Process Improvement Leader

INEOS; Pasadena (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

INEOS Oxide seeks a proven leader to helm a technical team responsible for process optimization, design and control. The role emphasizes safeguarding process safety, driving energy efficiency, and supporting EO/EOD business growth at a major US site in Pasadena, TX.

You will lead cross-functional teams, oversee risk assessments, and push continuous improvements to meet evolving regulatory and site standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading technical teams in a chemical processing environment.
• Strong knowledge of process safety regulations and incident investigations.
• Ability to drive energy efficiency, operability improvements and cost optimization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical team to optimize processes and improve safety and operability.
• Champion process safety and ensure compliance with plant policies and regulations.
• Drive energy efficiency initiatives and front-end process design in collaboration with Operations and Maintenance.

Skills

Process safety

Leadership

Operations excellence

Tools

Hazop

MOC

Job description

Company:

INEOS Oxide

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees share in the ownership of the business and are empowered to make a difference?

Organizational Context and Job Purpose

INEOS Organization:

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products. It comprises 15 businesses each with a major chemical company heritage. Its production network spans 65 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries throughout the world. INEOS products make a significant contribution to saving life, improving health and enhancing standards of living for people around the world. Its businesses produce the raw materials that are essential in the manufacture of a wide variety of goods: from paints to plastics, textiles to technology, and medicines to mobile phones - chemicals manufactured by INEOS enhance almost every aspect of modern life.

BUSINESS CONTEXT:

Ethylene oxide (EO) is an important building block for the preparation of a wide variety of EO derivatives (EODs), including various surfactants, as well as a host of other chemical intermediates including Glycol Ethers, Polyethylene Glycols, Ethanolamines, and Alkyl Alkanolamines.

INEOS Oxide is one of the world’s leading producers of Ethylene Oxide (EO) and Ethylene Oxide Derivatives (EODs). We currently have a total EO and EOD capacity of 920 kta spread across five different production units throughout Europe and the US. These units have leading cost economics, due to economies of scale, state-of-the-art technology, strategic locations, etc. Our EO project in the US is targeting the fast-growing merchant EO market, building on our experience and leadership position in Europe.

Purpose of the Job:

Lead the technical team responsible for process optimization, process design, process control and improvements.

Initiate projects with the goal of:

• Improving safety, operability, and/or variable costs of the unit
• Evaluating energy optimization and efficiencies
• Supporting growth expectations of the EO&EOD businesses
• Ensuring facilities continue to develop in line with current legislation and technological standards

Act as the lead operations representative safeguarding process safety of the EO&EOD unit. This role affords high visibility through regular interaction with the management team and diverse groups within and external to the site.

Responsibilities And Accountabilities

Accountability 1:

SHE

Most important activities:

• Comply with Life Saving Rules
• Demonstrate safety leadership through the promotion of the INEOS 20 Safety Principles.
• Actively support all SHE activities, meetings, and audits to ensure the assets’ compliance with plant policies and procedures, OSHA, PSM, DOT, EPA, and TCEQ
• Stop work if unsafe conditions are observed.
• Promote, ensure and sustain commitment to operate assets with no harm to people and to the environment by visibly demonstrating Safety Leadership.
• Contribute to relevant ISO requirements
• Lead and/or participate in HAZOP and ESD/SIL reviews as required
• Ensure completion of relevant Management of Change (MOC) and compliance action items
• Conduct process safety incident investigations and define actions, including ESD activations
• Support definition and maintenance of the Operating Envelope and ensure 5-year reviews.
• Develop solutions for process safety issues
• Coordinate alarm management
• Track and report status of process safety actions
• Promptly perform leak calculations when needed to meet environmental reporting requirements.
• Engage with operations and lab resources to assist in troubleshooting quality concerns as needed

Accountability 2:

Leadership

Most important activities:

• Effectively communicate business strategies, plant strategies and performance measures, and asset objectives/goals to the Technical resource team and Operations organization.
• Lead, coach, develop, and set priorities for the technical team, establishing clear performance expectations, accountability, and development plans.
• Lead available resources, through both direct leadership and influence, across the organization and worksite to ensure team objectives and goals are delivered.
• Promote disciplined execution, technical rigor, ownership, and a strong work ethic while reinforcing sustainable performance through the team rather than individual effort alone.
• Prioritize and delegate work appropriately, with clear expectations, accountability, and follow-through, ensuring focus remains on the most critical and highest-value activities.
• Build alignment across diverse disciplines and stakeholder groups around shared objectives, business priorities, and strategic direction.
• Communicate and influence effectively at all organizational levels, including senior leadership, translating complex technical topics into clear, decision-ready insight.
• Demonstrate sound judgment, strong problem-solving capability, and an appropriate sense of urgency in business-critical decisions.
• Serve on business and site committees as needed, representing area manufacturing and Technical interests.

Accountability 3:

Manufacturing Excellence

Most important activities:

• Directly manage, coach, develop, and set priorities for direct reports provide performance feedback, support development planning, and ensure alignment of their work with Technical and site objectives.
• Further develop and optimize the EO & EOD plants through project development
• Develop projects related to safety, operability, growth, and business expectations in collaboration with operations, maintenance and reliability, and business teams
• Initiate project studies and front-end process design, including heat and material balances, process modeling, technical evaluations, cost estimates, and preparation and submission of capital requests.
• Support sites 5-year CAPEX plan
• Assess growth options and energy requirements to support long term strategy
• Support EO catalyst monitoring and troubleshooting
• Monitor and optimize energy and utilities usage
• Coordinate and drive energy reduction goals
• Champion variable cost projects in collaboration with DCS and production engineer(s)
• Support and advise EO & EOD supervision in daily operations and troubleshooting
• Network with other INEOS Oxide sites for applicable learnings and improvements
• Provide input for benchmarking (CO2, energy, etc.)
• Support TAR technical scope in development and execution stages
• Identify and optimize unit controls schemes with Process Control Engineer
• Develop and optimize process monitoring tools for production engineers
• Support operating areas in the optimization of assets such as: reactor, flare, steam system, compressors,