Senior Project Engineer

The Recruiting Hive; Starkville (MS); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Recruiting Hive in Starkville, Mississippi is seeking a Senior Project Engineer to manage a portfolio of chemical engineering projects from concept through commissioning and start‑up. This role requires extensive capital project experience and the ability to coordinate across Operations, Environmental, Safety and vendor teams.

You will develop schedules and budgets while ensuring safe, compliant project execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• 8+ years in engineering with focus on project management, plant operations, or process design.
• Experience managing capital and improvement projects cradle-to-grave: scope, schedule, budget, execution.
• Projects typically ranging from $1 million to $15 million, with ability to support larger projects.
• Hands‑on with cost estimating, FEED, P&IDs and PFDs, equipment and vendor selection, procurement, construction oversight, commissioning, and start‑up.
• Strong knowledge of mass and energy balances, hydraulic analysis, equipment sizing, process modeling, and heat‑transfer calculations.
• Willingness to travel to job sites and work in a hands‑on manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage an individual portfolio of projects from concept through commissioning and start‑up.
• Lead cross‑functional collaboration with Operations, Environmental, Transportation, Safety, contractors, vendors and other stakeholders.
• Provide plant support through process troubleshooting and improvement work.
• Develop schedules, cost reports and technical updates for projects.
• Oversee procurement, vendor selection, construction oversight and commissioning activities.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Time management

Adaptability

Team coordination

Willingness to travel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

VBA

Job description

Our client is a manufacturer of water treatment chemicals and other specialty chemicals. The company’s corporate project group supports capital and improvement projects across several manufacturing facilities in the United States. This Senior Project Engineer will manage an individual portfolio of projects from initial concept through commissioning and start-up.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• At least 8 years of engineering experience with a focus on project management, plant operations, or process design.
• Experience independently managing capital and improvement projects from cradle to grave, including scope, schedule, budget, and execution.
• Experience with projects typically ranging from $1 million to $15 million, with the ability to support occasional larger projects.
• Hands‑on experience with cost estimating, FEED, preliminary P&IDs and PFDs, equipment and vendor selection, procurement, construction oversight, commissioning, and start‑up.
• Strong knowledge of mass and energy balances, hydraulic analysis, equipment sizing, process modeling, and heat‑transfer calculations.
• Ability to provide plant support through process troubleshooting, improvement work, and pilot‑facility activities as needed.
• Proven leadership and decision‑making skills with the ability to coordinate Operations, Environmental, Transportation, Safety, contractors, vendors, and other project stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear project updates, schedules, cost reports, and technical information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; VBA programming knowledge is a plus.
• Strong organization, time management, and adaptability, along with a willingness to travel to job sites and work in a hands‑on manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work around industrial equipment, climb stairs and ladders, wear required PPE, perform prolonged desk and computer work, and lift up to 25 pounds as needed.

This position is located in the Starkville area, part of Mississippi’s Golden Triangle. The area offers a university‑town atmosphere with access to dining, arts, college sports, and outdoor recreation, with Columbus and West Point nearby.