Sr Chemical Process Engineer

Solstice Advanced Materials; Colonial Heights (VA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

Solstice Advanced Materials is seeking a Sr Chemical Process Engineer for its 24/7 Virginia manufacturing facility. You will drive process improvements, optimize yields, and support scale-up of developmental products from prototype to market, while guiding the operations team on safety and quality KPIs.

The role emphasizes leading continuous improvement projects, troubleshooting, and providing technical guidance across units, with a focus on energy efficiency and emissions control.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical, mechanical, or industrial engineering.
• 3+ years of process, production and/or manufacturing engineering experience in chemical/petroleum/polymer environments.
• Ability to work independently and make technical decisions.
• Strong troubleshooting and unit operations optimization background.
• Experience leading MOCs, RCAs and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide site support for operational issues and challenges.
• Off-hour support for abnormal operations and unit turnarounds.
• Manage process models, heat/mass balances, P&IDs, and equipment specs.
• Monitor OEE and MTBF; drive improvements and reduce defects.

Skills

Process optimization

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collaboration

MOC leadership

Education

Bachelor’s in chemical/Mechanical/Industrial Eng

Tools

Aspen

HTRI

PIPE-FLO

Solstice Experion

Uniformance

Job description

Job Description

As a Sr Chemical Process Engineer you will provide technical expertise to ensure the operation produces products that meet all quality, cost, and efficiency requirements to a 24/7 manufacturing facility. This role will identify ways to improve safety, quality, yields, and the capability of existing processes while also assisting in the scale up and implementation of developmental products/processes. This role will be focused on strategic projects and improvements as well as the development of Solstice’s next generation of Spectra products by designing, testing and/or validating products from prototype to market. Core challenges include leading continuous process improvement to drive Key Performance Indicators for the operation to meet goals established by the business along with providing technical guidance to the operations team and assisting with process troubleshooting.

Job Requirements

• Become a process expert to provide site support for operational issues and challenges
• Provide off-hours support for abnormal and non-routine operations, including unit turnarounds
• Understand process models, heat and material balances, process flow diagrams, piping and instrumentation diagrams, layout, basic control schemes, and equipment specifications
• Oversee production to ensure targets are met and track OEE and MTBF, identify/correct bad actors
• Influence others (operators, peers, management) & drive toward solutions without direct authority
• Own and lead Management of Change (MOC) reviews
• Contribute to the site’s PSM program development
• Support operations in troubleshooting process issues
• Support sustained operation of fiber, solvent recovery and utilities operations
• Work closely with other site engineers to develop and implement innovative engineering solutions to improve OEE
• Identify process KPIs and work independently or on a team to reduce process variability and waste through process unit operations optimization
• Lead and facilitate RCA and implement process changes/control plans to drive continuous improvement
• Lead productivity projects yielding significant reductions in defects/costs and increased productivity
• Work on sustainability projects that optimize energy consumption and could help in reducing expenses to operate in a 24/7 manufacturing environment
• Manage monitoring, reporting and reduction of fugitive solvent emissions in accordance with site Title V agreements
• Champion the evaluation of existing processes to develop and drive yield improvement opportunities.
• Coordinate with 3rd party vendors to manage improvement opportunities for plant operations and drive opportunities to improve energy efficiency, productivity, and equipment operation/reliability.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to other engineers and serve as a subject matter expert for assigned units
• Deliver sustained performance improvements on site via capital and non-capital projects and initiatives
• Serve as a backup to the site’s process engineering leader

Qualifications

YOU MUST HAVE:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical, Mechanical Engineering, or Industrial Engineering
• 3+ Years of experience in process, production and/or manufacturing engineering within the chemical, petroleum and/or polymer manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and make technical decisions with minimal supervision
• Strong background in process troubleshooting and unit operations optimization
• Experience leading MOCs, RCAs and cross-functional teams

We Value

• Certification in Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing preferred
• Chemical, polymer, and fiber manufacturing experience preferred
• Excellent computer literacy (i.e. MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, AI Tools, TrueView/AutoCAD View)
• Experience with identifying process changes, developing and executing recommendations
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across all levels of org (Operator to C-Suite)
• Experience scoping projects with business level impact
• Experience driving yield improvements and process optimization
• Experience in PSM-covered chemical processes
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and pivot when necessary, based on rapid decision making
• Experience with Process Simulation software (ASPEN, HTRI, PIPE-FLO) for chemical process equipment design and process modeling
• Experience with Solstice Experion and Uniformance

U.s. Person Requirements

Due to compliance with U.S. export control laws and regulations, candidate must be a U.S. person, which is defined as, a U.S. citizen, a U.S. permanent resident, or have protected status in the U.S. under asylum or refugee status.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $100,608K - $125,760K. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Solstice Advanced Materials considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities or the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

Benefits Of Working For Solstice Advanced Materials

In addition to a competitive salary, leading-edge work, and developing solutions side-by-side with dedicated experts in their fields, Solstice Advanced Materials employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. This package includes employer-subsidized Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Short-Term and Long-Term Disability; 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, EAP, and Educational Assistance; Parental Leave, Paid Time Off (for vacation, personal business, sick time, and parental leave), and 12 Paid Holidays.

Solstice Advanced Materials is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status.

About Us

Solstice Advanced Materials is a leading global specialty materials company that advances science for smarter outcomes. Solstice offers high-performance solutions that enable critical industries and applications, including refrigerants, semiconductor manufacturing, data center cooling, nuclear power, protective fibers, healthcare packaging and more. Solstice is recognized for developing next-generation materials through some of the industry's most renowned brands such as Solstice®, Genetron®, Aclar®, Spectra®, Fluka™, and Hydranal™. Partnering with over 3,000 customers across more than 120 countries and territories and supported by a robust portfolio of over 5,700 patents, Solstice’s approximately 4,000 employees worldwide drive innovation in materials science. For more information, visit Advanced Materials .