The Shepherd Chemical Company manufactures metal-based chemicals that are essential to technologies for consumer safety, environmental sustainability, advanced product performance and industrial process efficiency. Partnering with industries from fragrance and personal care to petrochemicals and polyurethanes, we are working to solve some of our customer’s most complex problems through the synthesis, scale up, and commercialization of inorganic and organic metal compounds.

Our employees scale projects from “concept to container”, travel the world to visit customers, attend industry conferences, and participate in community initiatives for health, wellness, safety and philanthropy. Doing meaningful work with trusted, talented colleagues is our formula for success and being a great place to work. Every day, our employees relentlessly pursue Shepherd’s core purpose of Creating Value and Brightening Lives.

The Engineering department at Shepherd Chemical implements creative solutions to challenges and improvement opportunities identified within the manufacturing plant. We are seeking an experienced engineer to identify and implement technology, systems, process improvements, and best practices that maintain and improve operational performance. Operational performance is measured in terms of safety, environmental control, productivity, quality, equipment reliability and cost reduction. Most of our processes are batch operations.

Job Responsibilities:

• Monitor and analyze key in-process and laboratory data to understand and reduce or minimize:
  • product quality and product output variation 
  • key process parameter variation including batch cycle time
  • risk of injury to production team employees and contractors
  • consumption of utilities
  • worker exposure to chemicals
  • emissions to air and water
  • material waste
• Identify opportunities and lead initiatives to improve process efficiency, capacity, and safety and environmental impact
• Support day-to-day activities of production team, including troubleshooting and process changeover
• Lead the Management of Change for the area including facility changes and processing changes
• Participate in the identification and implementation of both preventive and corrective maintenance activities
• Assist with and provide training for production team personnel
• Maintain and foster collaborative effort with R&D, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Safety, and Quality teams to identify, establish and share best practices
• Provide technical support for the construction, commissioning and start-up of projects related to the infrastructure and product / process development and improvement
• Monitor and support activities necessary for compliance with ISO9001:2015, Responsible Care, and all other applicable regulatory standards and requirements
• Assist with the management of projects, production activities, facilities, and personnel outside of the production team as directed to achieve production, reliability and cost improvements that contribute to continued success of the business 

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering (preferred) or other engineering discipline is required
• Minimum of three (3) years of chemical manufacturing experience

Required Skills

• Ability to use various software applications essential to technical performance
• Demonstrate written, verbal, analytical, and communication skills
• Ability to conceptually define and evaluate all feasible process routes and the proven judgment to select the best route for implementation
• Proven successful with equipment selection, start-up and operation
• Successful leadership and organizational problem solving/conflict resolution skills.
• Strong organizational skills - demonstrated by the ability to manage multiple projects/priorities
• Experience working in a team-oriented environment 
• Able to work effectively with colleagues and front-line personnel by practicing collaborative problem-solving and honest communication

Desired Skills

• Project management training and/or certification
• Familiarity and experience in using process improvement methodologies - Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Total Quality Manufacturing, etc.
• Demonstrated use of control strategies and design of process control systems.
• Proven consideration of health, safety and environmental management procedures and controls in process development.
• Experience in waste management and process economics.
• Familiarity with Statistical Process Reporting.

Work Environment

At times, you will be exposed to cold or hot, dusty and noisy surroundings.

Benefits

Full-time team members receive:

• Competitive Pay
• Health and Life Insurance (eligibility date of hire)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Short and Long-Term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company 401K Contribution (eligibility date of hire)
• Company Bonus eligibility
• Fitness Membership subsidy
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Career Development

EEO Statement

The Shepherd Material Science Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age (40 or over), disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.