Process Engineer

Oxychem; Taft (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

OxyChem in Taft is seeking a Process Engineer to lead Safe, efficient operation of the Taft Plant. You will direct process area activities, ensure product quality, and collaborate with maintenance, engineering, and operations teams.

The ideal candidate holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with 3–5 years in manufacturing, strong analytical skills, and excellent communication. You must be able to work on weekends and wear required PPE in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering is required.
• Minimum 3–5 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork abilities.
• Willingness to work weekends/holidays and respond to callouts.
• Physical ability to lift 40 lbs and wear PPE as needed.

Responsibilities

• Maintain safety, health, and environmental compliance for employees and communities.
• Plan and direct process-area activities to produce quality products safely and reliably.
• Develop and improve management systems and procedures to quantify performance.
• Coordinate outages and maintenance planning with maintenance teams.
• Provide technical support to maintenance and engineering for capital projects.
• Lead process hazard reviews and support safety programs.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide engineering guidance.
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and corporate engineering for reliability.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Teamwork

Safety awareness

On-call readiness

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

At OxyChem, our chemistry makes modern life possible, and it is our people who make the difference. We are a safety-first, purpose-driven team committed to innovation, environmental responsibility, and doing things the right way. If you are ready to contribute, elevate your skills, and take ownership of your career, Oxychem offers the opportunity to make a difference every day.

OxyChem, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading producer of essential chemistry with operations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. OxyChem’s products play an essential role in everyday life, supporting critical applications in water treatment, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, personal hygiene, and residential and commercial construction. OxyChem actively participates in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Program, underscoring our commitment to safety. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, OxyChem is a top three U.S. manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride, chlor-alkali and chlorinated organic chemicals, and calcium chloride. Visit oxychem.com for more information.

In a fast-paced industry that demands precision, we create a supportive workplace where the safety and well-being of our employees are paramount. We are committed to rewarding top performers, offering very competitive pay and benefits, and providing tremendous career development opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Maintain protection of the environment and the health and safety of our employees, customers, and the communities in which we operate and/or transport our products, as our highest priority.
• Ensure consistency of operation, application of policies/procedures, and accountability across all shifts for employees working in the assigned unit.
• Plan and direct the activities of the process area in a manner that achieves production of quality products in a safe, efficient, and reliable manner.
• Develop new & enhance existing management systems and procedures to quantify and compare operating performance with established standards and assures compliance with such standards.
• Manage reliability priorities and maintenance backlogs for the operating area. Work with planners and lead techs to support maintenance excellence. Work in conjunction with Maintenance to ensure that the maintenance backlog is managed, planned, and scheduled properly.
• Identify capital projects and assist in development of detailed scope as needed for the areas.
• Provide outage planning and support for planned shutdowns. Identify outage timing and scope. Help develop the operations plan for the outage and coordinate with Maintenance on the maintenance plan and cost.
• Assure that raw material and product inventories are in compliance with established minimum-maximum levels, that these materials meet specifications, and are handled in a manner which minimizes degradation or loss. Work to meet the objectives of the business and logistics leaders to establish raw material needs/usage targets, permissible inventory flexibility, production needs, and shipment targets.
• Develop and implement specific projects to improve manufacturing cost performance.
• Provide direction to the process technicians on key parameters, plant operating instructions, preparation of equipment for maintenance, process troubleshooting, operating plans, and safety issues.
• Cooperatively accountable with other line and technical staff functions for the results of the Taft Plant. Accountability will be fulfilled by process improvements, technical assistance, environmental assistance, production engineering assistance, project engineering assistance, startup assistance, and product accountability quality improvement.
• Develop, manage and participate in programs, methods, systems, and practices for maintaining a safe work environment. Maintain safety and environmental awareness consistent with plant and corporate standards via safety meetings, training, hazards review, etc. Support OxyChem and OSHA Process Safety Management, Responsible Care and Risk Management programs including Management of Change and Process Hazards Reviews, and being EOC liaison.
• Assist Production and Maintenance Engineering in matters of evaluation, selection, and coordination and control of vendors supplying necessary operating services, consulting services, materials, equipment, and other needs of operation
• Provide coordination between the production department, Maintenance engineering, and corporate engineering departments for capital projects as required and assume responsibilities as assigned, such as equipment specifications, engineering flow sheets, etc.
• Develop and maintain expertise in areas of specialization, develop new skills, develop overall technical competence, keep informed of new technology and new developments, participate in and identify programs to improve personal and group-wide professional development
• Provide leadership while participating in teams to solve complex technical problems and achieve continuous process improvement
• Provide technical support in customer audits, inquiries and product quality improvements in accordance with the Taft’s Quality system.
• Mentor to Junior Engineers; provide direction for less experienced personnel
• Participates and accepts responsibility for meeting plant and individual PSM goals, and monthly spreadsheet responsibilities as specified in Plant procedures.
• Actively participates in plant’s Health, Environmental, Safety, and Security (HESS) programs to assure a safe and environmentally sound workplace.
• Assumes accountability for meeting plant safety goals and various other requirements including training, job observations, reporting hazards and issues, and working safely in job assignments.
• Actively participates in safety meetings and various other HESS programs while promoting safety through offering recommendations to other employees on working safely.
• Leads Process Hazard Reviews.
• Functions as key technical contact for process operations.
• Develops and maintains technical expertise to function in a back-up role for DCS troubleshooting.
• Develops Authorization for Expenditures (AFE) for capital projects and completes project implementation including training and startup assistance.
• Supports and fulfills the requirements of the plant’s ISO Quality System.
• Complete any additional responsibilities assigned by Plant Management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering. Minimum of 3-5 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment preferred. Strong analytical/problem solving skills.
• High proficiency in Microsoft applications (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to read, write and speak in English.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability to work weekends, holidays and respond to callouts on a non-routine basis.
• Physical requirements – Must be able to lift 40 lbs, climb ladders and stairs. Walking, bending, stooping is required. Must be able to wear personal protective equipment including the use of a respirator. Must be able to respond to visual and audible alarms.