FCC Technical Excellence Engineer

Albemarle Netherlands BV; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits package

Opportunity for digital innovation

Job summary

Albemarle Netherlands BV is seeking a FCC Technical Excellence Engineer in Houston, TX, to enhance digital capabilities and optimize FCC operations. This role requires a B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering and 3+ years of experience in refining processes with a focus on data-driven solutions.

The ideal candidate will lead systems development, collaborate across teams, and deliver improved customer engagement through innovative digital tools. A competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits await the successful candidate.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in refining, FCC operations, FCC catalyst technical support, or FCC process engineering.
• Strong affinity for digital systems, data modeling, and data connectivity frameworks.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and commercial functions.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain digital platforms, toolkits, and analytical models.
• Provide expert technical input into FCC performance models and operational benchmarking.
• Support commercial teams with data-backed assessments during pre-sales engagements.

Skills

Digital systems affinity

Data modeling

Collaboration skills

Communication skills

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Excel VBA

Power BI

Aspen

PetroSIM

Job description

FCC Technical Excellence Engineer – Digital Systems & Toolkits

Location: Houston, TX

Travel: ~25%

Department: FCC Technical Services / Global Catalysts

Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About the Role

Ketjen’s Global FCC business is expanding its digital capabilities to elevate the way we support customers across the entire lifecycle—from pre‑sales technical engagements and commercial bids to post‑sales unit monitoring and optimization. We are seeking an FCC Technical Excellence Engineer with strong digital affinity to lead the development and deployment of advanced digital systems and technical toolkits that empower our technical services, commercial, and regional teams to deliver differentiated, data‑driven solutions to customers worldwide. This role is ideal for a chemical engineer who understands FCC operations and has a passion for data models, digital systems, and the integration of IT/OT workflows to drive value. The successful candidate will shape how Ketjen brings technical excellence to market through scalable and intelligent digital tools.

Key Responsibilities

Digital Systems & Tools Development

• Design, develop, and maintain digital platforms, toolkits, and analytical models that support FCC technical services and commercial activities.
• Build and enhance standardized FCC technical tools for pre‑sales technical evaluations, catalyst selection and optimization modeling, technical bid development, post‑sales unit monitoring, and performance tracking.
• Partner with IT and data engineering teams to ensure systems are robust, scalable, and secure.

FCC Technical Excellence & Support

• Provide expert technical input into FCC performance models, mass balance tools, kinetic models, and operational benchmarking methodologies.
• Collaborate with regional technical teams to translate FCC operational insights into actionable digital solutions.
• Ensure tools accurately reflect latest catalyst technologies, process trends, operating limits, and customer needs.

Customer Interface / Value Delivery

• Support commercial teams with high‑quality, data‑backed assessments during pre‑sales engagements.
• Enhance after‑sales customer experience by improving digital monitoring capabilities, reporting frameworks, and performance dashboards.
• Help define and implement digital workflows that deliver consistent, high‑value customer service globally.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with R&D, Technical Services, Commercial, and IT to integrate FCC domain knowledge with digital architectures.
• Lead training and onboarding of global teams to adopt new digital capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and standardize FCC data and technical processes globally.

Qualifications

Required

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering.
• 3+ years of experience in refining, FCC operations, FCC catalyst technical support, or FCC process engineering.
• Strong affinity for digital systems, data modeling, and data connectivity frameworks.
• Understanding of refinery data sources (LIMS, DCS/PI, historian systems, unit test data).
• Ability to translate technical requirements into structured digital solutions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and commercial functions.

Preferred

• Experience in building analytical or modeling tools (Python, MATLAB, Excel VBA).
• Process simulation experience (Aspen, PetroSIM).
• Data visualization tools (Power BI).
• Digital transformation or IT/OT integration projects.
• Exposure to FCC catalyst performance metrics and operational troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with global technical service models in the refining sector.

What Success Looks Like

• Creation of reliable, scalable digital systems that simplify and elevate FCC technical workflows.
• Improved consistency and quality of pre‑sales technical and commercial deliverables.
• Enhanced customer engagement through advanced monitoring and digital reporting.
• Strong collaboration and adoption across global technical and commercial teams.
• Measurable impact on service efficiency, customer satisfaction, and commercial differentiation.

Benefits of Joining Ketjen

• Competitive compensation.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunity to combine FCC domain expertise with digital innovation.
• Influence global teams and build high‑impact systems.
• Strengthen Ketjen’s position as a leader in FCC solutions.

Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.