Process Engineer - Oil Refinery

CHS Inc.; Laurel (MT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) and pension

Paid time off

Job summary

CHS Inc. is seeking a Process Engineer for our Laurel, MT refinery. The role focuses on designing, specifying, startup assistance, and supporting refinery operations with a strong emphasis on quality and teamwork.

Ideal candidates will have a chemical engineering background with 2+ years in process engineering or related refinery work, and be adept at safety, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Detail-oriented with the ability to organize and prioritize workloads.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with a commitment to customer service.

Responsibilities

• Support facility design, process control strategies, and day-to-day unit operations.
• Review and maintain P&ID's, including field verification and updates.
• Diagnose and resolve plant issues using engineering principles and established methods.
• Develop and implement technical solutions that enhance safety, environmental compliance, reliability, and economic performance.
• Prepare technical reports, including catalyst performance tracking and energy/mass balances.
• Support design evaluations, unit modifications, and resolution of operational constraints.

Skills

Strong communication

Teamwork

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering

Tools

Aspen HYSYS

Aspen Plus

PI

IP.21

Job description

CHS Inc. is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States that provides grain, food and energy resources to businesses and consumers around the world. We serve agriculture customers and consumers across the United States and around the world. Most of our employees are in the United States, but today we have employees in 19 countries. At CHS, we are creating connections to empower agriculture.

Summary

CHS, Inc. has an exciting opportunity at our Oil Refinery facility in Laurel, MT. We are looking for a Process Engineer to work with a team to prepare designs, specifications, start-up assistance, and support for refinery. You must be a detail-oriented, results-driven individual with a commitment to quality, accuracy, and the ability to organize and prioritize workloads to meet deadlines. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with a strong commitment to customer service and the ability to work in both a team environment and in self-directed tasks are necessary.

Responsibilities

• Support engineering efforts related to facility design, process control strategies, and day-to-day unit operations.
• Review and maintain Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), including field verification and updates.
• Assist in diagnosing and resolving plant issues using engineering principles and established methodologies.
• Develop and implement technical solutions that enhance safety, environmental compliance, reliability, and economic performance.
• Prepare and deliver detailed technical reports, including catalyst performance tracking, energy/mass balances, and feed/product specification analyses.
• Support design evaluations, unit modifications, and resolution of operational constraints using chemical engineering principles.
• Participate in reviews of process and equipment design packages from internal teams and external engineering firms.
• Support engineering projects through coordination, planning, and implementation activities.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), and Process Safety Management (PSM) audits; complete assigned safety actions.
• Collaborate with catalyst and chemical vendors to monitor performance and recommend optimal solutions for improved profitability and efficiency.
• Promote a culture of open communication, problem-solving, and technical stewardship across teams.
• Monitor equipment performance, conduct failure analyses, and recommend corrective actions.
• Support compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, industry codes, and Refinery Engineering Practices.
• Apply industrial safety practices during fieldwork and identify opportunities for process and performance enhancements.
• Develop cross-disciplinary engineering knowledge and collaborate effectively across refinery functions.
• Specify and troubleshoot instrumentation systems, including transmitters, analyzers, control valves, and on/off valves.
• Support refinery turnaround planning and execution, including major maintenance events.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support refinery operations and strategic initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications (required)

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of experience in process engineering, refinery operations, chemical manufacturing, or related engineering work; relevant internship or co-op experience may be considered.

Additional Qualifications

• Ability to apply engineering fundamentals, perform calculations and data analysis, and support troubleshooting of assigned process issues.
• Able to work independently on assigned tasks while seeking guidance when needed.
• Strong communication, organization, and teamwork skills, with the ability to support field work in an operating refinery environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, Word, Outlook, and data analysis tools.
• Familiarity with refinery unit operations, thermodynamics, heat and material balances, process safety, and process control concepts.
• Working knowledge of Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Process Safety Management (PSM), and refinery safety practices.
• Exposure to process simulation, historian, or data visualization tools such as Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, PI, IP.21, or similar applications.
• Familiarity with P&IDs, process equipment, instrumentation, engineering standards, specifications, industry codes, and refinery engineering practices.

Pre-employment screening is based on the job requirements and industry guidelines and may or may not be required for the position. If required, selected candidates must pass pre-employment screenings to include all or a combination of drug, criminal, motor vehicle check, physical requirements and FMCSA Clearinghouse.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to wear personal protective equipment, including respirators.
• Must have ability to climb stairs and ladders to access equipment at heights.

CHS offers a competitive total rewards package. Compensation includes base wage and, depending on the position, may include other earnings such as bonus, incentives and commissions. Actual pay offered will vary based on multiple factors which may include, without limitation, experience, education, training, specialized skills and certifications, minimum wage/salary requirements under local law.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, wellness programs, life insurance, health and dependent care spending accounts, paid time off, 401(k), pension, profit sharing, short- and long-term disability, tuition reimbursement and adoption assistance, subject to the eligibility requirements for each benefit plan.

CHS is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability.

Please note that any communication from a CHS recruiter would be sent using a chsinc.com email address. In addition, a CHS recruiter will not ask for confidential information over the phone or in an email, or request money from a candidate involved in an offer process. If you have questions regarding an employment opportunity, please reach out to [e-mail]; to verify that the communication is from CHS.