Chemical Engineering Manager

About the Role

Suterra is the world's leading provider of biorational products for crop protection and commercial pest control, dedicated to researching, developing and commercializing environmentally-friendly products using naturally occurring compounds such as pheromones. The company is growing rapidly and investing heavily in new product development and active ingredient chemical synthesis. Suterra's parent company, The Wonderful Company, has invested over $80 million in a modern, state-of-the art facility in Bend, Oregon to synthesize active ingredients and manufacture proprietary dispensing technologies, with continued investments planned to expand capacity for future sales growth.

The Chemical Engineering Manager will lead the team responsible for validating and improving processes used to make chemicals at commercial scale. This includes defining processes, specifying equipment and leading the launch process for new chemicals and production improvements. This leader will interface closely with chemical development, production, maintenance, and environmental, health and safety teams to achieve and sustain mass production of high-quality chemicals safely and efficiently.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Recruiting and mentoring new engineers to meet emerging operational needs
• Providing direction, leadership and support for existing engineers to enhance day-to-day problem-solving and plant coordination
• Setting the agenda for chemical engineering to drive adoption of new technology and to scale up new products
• Leading long-term initiatives to improve safety, quality and efficiency
• Standardizing tools for engineering analysis, root cause problem-solving and equipment specification
• Leading the fulfillment of key Process Safety Management (PSM) disciplines including Change Management and Process Hazard Analysis

Process Definition

• Publishing new and updated standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reflect agreed process changes
• Publishing new and updated batch records to reflect agreed process and BOM changes
• Maintaining the bill of material (BOM) for each production output for use across the organization
• Securing approval for changes to SOPs and batch records from affected stakeholders prior to publishing

Specification of Equipment

• Defining functional requirements for new equipment to achieve process performance
• Prescribing criteria and running tests to confirm equipment changes or upgrades
• Definition of maintenance required to maintain all aspects of process performance

New Product Launch

• Devising trials for demonstration of production process capability pertaining to new products
• Analyzing trial data to identify issues and propose improvements
• Define material specifications, SOPs, and process parameters that are compatible with our goals for Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost in mass production

Production Support

• Determining the root cause of quality issues and working cross-functionally to propose and implement solutions
• Generating and assessing proposals for process improvement including changes in procedures, equipment, and tools
• Analyzing production data to identify issues and propose improvements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering
• Ten to fifteen years of experience in an engineering role involving product development or manufacturing
• Previous experience with leading teams and formal responsibility for managing direct reports
• Experience at a site under Process Safety Management and direct involvement in implementing the elements of the program
• Familiarity with programmable logic controllers and an ability to troubleshoot chemical, mechanical and electrical issues
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems while mitigating risks to resources and deadlines
• Enthusiasm for teamwork at multiple levels and across multiple functions of the organization
• Strong written and oral communication skills

Benefits

• Hands-on training and mentorship from experienced agricultural professionals
• Opportunities to build technical skills and grow your career
• The chance to work with innovative technology that's making agriculture more sustainable
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits
• A collaborative team that values curiosity, integrity, and continuous learning