Process Control Engineer – DCS & Process Optimization

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

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.