Process Control Engineer

Westlake Chemical Corporation; New Martinsville (WV); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Westlake Chemical Corporation in New Martinsville, WV is seeking a Process Control Engineer to maintain, improve, and optimize control strategies for safe, reliable, and efficient operation of chemical units.

This role serves as the primary technical resource for DCS configuration, control loop performance, alarm management, process optimization, and process safety controls, collaborating with Operations and Process Engineering.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or related engineering discipline.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, monitor, and improve process control strategies to enhance production, safety, quality, and profitability.
• Analyze process performance and identify opportunities to improve unit stability, throughput, energy efficiency, and product quality.
• Monitor and maintain regulatory control loops, including PID tuning and performance assessment.
• Support process engineers and operations personnel in resolving process-related operating issues.
• Utilize process data and historian systems to identify trends, diagnose problems, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead and participate in process optimization efforts during normal operation, unit startups, shutdowns, and process transitions.
• Serve as the site technical expert for DCS applications and process control configuration.
• Implement and maintain DCS control strategies, graphics, alarms, calculations, and operator interfaces.
• Support system upgrades, migrations, testing, commissioning, and lifecycle management.
• Monitor DCS network health, system performance, backups, and disaster recovery systems.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors on DCS-related projects and support activities.
• Maintain system documentation, control narratives, and configuration management practices.
• Support Management of Change (MOC) activities involving process control systems.
• Participate in Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA), and safety reviews.
• Ensure process control systems align with plant safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Support maintenance and verification of critical alarms, interlocks, and safety-related control functions.
• Assist with implementation and maintenance of alarm management programs.
• Provide process control design support for capital and expense projects.
• Review P&IDs, control narratives, cause-and-effect diagrams, and instrumentation specifications.
• Work with Operations, Maintenance, and Instrumentation personnel to troubleshoot process and control issues.
• Develop and execute control system testing plans for plant modifications and new installations.
• Support commissioning and startup of new equipment and process improvements.
• Provide technical support for process instrumentation including flow, pressure, temperature, level, and analytical measurements.
• Assist in troubleshooting instrumentation issues that impact process performance.
• Support calibration, maintenance planning, and reliability initiatives for critical control loops.
• Provide limited support for PLC and HMI systems where they interface with process operations and DCS systems.

Job description

SUMMARY

The Process Control Engineer is responsible for maintaining, improving, and optimizing process control strategies to support safe, reliable, and efficient operation of chemical manufacturing units. This position serves as the primary technical resource for regulatory control systems, DCS configuration, control loop performance, alarm management, process optimization, and process safety controls.

The role focuses on improving unit performance through effective process control applications, troubleshooting process-related issues, supporting capital and maintenance projects, and collaborating with Operations, Process Engineering, Production, and Instrumentation teams. While familiarity with PLC-based systems is required, the primary emphasis is on chemical process control, DCS systems, and process optimization rather than automation programming.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop, implement, monitor, and improve process control strategies to enhance production, safety, quality, and profitability.
• Analyze process performance and identify opportunities to improve unit stability, throughput, energy efficiency, and product quality.
• Monitor and maintain regulatory control loops, including PID tuning and performance assessment.
• Support process engineers and operations personnel in resolving process-related operating issues.
• Utilize process data and historian systems to identify trends, diagnose problems, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead and participate in process optimization efforts during normal operation, unit startups, shutdowns, and process transitions.

Distributed Control System (DCS) Support

• Serve as the site technical expert for DCS applications and process control configuration.
• Implement and maintain DCS control strategies, graphics, alarms, calculations, and operator interfaces.
• Support system upgrades, migrations, testing, commissioning, and lifecycle management.
• Monitor DCS network health, system performance, backups, and disaster recovery systems.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors on DCS-related projects and support activities.
• Maintain system documentation, control narratives, and configuration management practices.

Process Safety & Compliance

• Support Management of Change (MOC) activities involving process control systems.
• Participate in Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA), and safety reviews.
• Ensure process control systems align with plant safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Support maintenance and verification of critical alarms, interlocks, and safety-related control functions.
• Assist with implementation and maintenance of alarm management programs.

Project & Technical Support

• Provide process control design support for capital and expense projects.
• Review P&IDs, control narratives, cause-and-effect diagrams, and instrumentation specifications.
• Work with Operations, Maintenance, and Instrumentation personnel to troubleshoot process and control issues.
• Develop and execute control system testing plans for plant modifications and new installations.
• Support commissioning and startup of new equipment and process improvements.

Instrumentation & Control Systems

• Provide technical support for process instrumentation including flow, pressure, temperature, level, and analytical measurements.
• Assist in troubleshooting instrumentation issues that impact process performance.
• Support calibration, maintenance planning, and reliability initiatives for critical control loops.
• Provide limited support for PLC and HMI systems where they interface with process operations and DCS systems.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), if applicable.
• Strong understanding of chemical process operations and process control fundamentals.
• Experience with DCS systems in a chemical, petrochemical, refining, specialty chemical, or manufacturing environment.
• Experience with control loop tuning, process troubleshooting, and process optimization.
• Knowledge of process instrumentation and measurement systems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate as normally based in an office. Some of the work may be required in the operating units which can require usage of required PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, etc. May also result in exposure to outside elements and may require usage of stairs and elevators. Travel including air travel or auto travel may occasionally be required.

Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.

Westlake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable legislation.