Principal Process Engineer

Evonik; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Evonik is seeking a principal process engineer to provide process engineering oversight for product chains, site systems, and major capital project investments. You will apply process engineering knowledge to support synthesis of starting materials, pharmaceutical intermediates, final bulk products, and associated site service systems in a safe, quality, efficient, and environmentally responsible manner.

The role emphasizes process understanding, monitoring, and improving process performance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or related discipline.
• 15 years of experience in chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing and engineering.
• Experience across multiple production facilities with varying scales and technology platforms.
• Strong technical expertise to resolve complex process engineering challenges.
• Ability to identify improvement opportunities and drive process optimization.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies and ability to implement improvements.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in external customer engagement and relationship management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide process engineering support for established processes and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage ESHS, quality, cycle time, and equipment availability requirements.
• Oversee process chains and unit operations, collaborating with customers and cross-functional project teams.
• Apply technical expertise in mixing, material science, heat transfer, mass transfer, filtration, and drying to optimize processes.
• Develop technical strategies for new process introductions, scale-ups, process modifications, and complex product implementations.
• Assess site capacity constraints, identify bottlenecks, and implement solutions to improve productivity and operational efficiency.
• Develop safety concepts and maximize project financial viability in collaboration with site and business line stakeholders.
• Lead major capital projects exceeding $15 million and mentor project leaders responsible for smaller capital investments.
• Maintain expertise in regulatory requirements, engineering standards, best practices, and plant-specific systems.
• Develop, review, and approve technical documents, production policies, and procedures while supporting team development and execution excellence.

Skills

Process engineering

Scale-up expertise

Project leadership

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering

Job description

What We Offer

At Evonik, you’re part of a global chemical company working in many sectors that go beyond chemistry. From lipids for tomorrow’s medicines, biosurfactants for green detergents, additives for plastics recycling or membranes to help drive forward the energy transition, you’ll play an essential part in helping the world’s most essential industries succeed.

What We Offer

At Evonik, you’re part of a global chemical company working in many sectors that go beyond chemistry. From lipids for tomorrow’s medicines, biosurfactants for green detergents, additives for plastics recycling or membranes to help drive forward the energy transition, you’ll play an essential part in helping the world’s most essential industries succeed.

Find out more about the many benefits we offer:

https://www.evonik.com/en/careers/why.html

Meet the team and get to know the people behind Evonik:

https://www.evonik.com/en/news/meet-the-team.html

The principal process engineer is responsible for providing process engineering oversight for product chains, site systems, and overall operational responsibility for major capital project investments. They will apply process engineering knowledge and skills to support the synthesis of starting materials, pharmaceutical intermediates, final bulk products, and associated site service systems in a safe, quality, efficient, and environmentally responsible manner. Specifically, the principal process engineer is responsible for process understanding, monitoring, and improving process performance. They will also advise and drive others towards those objectives, specifically other process engineers and individuals that are Project Responsible for smaller projects. This may include work in small molecule manufacturing (SMM) and/or large molecule manufacturing (LMM).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide process engineering support for established processes, analyze performance data, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage ESHS (Environment, Safety, Health, and Security), quality, cycle time, and equipment availability requirements.
• Oversee process chains and unit operations, collaborating with customers and cross-functional project teams.
• Apply technical expertise in mixing, material science, heat transfer, mass transfer, filtration, and drying to optimize processes.
• Develop technical strategies for new process introductions, scale-ups, process modifications, and complex product implementations.
• Assess site capacity constraints, identify bottlenecks, and implement solutions to improve productivity and operational efficiency.
• Develop safety concepts and maximize project financial viability in collaboration with site and business line stakeholders.
• Lead major capital projects exceeding $15 million and mentor project leaders responsible for smaller capital investments.
• Maintain expertise in regulatory requirements, engineering standards, best practices, and plant-specific systems.
• Develop, review, and approve technical documents, production policies, and procedures while supporting team development and execution excellence.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering preferred; equivalent degrees in a related engineering or chemistry discipline will also be considered.
• Preferred 15 years of experience in chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing and engineering.
• Experience working across multiple production facilities with varying scales and technology platforms.
• Strong technical expertise and practical experience in resolving complex process engineering challenges.
• Proven ability to identify improvement opportunities, overcome challenges, and drive process optimization.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies and the ability to recommend and implement technical improvements.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in external customer engagement and relationship management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct supervisory authority and make timely decisions with limited information.
• Strong computer skills and the ability to apply fundamental engineering and business principles to solve problems and support operational objectives.

The Evonik Group adopts an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) approach. Candidates are assessed based on their educational qualifications, experience, job competencies and potential and shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, nationality, disability or sexual orientation or other classifications protected by local, state, or provincial regulations.