Project Engineer

Sterling Engineering; Lemont (IL); On-site; USD 69,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Three Medical Plan Options

401(k) Retirement Plan

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Paid Time Off & Paid Holidays

Job summary

Sterling Engineering in Downers Grove, IL (Lemont area) seeks an experienced Project Engineer for a long-term, open-ended contract. You will own capital projects from scope through commissioning and startup, coordinating Process, Electrical/Instrumentation, Reliability, Operations, and Construction teams while driving cost management and safety practice.

The role involves leading MOC and PSSR activities, with opportunities to influence field installation and startup outcomes across large-scale

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Civil engineering required.
• 5+ years of Project Engineering in refinery.
• Experience managing projects from concept to execution.
• Knowledge of project scope, cost, and scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and execute capital projects from scope through commissioning and startup.
• Develop and maintain project scope, budgets, schedules, cost forecasts.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams for process, electrical/instrumentation, reliability, operations, construction.
• Monitor project costs, cash flow, schedules, and performance.
• Manage change orders and maintain effective scope and cost control.
• Oversee outside engineering resources, contractors, and material quality requirements.
• Execute detailed engineering design activities and support major equipment purchases.
• Develop and maintain project documentation per stage-gate processes.
• Lead the Management of Change (MOC) process for assigned projects.
• Lead Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSRs) for startup readiness.
• Support construction, commissioning, and startup activities to verify requirements.
• Ensure projects meet safety, quality, environmental, regulatory, cost, schedule, and performance objectives.

Skills

Project coordination

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Technical communication

Strong problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Civil Engineering

Tools

PV Elite

CAESAR II

ASME B31.3

Job description

Location: Downers Grove, IL / Lemont, IL

Shift: 1st Shift

Hire Type: Long Term Open-Ended Contract (Multi-Year, No End Date)

Pay Rate: $50-80 per hour

As a contract employee of Sterling Engineering, you'll receive a full, competitive benefits package, including:

• Three Medical Plan Options
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Paid Time Off & Paid Holidays

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who enjoys owning projects from initial scope development through construction, commissioning, and startup. You'll work alongside multidisciplinary engineering, operations, construction, reliability, and process teams while gaining valuable experience with capital project execution, cost management, safety, and large-scale industrial infrastructure.

If you're looking for a role where you can take real ownership of projects, work with experienced technical teams, and see your engineering decisions implemented in the field, this is an excellent opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and execute assigned capital projects from scope development through commissioning and startup
• Develop and maintain project scope, budgets, schedules, cost forecasts, and performance objectives
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams including Process Engineering, Electrical/Instrumentation, Reliability, Operations, Construction, and other technical groups
• Monitor project costs, cash flow, schedules, and overall project performance
• Manage project change orders and maintain effective scope and cost control
• Oversee outside engineering resources, contractors, and material quality requirements
• Execute detailed engineering design activities and support major equipment and material purchases
• Develop and maintain project documentation in accordance with established stage-gate processes
• Lead the Management of Change (MOC) process for assigned projects
• Lead Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSRs) to ensure projects are safely prepared for startup
• Support construction, commissioning, and startup activities to verify proper installation and project requirements
• Ensure projects meet safety, quality, environmental, regulatory, cost, schedule, and performance objectives

Qualifications

• Must have a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• Must have 5+ years of Project Engineering experience in a petroleum or chemical refinery
• Experience managing engineering or capital projects from concept through execution
• Strong understanding of project scope, cost, scheduling, and change management
• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary engineering and operations teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with PV Elite and/or CAESAR II
• Familiarity with industry codes such as ASME Section XIII and ASME B31.3
• Any responsibility for directly reviewing or actually doing pipe stress or pressure vessel analysis

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.