Operations Performance Engineering Manager

At Dow, we believe in putting people first and we’re passionate about delivering integrity, respect and safety to our customers, our employees and the planet. Our people are at the heart of our solutions. They reflect the communities we live in and the world where we do business. Their diversity is our strength. We’re a community of relentless problem solvers that offers the daily opportunity to contribute with your perspective, transform industries and shape the future. Our purpose is simple - to deliver a sustainable future for the world through science and collaboration.

About the role

Dow has an exciting opportunity for an Operations Performance Engineering Manager located in La Porte, TX. Bayport Specialty Monomers is a standalone site that operates within the Houston Hub structure and provides critical raw materials to downstream Coatings facilities. The engineer in this position will have the opportunity to support one of several different batch reaction processes as well as logistics and utilities operations.

In this role, you will serve as a vital resource for Operations by applying technical skills to optimize plant operations, resolve plant problems, and enable safe and efficient production of low cost, quality products. This requires in-depth conceptual and practical knowledge in job discipline and basic knowledge of related job disciplines to solve complex problems. As the OPE Manager, you will coach and influence other department engineers, own the department Process Safety, optimize batch cycle times, support other continuous improvement efforts, and have the opportunity to work with business R&D to support new product introduction to the site.

Responsibilities

• Strong understanding of chemistries, equipment, and processing technology in area of responsibility.
• Evaluates, categorizes production losses and deviation data.
• Analyze operational and logistics data (KPIs, asset utilization, trends) to validate results, diagnose gaps, and identify improvements.
• Determines and prioritizes corrective actions to close Operational Performance Gaps (utilization, yield, uptime, quality, operating discipline losses, reliability opportunities).
• Ability to understand mass and energy balance for assets and correlate losses to value.
• Identify, prioritize, and implement improvement opportunities aligned with Plant Specific Improvement Plans (PSTP), Global Technology Plans (GTP), and business objectives that also deliver value or required performance.
• Lead and support capital and non-capital projects (expense and continuous improvement) using defined project and improvement work processes.
• Provide leadership during plant maintenance, unplanned events, commissioning, start-up, and project handover to Operations.
• Partners with maintenance, OTEC, process expertise and others to identify and drive temporary and permanent equipment repairs and improvements.
• Support and drive EHS and Process Safety culture, Compliance, and necessary IM reporting.
• Champion effective maintenance practices, process safety, operating discipline, and root cause problem solving in support of cost-effective Operations.
• Provides input to shut down scope for availability and equipment reliability opportunities that cannot be addressed during normal operations.
• Works closely with the operations team leveraging their problem solving skills and technical expertise.
• Partners with experts to perform advanced troubleshooting and improve and document operating discipline.

Requirements

• A minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering.
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant working experience.
• Ability to work outside of normal business hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and participate in an on-call rotation as business needs require, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to work legally in the United States. This position does not offer visa sponsorship or support for U.S. permanent residency (green card) process.

Preferred Qualifications

• Chemical Engineering degree discipline.
• Experience in batch operations and new product introduction.

Physical Demands

• Willing and able to meet the physical demands of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Wear safety equipment, such as earplugs, goggles, and steel-toed shoes.
• Wear and use respirators.
• Perform frequent bending, reaching, and lifting.
• Work in tight or closed-in spaces.
• Climb stairs/ladders and work high off the ground.
• Stand or walk for extended periods of time.
• This role involves elevated work greater than or equal to four feet above the ground. Must be able to use harnesses with a total weight capacity of 300lbs.

Skills

• Accountability: Acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies including administration, governance, and implementation within the scope of the role.
• Communication: Strategic communication management is the control of communication in and out of an organization or project team to promote clear exchange of information and ideas.
• Critical Thinking: Evaluation of facts to form a judgment by using rational, data-based analysis of factual evidence.
• Leadership: Motivational leaders make decisions, set clear goals and provide their teams with the empowerment and tools to achieve success. Motivational leaders evoke and see the best in their employees, inspiring them to work toward a common goal.
• Process Engineering: Understanding and application of the fundamental principles and laws of nature. Process engineering focuses on the design, operation, control, optimization and intensification of chemical and physical processes needed to accomplish a defined purpose.
• Self-Motivation: Internal state that helps initiate, continue, or terminate a behavior, driving individuals to do things and work toward their goals, put effort into self-development, and achieve personal fulfillment.
• Teamwork: Collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
• Process Safety: Demonstrates knowledge of process safety principles and practices to identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks. Supports compliance with process safety management requirements, promotes a strong safety culture, and works collaboratively to prevent incidents, protect people and assets, and ensure safe, reliable operations.
• Continuous Improvement: Applies continuous improvement principles to optimize operational performance, streamline workflows, and improve productivity, safety, quality, and cost effectiveness. Collaborates with cross-functional teams to identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and sustain improvements.

Benefits

Dow invests in total rewards programs to help you manage all aspects of you: your pay, your health, your life, your future, and your career. Here are just a few highlights of what you would be offered as a Dow employee:

• Equitable and market-competitive base pay and bonus opportunity across our global markets, along with locally relevant incentives.
• Comprehensive health and wellness plans to support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing when you need it.
• Competitive retirement program that may include company-provided benefits, savings opportunities, financial planning, and educational resources to help you achieve your long-term financial goals.
• Employee stock purchase programs (availability varies depending on location).
• Student debt retirement savings match (U.S. only). Dow will take the value of monthly student debt payments and apply them as if they are contributions to the Employees’ Savings Plan (401(k)), helping employees reach the Company match.
• Robust medical and life insurance packages that offer a variety of coverage options to meet your individual needs. Travel insurance is also available in certain countries/locations.
• Opportunities to learn and grow through training and mentoring, work experiences, community involvement, and team building.
• Workplace culture empowering role-based flexibility to maximize personal productivity and balance personal needs.
• Competitive yearly vacation allowance.
• Paid time off for new parents (birthing and non-birthing, including adoptive and foster parents).
• Paid time off to care for family members who are sick or injured.
• Paid time off to support volunteering and Employee Resource Group’s (ERG) participation.
• Wellbeing Portal for all Dow employees, a one-stop shop to promote wellbeing, empowering employees to take ownership of their entire wellbeing journey.
• On-site fitness facilities to help stay healthy and active (availability varies depending on location).
• Employee discounts for online shopping, cinema tickets, gym memberships and more.
• Commuter benefits (e.g., bike to work) (availability varies depending on location).

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 30 countries and employ approximately 36,000 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $43 billion in 2024.

As part of our dedication to inclusion, Dow is committed to equal opportunities in employment. We encourage every employee to bring their whole self to work each day to not only deliver more value, but also have a more fulfilling career.