Refinery Engineer

TRS Staffing Solutions; East Chicago (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

TRS Staffing Solutions in the United States seeks a Refinery Engineer to lead capital projects from concept development through commissioning within a refinery operations context, coordinating with operations, maintenance, and safety teams at East Chicago, IN.

You will manage scopes, estimates, schedules, and technical specs; drive safety and regulatory compliance; supervise contractors; and provide technical support to plant personnel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• 5–10 years of engineering experience in refinery/petrochemical/industrial manufacturing.
• Experience managing capital projects from FEED/front-end through execution and startup.
• Strong understanding of refinery operations, process systems, and industrial equipment.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and other PM software.
• Experience developing engineering designs, specifications, scopes of work, and project documentation.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management with cross-functional teams.
• Working knowledge of safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, design, execution, and commissioning of capital projects with safety, budget, and schedule compliance.
• Develop project scopes, cost estimates, schedules, engineering packages, and specs.
• Provide engineering support to Operations and Maintenance, including troubleshooting and reliability improvements.
• Coordinate activities across operations, maintenance, EH&S, and contractors.

Skills

Capital project management

Refinery/ Petrochemical experience

Analytical problem-solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Project scheduling & budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) designation or eligibility

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Project

Job description

Industry: Refining / Chemical Processing / Industrial Manufacturing

Position Summary

We are seeking a Refinery Engineer to support capital projects and engineering initiatives within a refinery operations environment. This role is responsible for leading projects from concept development through commissioning while providing technical support to operations and maintenance teams. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in refining, chemical processing, or heavy industrial facilities, with a proven track record of executing capital projects safely, efficiently, and within budget.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, design, execution, and commissioning of capital projects while ensuring adherence to safety, budget, and schedule requirements.
• Develop project scopes, cost estimates, schedules, engineering packages, and technical specifications to support plant improvement initiatives.
• Provide engineering support to Operations and Maintenance teams, including troubleshooting, reliability improvements, outage planning, and equipment optimization.
• Coordinate project activities across operations, maintenance, environmental, health & safety, compliance, and contractor organizations.
• Manage contractors, suppliers, and service providers to ensure successful project execution and achievement of business objectives.
• Track project performance, budgets, schedules, and deliverables while communicating progress and risks to leadership teams.
• Support compliance initiatives by maintaining awareness of applicable codes, standards, permits, and environmental regulations.
• Maintain engineering drawings, equipment files, specifications, and project documentation related to facility modifications.
• Identify opportunities to improve plant safety, reliability, efficiency, and operational performance.
• Participate in continuous improvement efforts and support additional engineering projects as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 5-10 years of engineering experience within a refinery, petrochemical, chemical processing, or industrial manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing capital projects from front-end development through execution and startup.
• Strong understanding of refinery operations, process systems, and industrial equipment.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and other engineering/project management software.
• Experience developing engineering designs, specifications, scopes of work, and project documentation.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities with experience working cross-functionally with operations, maintenance, and leadership teams.
• Working knowledge of applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements within an industrial setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) designation or eligibility is a plus.
• Experience with process instrumentation, piping systems, pumps, valves, fire protection systems, coating systems, and facility infrastructure.
• Background in reliability improvement, turnaround support, and asset optimization projects.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced plant environment.

Ideal Background

Candidates from the following industries are highly preferred:

• Oil & Gas Refining
• Petrochemical Manufacturing
• Specialty Chemicals
• Midstream Processing Facilities
• Heavy Industrial Manufacturing
• Energy & Process Manufacturing Operations

This position offers the opportunity to play a key role in refinery operations by driving capital projects, improving plant reliability, and supporting long-term operational excellence.