Production Process Engineer – Utilities & Operations Excellence

Stepan Company; Wilmington (NC); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stable & Growing

Collaborative Environment

Make a Difference & Be Recognized

Committed to Safety & Sustainability

Value Driven Culture

Job summary

Stepan Company in Wilmington, NC is seeking a Production Process Engineer (Utilities Focus) to support safe, reliable, and efficient operation of site utility systems. You will partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence in a manufacturing environment.

The role emphasizes hands‑on field support, energy efficiency, and problem solving across steam, water, compressed air, and power systems, with opportunities to influence

Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing experience or relevant co‑op/internship experience preferred.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering teams.
• Understanding of manufacturing KPIs and continuous improvement principles preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support daily operation of site utilities including steam, condensate, water, compressed air, power distribution, and wastewater interfaces.
• Monitor utility performance and investigate deviations in reliability, efficiency, and availability.
• Assist with troubleshooting utility upsets and abnormal operating conditions alongside Operations and Maintenance teams.
• Support operating procedures, startups, shutdowns, and seasonal operating adjustments.
• Identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reliability, and environmental performance.
• Analyze utility usage, downtime, material losses, and operating performance data.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action development.
• Support development of standard work, operating limits, and visual management tools.
• Track and help close action items from audits, investigations, and improvement initiatives.

Skills

5+ years manufacturing experience

Analytical problem solving

Cross-functional teamwork

Understanding of KPIs

Education

Chemical Engineering Degree

Job description

Stepan Company in Wilmington, NC is seeking a Production Process Engineer (Utilities Focus) to support safe, reliable, and efficient operation of site utility systems. You will partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence in a manufacturing environment.

The role emphasizes hands‑on field support, energy efficiency, and problem solving across steam, water, compressed air, and power systems, with opportunities to influence