Air Separation Unit Specialist

Ineos Pigments USA; Ashtabula (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Comprehensive benefits

401(k) match

Job summary

INEOS Pigments USA in Ashtabula, OH, seeks an Air Separation Unit Specialist to lead ASU operations with focus on safety, reliability, and product purity. The role emphasizes troubleshooting, procedure development, and training to ensure efficient plant performance.

The position requires 5–8 years of ASU experience with a mechanical, chemical, or electrical engineering background, or equivalent hands-on expertise with extensive ASU practice. Competitive compensation is offered.

Qualifications

• Direct ASU experience required.
• Engineering degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or related field.
• Experience with cryogenic distillation and purification beds.
• Proficient with P&IDs, electrical schematics and flow charts.
• RCFA and FMEA familiarity desired.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities.
• SAP and MS Office proficiency.
• Safety culture awareness with PSM/ISO knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day technical leadership for ASU operations.
• Ensure product purity and troubleshoot processes.
• Develop operating procedures and best practices.
• Lead operator training and knowledge transfer.
• Plan outages, turnarounds, and maintenance strategies.
• Identify reliability improvements and RCFA/FMEA initiatives.
• Collaborate with maintenance to optimize equipment performance.
• Ensure safety, environmental, and PSM compliance.
• Analyze plant data to prevent failures and optimize performance.
• Support debottlenecking and capacity enhancements.

Skills

ASU experience

Troubleshooting

Rotating equipment

P&ID interpretation

DCS knowledge

Six Sigma

RCFA/FMEA

SAP

MS Office

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

No degree with 15–20 years ASU experience

Tools

None

Job description

At INEOS Pigments, we value the contribution of our people in making us one of the largest producers of titanium dioxide in North America. Providing numerous products and services to industries around the globe, from coatings to plastics to paper and other end‑uses, we invest in employee development and offer a wide range of career opportunities, giving everyone the chance to broaden their experience and build a professionally rewarding career.

The Air Separation Unit (ASU) Specialist provides day‑to‑day technical leadership for a cryogenic Air Separation Unit. This role integrates operations support, guaranteeing product purity (O₂, N₂, Ar), process troubleshooting, procedure development, training, and maintenance strategy oversight, to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable plant performance. It is classified as a Safety Critical role.

Key activities include:

• Adhere to INEOS Pigments’ 20 principles of process and Behavioral Safety and Life Saving Rules
• Provide day‑to‑day technical support for ASU operations (O₂, N₂, Ar production)
• Troubleshoot complex, non‑routine system process fluctuations and manage swift, safe recovery actions during unplanned shutdowns
• Maximize plant reliability and efficiency by continuously fine‑tuning process variables such as flow rates, temperatures, and pressures.
• Support and lead derime and cool‑down, startups, shutdowns, and load changes
• Optimize plant performance, energy efficiency, and product recovery
• Develop and maintain operating procedures and best practices
• Lead operator training, qualification, and knowledge transfer
• Standardize startup/shutdown and upset recovery procedures
• Define maintenance strategies for critical ASU equipment (pumps, centrifugal compressors, expanders, product purification units, cryogenic distillation columns, valves)
• Identify and implement reliability and efficiency improvements
• Analyze plant data and trends to prevent failures and optimize performance
• Support debottlenecking and capacity improvements
• Support planning and execution of outages and turnarounds
• Lead or participate in RCFA, FMEA, and reliability improvement initiatives
• Partner with maintenance teams to prioritize work and improve equipment performance
• Ensure adherence to all safety, environmental, and PSM requirements
• Participate in HAZOPs, audits, and risk assessments
• Reinforce a strong safety culture across operations and maintenance
• Other duties as assigned

You should possess:

• Must have direct Air Separation Unit (ASU) experience
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or related) with 5–8 years of ASU experience, or non‑degreed (high school diploma / technical training) ASU expert with 15–20 years hands‑on experience
• Strong knowledge and deep expertise in the mechanics of cryogenic distillation systems, molecular sieve purification beds, and turbo‑expanders
• Experience with rotating equipment (pumps, compressors)
• Familiarity with Distributed Control Systems (DCS)
• Demonstrated troubleshooting and problem‑solving ability
• Fluent capability to interpret complex Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), electrical schematics and thermodynamic flow charts
• Ability to use analytical processes (appraise a situation, develop supporting plans, make decisions, generate innovative ideas, analyze and troubleshoot operational problems); Six Sigma training a plus
• Experience with reliability tools (RCFA, FMEA) desired
• Working knowledge of chemical/industrial equipment function, design, and regulatory requirements and Process Safety Management and ISO systems and procedures
• Proficiency with computer programs, specifically Microsoft Office Suite and SAP
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with all levels of employees

Schedule / Hours

This is a salaried, exempt position with typical work hours of 7:00 am – 3:30 pm, Monday – Friday. Flexible Schedule: the ability to work on a 9/80 work schedule.

Benefits

Our Ashtabula, Ohio Complex, consisting of two plants just south of Lake Erie, is a state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing complex with leading technology and more than 45 years of manufacturing excellence.

INEOS Pigments offers a competitive salary with an annual bonus and a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, medical, dental, vision, short‑term disability, long‑term disability with the buy‑up option, basic life & AD&D insurance with a buy‑up option for self and dependents, and 401(k) with company match.

EOE M/F/Vet/Disabled

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