Sr. Project Engineer

Default Brand; Pasadena (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaneka North America in Pasadena, TX is seeking a senior project manager to lead capital projects from concept to closeout, applying Front-End Loading stages and gate reviews. You will define objectives, manage budgets, and coordinate with operations to ensure timely delivery while maintaining safety and quality.

You will mentor engineers and contractors, drive risk management, and contribute to continuous improvement across assets and processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• 5 years: Engineering and chemical or refinery operations.
• 10 years: Engineering and chemical or refinery operations.
• Strong leadership and collaboration in cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage budgets and schedules.

Responsibilities

• Manage capital projects from initial concept through project closeout.
• Establish project objectives, scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and success measures.
• Lead cross-functional project teams to achieve safety, cost, schedule, quality, and performance objectives.
• Develop and maintain project execution plans, schedules, budgets, forecasts, and resource plans.
• Coordinate execution with plant operations, maintenance activities, outages, and turnaround schedules.
• Mentor project team members and interns.
• Ensure adherence to safety policies onsite.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Flexibility / Adaptability

Leadership

AutoCAD

MS PowerPoint

MS Word

MS Excel

MS Outlook

SAP

Education

Bachelor's or better in Chemical Engineering or related field

Tools

AutoCAD

MS PowerPoint

MS Word

MS Excel

MS Outlook

SAP

Job description

Why Work at Kaneka North America?
At Kaneka North America, you’ll find more than just a job—you’ll find a place to build a career. We offer a people‑first, safety‑focused environment where employees are encouraged to learn, grow, and contribute. Whether you’re early in your career or bringing years of experience, you’ll have the chance to do meaningful work, collaborate across teams, and support products and industries that make a difference every day. Your contributions are valued, and your development is supported.

Our Culture & Values
Our culture is built on respect, teamwork, and doing things the right way. We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, trusted, and empowered to speak up and share ideas. Safety, integrity & trust, quality, and innovation guide everything we do, and we invest in our employees through continuous learning, collaboration, and opportunities for growth. At Kaneka North America, you’re encouraged to take ownership of your work, grow your skills, and build a long‑term career in an environment that values both accountability and people.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Manage capital projects from initial concept through project closeout across Propose, Feasibility, Define, Execute, and Closeout phases.
• Establish project objectives, scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and success measures.
• Ensure technical solutions align with business, operational, safety, environmental, reliability, and lifecycle objectives.
• Monitor project performance and proactively address risks, issues, changes, and deviations.
• Develop and maintain project execution plans, schedules, budgets, forecasts, and resource plans.
• Provide clear and timely project status reports to leadership and stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional project teams to achieve safety, cost, schedule, quality, and performance objectives.
• Develop, review, and maintain project estimates as definition matures from early screening through execution.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, commitments, expenditures, contingency, and cash flow.
• Evaluate change requests and communicate potential impacts to cost, schedule, scope, and project economics.
• Develop and maintain integrated project schedules, milestone plans, and critical-path visibility.
• Coordinate execution with plant operations, maintenance activities, outages, and turnaround schedules.
• Lead projects through a formal stage-gate or Front-End Loading (FEL) methodology.
• Facilitate gate reviews and secure required business, technical, and funding approvals.
• Ensure required phase deliverables are complete, appropriately reviewed, and documented before gate advancement.
• Prepare or coordinate funding authorization packages and gate review materials.
• Validate project readiness, definition maturity, and risk disposition before recommending advancement to the next phase.
• Manage engineering contractors, construction contractors, vendors, consultants, and specialist resources.
• Develop scopes of work and support bid evaluations, contractor selection, negotiations, and contract administration.
• Coordinate procurement of equipment, materials, and long-lead items.
• Monitor contractor performance, schedules, deliverables, safety, quality, and commercial compliance.
• Support construction planning, field execution, commissioning, startup, and turnover.
• Apply engineering principles and industry practices throughout project development and execution.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering activities, including process, mechanical, piping, civil/structural, electrical, instrumentation and controls, and automation.
• Review engineering deliverables for completeness, constructability, operability, maintainability, and technical adequacy.
• Support design reviews, hazard reviews, risk assessments, Management of Change activities, and technical assurance reviews.
• Adhere to all safety policies onsite.
• Make recommendations for process/production and department improvements.
• Participate in project HAZOPs and PHAs.
• Participate in continued learning initiatives.
• Design and installation of non-process projects as required.
• Special projects and assignments as needed to support administration and technical labs.
• Field supervision of contractors and engineering firms.
• Coach, mentor, motivate and supervise project team members and contractors, and influence them to take positive action
• Mentor department interns and junior engineers when needed.
• Must demonstrate the following emotional intelligence skills:
  • Emotional Empathy
  • Positive Attitude
  • Excellent Communication Skills
  • Flexibility / Adaptability
  • Interpersonal Skills

Qualifications

Skills

Required

AutoCAD

Intermediate

MS PowerPoint

Intermediate

MS Word

Intermediate

MS Excel

Intermediate

MS Outlook

Intermediate

Preferred

SAP

Intermediate

Education

Required

Bachelors or better in Chemical Engineering or related field.

Experience

Required

5 years:

Engineering and Chemical or Refinery Operations

10 years:

Engineering and Chemical or Refinery Operations

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.