Process Engineer

Full Time

Professional

Reports to Technical Manager Southern Operations

Location: Urania, LA, US

Are you an experienced Process Engineer looking for your next best opportunity? Look no further, our Team is hiring!

About the Role

The Process Engineer will be responsible for delivering regular recommendations on how to improve production / lower production costs and increase reliability, while meeting all the quality and safety standards set forth by the company and government regulations. The candidate will work side by side with the plant management staff to discover inefficiencies in our processes and determine the best ways to bring our business methods in line with our financial goals.

The Process Engineer supports Operations, Maintenance, the Reliability, Controls Engineering and Capital Projects Team.

A focus on health, safety and the environment are essential.

The candidate selected must be available on weekends when required for plant outages. Also, must be able to work inside and outside the plant in all-weather conditions.

Key Accountabilities

Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE)

• Support and promote a pro-active HSSE culture within the Organization and develop leadership skills in HSSE.
• Ensure and improve effective HSSE management:
  • Ensure all HSSE systems and procedures are adhered to
  • Perform compliance audits, as required, and take appropriate action to correct noncompliance and reinforce positive behaviors
  • Provide Process Engineering support to the Operations Team and HSSE Team in the development of guidelines to ensure plant and equipment are operated and risks are managed in a manner that poses no threat to people and the environment
• Ensure and improve effective Risk Management:
  • Actively participates in Process Hazard Analysis (i.e., HAZOPs, What Ifs)
  • Review and comment on Management of Change proposals
• Ensure and improve effective Incident Management Response:
  • Ensure all incidents are promptly reported, participate in investigations as necessary and complete assigned tasks within the stipulated time
• Ensure and improve effective Asset Management:
  • Provide technical support to assess abnormal process operations and develop guidelines to mitigate and manage appropriately
• Support full compliance to HSSE related legislation & regulations, corporate requirements, and management system(s) (i.e., operating policies and procedures)

Plant Process, Optimization, Troubleshooting and Root Cause Analysis

• Provide engineering support to the Operations and Maintenance Teams as required for process and data history
• Ensure that project cost estimates include all considerations of the mass and energy balance, process safety and plant operability
• Participate in and at times lead incident investigation teams for troubleshooting and determining root cause of plant issues/problems

Engineering Support for Safe and Sustained Plant Operations

• Initiate, develop and implement strategies for applying new and/or enhancements to existing technologies to improve operating efficiency of pellet production processes
• Understand and comply with the Management of Change (MOC) process
• Participate in ‘What Ifs’ and HAZOP studies
• Apply basic project management skills – budget and schedule tracking
• Be up to date with and apply state of the art developments/technologies applicable to the pellet industry, as required

Plant Shutdowns and Turnarounds

• Provide necessary Process Engineering support to guide the timing of plant shutdowns and turnarounds
• Support plant outages while ensuring process instrumentation as well as process equipment are capable to operate in the required parameters

Capital Expenditure Projects

• Oversee process safety, environmental and constructability reviews to ensure that all Drax Process Engineering design elements are met in the project design.
• Identify projects, supported with written justification, for inclusion in capital expenditure budgets
• Work with contractors and outside vendors/suppliers for the purpose of developing project concepts, quoting, developing scope of work and cost justifications regarding projects

Procedure Development

• Develop special procedures that involve Process Engineering knowledge, e.g., maintenance and management of process equipment, shutdown procedures, improvement changes to configurations and control loops, etc.
• Provide Process Engineering support in the development and review of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Quality, Reports and Production Forecasts

• Supervision of sampling and testing wood pellets in the plant lab using specialized tools; sample and test raw materials, in-process materials, and finished goods; maintain lab equipment, QA/QC documentation, records, and sample archives
• Support the development and generation of relevant management production and consumption reports

About You

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering or related education; Master’s Degree preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in wood processing industry with heat energy, drying and emission control systems
• Familiarity with pellet plant design, commissioning and operations is beneficial
• Proven record of plant process improvements and quality tracking
• Impeccable math and Analytical and statistical skills
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills, proficient in Microsoft Office
• Technical skills in industrial process data analytics software, AutoCAD and Aspen is beneficial
• Encourage teamwork and open collaboration across Southern Operations organization

We’re passionate about our role in providing a supply of stable, renewable energy and if you want to play your part, then why not apply today?    

Curious to learn more about us? We recommend you connect with us on LinkedIn for more insights.    

• We care about what matters – we help each other achieve the things that are important to each of us  
• We’re a can-do kind of place – we’re empowered and encouraged to make informed decisions, act, and do the right thing  
• We see things differently – we share inspiration and insight right across Drax, and search for new ideas and ways of working  
• We listen carefully – we make sure that people feel genuinely heard, acknowledged and that what they say matters  
• We do what we say we’ll do – we’re proactive, committed, and reliable –and trust others to be the same  

#IND123