Principal Process Development Engineer

POSITION TITLE  

Principal Process Development Engineer 

POSITION OVERVIEW 

The Principal Process Development Engineer is accountable for operating between business R&D teams and internal / external manufacturing partners to design and develop chemical manufacturing processes.  Processes in scope include new products that are implemented as part of the New Product Development (NPD) processes as well as improving existing processes that are a priority for the operations teams and business partners.  The Principal Process Development Engineer will liaise with R&D chemists and engineers, manufacturing teams, 3rd party contract development and manufacturing partners, capital project engineers, and other resources to develop processes to efficiently meet cost and capacity targets.  A successful individual will own the technical package until fully accepted by internal / external manufacturing partners.  The position reports to the Director of Process Technology within the Chemical Operations group and will be based at the Corporate Headquarters in Spartanburg, SC. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Collaborate with R&D chemists and engineers to develop conceptual process flow diagrams (PFDs) and heat & mass balances based on laboratory data and experiments.  

• Develop estimates of total product cost in alignment with company processes. 

• Develop process models and simulations, including sensitivity analysis for cost impact.  

• Develop P&IDs and related engineering drawings for pilot scale processes 

• Translate engineering drawings into a Bill of Materials and specifications sheets for pilot equipment and instrumentation.  

• Create formal cost estimates and capital funds requests for pilot scale processes.  

• Procure materials and construct pilot systems within the allocated budget and schedule.  

• Operate pilot systems to evaluate route options and generate process data for process scale-up and design.  

• Collaborate with internal and external manufacturing partners and capital project engineers on full-scale process designs and estimates including PFD and P&ID development, general arrangement plans, equipment and instrumentation process spec sheets and preliminary process control strategies. 

• Participate in Design Package Review, Hazard and Operability studies (HAZOP), Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA), Facility Siting Assessments, and Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR). 

• Create and own technical packages to transfer technology to internal and external manufacturing partners until projects pass through the commercialization gate. 

• Provide accurate plans and status reports to the respective project manager  

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED 

• MS in Chemical Engineering with 5+ years of experience in chemical process development engineering 

• Experience with a broad base of chemical processes along with equipment sizing and specification 

• Experience with instrumentation, automation, and control systems 

• Familiarity with process simulation software such as ASPEN.  

• Experience with Process Safety Management (PSM), Risk Management Program (RMP) requirements, and RAGAGEP design principles 

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently 

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally 

QUALIFICATIONS - PREFERRED 

• PhD in Chemical Engineering 

• 5-10 years of experience in chemical manufacturing or in a process scale-up development organization 

• Experience in Project Management Methodologies 

• Knowledge of industry codes and standards such as NFPA, ASME, API, IEC, PSM, RMP along with consistent application of RAGAGEP 

• Experience with developing cost estimates for processes  

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