Chemical Process Engineer

About the Role

Essex Solutions creates innovative magnet wire solutions that power our customers’ success. With more than a century of excellence, we are committed to innovation, operational excellence, and a diverse, inclusive workplace. This role operates at the intersection of chemistry and mechanical systems, primarily focused on data governance for all stages of resin production while ensuring rigorous safety and quality standards in our chemical processing plant.

Responsibilities

• Process Optimization & Monitoring:
  • Monitor and optimize polymerization cycles, focusing on temperature and viscosity control, pressure regulation, and raw material addition rates.
  • Perform detailed mass and energy balance calculations to improve raw material efficiency and reduce utility consumption (steam, cooling water/fluid, electricity).
  • Identify causes of "off-spec" batches and implement corrective actions to minimize waste through yield analysis.
• Equipment & Infrastructure Optimization:
  • Specify and size equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, distillation columns, and filtration systems to improve batch sizes and throughput.
  • Maintain and update Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) and Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs).
  • Collaborate with Controls Engineers to tune PID loops and refine PLC/DCS logic for better process stability.
• Quality & Safety:
  • Lead or participate in Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOP) and Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) for Process Safety Management (PSM).
  • Work with the QC lab to ensure resin properties meet specifications, track and analyze QC data.
  • Utilize Six Sigma or Lean methodologies to investigate process excursions or equipment failures through Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Project Management:
  • Support current and future automations and manage capital expenditure (CAPEX) projects from initial scoping and budgeting through commissioning and startup.
  • Oversee the technical documentation and safety reviews required for any process or equipment modifications (Management of Change - MOC).
• Culture:
  • Foster accountability, operational discipline, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Weekend or off-shift work might be necessary occasionally. Frequent time spent on the plant floor with PPE compliance is required. Willingness to travel up to 20%.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Polymer, or Materials Engineering or equivalent.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years in a chemical manufacturing environment; experience with resins, coatings, polymers, or plastics preferred. Strong grasp of polymer rheology, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer. Experience with reaction engineering, process tracking, data logging, yield analysis, and first-line troubleshooting highly desired.
• Skills:
  • Proficiency in process simulation, AutoCAD, and Origin Pro/JMP or similar tools.
  • Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
  • Familiarity with lean principles, problem-solving, and continuous improvement tools. Lean or Six Sigma certification preferred.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, changing environment and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
  • Comfortable managing exothermic reactions where precise cooling-rate control is critical for both quality and safety.