC compliance rate

· Reduction of identified high-risk scenarios

Quality & Reliability

· Reduction in process deviations

· Improved process capability

· Reduction in off-spec production

· Increased first-pass production acceptance

Required Qualifications

Education

· Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering required.

· Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering preferred.

· Candidates selected for further consideration may be required to provide official or unofficial academic transcripts, including coursework and grades in relevant technical subjects.

Experience

· Minimum of 5 years of recent experience in the chemical manufacturing industry, including a minimum of 3 years in a Chemical Process Engineer or substantially similar process-engineering position within a batch chemical processing environment.

· Experience in batch chemical processing required.

· Demonstrated experience with process scale-up and commercialization.

· Experience conducting or leading PHA, HAZOP, and risk assessments.

· Experience managing Management of Change (MOC) programs.

· Experience with NFPA code and Air and Water regulations for United States.

Technical Competencies

· Chemical reaction engineering

· Batch process optimization

· Process scale-up

· Statistical process analysis

· Root cause investigation

· Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

· HAZOP methodology

· Management of Change (MOC)

· Process Safety Management (PSM)

· Risk assessment methodologies

· Swot and Gap analysis

· NFPA code

· Air and water regulations for United States/

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience in specialty chemicals, resins, coatings, additives, polymers, or similar batch chemical operations.

· Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma exposure.

· Experience with Seveso, OSHA PSM, COMAH, or equivalent regulatory frameworks.

Language requirements

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills in American English are required.
Professional proficiency in Spanish (written and spoken) is highly desirable.

Travel Requirements

· Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as required, to support operations and projects across affiliated companies within the group.

Why Join Us?

· High-impact technical leadership role

· Direct influence on plant profitability and safety performance

· Opportunity to shape future products and technologies

· Collaborative and innovation-focused environment

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Compensation Package:

• Profit sharing

Application Question(s):

• Do you have experience in batch chemical processing? If so, how many years?
• Do you have demonstrated experience with process scale-up and commercialization? If so, how many years?
• Do you have experience conducting or leading PHA, HAZOP, and risk assessments? If so, how many years?
• Do you have experience managing Management of Change (MOC) programs? If so, how many years?
• Do you have experience with NFPA code and Air and Water regulations for the United States? If so, how many years?
• Do you have a minimum of 5 years of recent experience in the chemical manufacturing industry, including a minimum of 3 years in a Chemical Process Engineer or substantially similar process-engineering position within a batch chemical processing environment? If so, how many years of experience do you have?
• Do you have a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering?

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• East Bernard, TX 77435 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• East Bernard, TX 77435: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person