Process Engineer - CP Kelco

Position Summary

As a Process Engineer you will contribute to the planning, developing, and implementing process improvement activities within the manufacturing plant in the fermentation area. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance yield, throughput, and operating efficiency while ensuring product quality and safety. You will Identify and implement process improvements that result in higher throughput, improved efficiencies, recognizable cost savings, and more consistent product quality

Responsibilities

• Identify and implement process improvements to increase throughput, enhance efficiencies, reduce costs, and maintain consistent product quality.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve yield, throughput, operating efficiency, and cost-effectiveness without compromising safety or product quality.
• Support the implementation of process changes to enhance product quality and consistency.
• Participate in selecting process equipment and instrumentation by meeting with vendors, conducting trials, and staying informed about new technologies.
• Contribute to the technical performance analysis of existing processes and systems, including fermentation, distillation, solids handling, size reduction, classification, packaging, and plant utilities.
• Prepare written reports summarizing findings and recommendations for further work.
• Identify key process performance indicators (KPIs) and identify solutions to problems reducing performance.
• Participate in process risk studies (HAZOP-LOPA, What-if) in new and existing processes.  Prepare Management of Change (MOC) evaluations and lead Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR).
• Participate in incident investigations, performing root cause analysis, identity and implement corrective actions
• Participate in expense and capital projects management, ensuring alignment with operational and budgetary requirements.
• Work alongside project engineering during the conception, process design, and commissioning of new equipment and processes to meet project goals and schedules.
• Support Operations and Maintenance as a technical expert in diagnosing and rectifying process capability issues to achieve sustainable results.
• Ensure that quality work is completed safely and in a timely manner in alignment with safety and environmental standards set by CP Kelco.
• Manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Develop, review, and maintain process engineering documentation including mass and energy balance, PFDs, P & IDs, SOPs, process descriptions, function and control specifications, and process data acquisition. 
• Validate third-party (supplier/manufacturer, contract engineering, Global CP Kelco Engineering) design and analysis for process and equipment design.
• Collaborate with the Process Technical Lead and cross-functional teams to achieve key performance objectives related to process improvement.
• Assist in making decisions regarding process changes and equipment selection to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
• Contribute to the preparation of reports outlining findings and recommendations.
• Support the management of capital and expense projects within established authority limits.
• Collaborate with Operations and Maintenance to address process capability challenges.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering; other Engineering degrees will be considered with demonstrated Process Engineering experience and 1-5 years’ experience performing process improvements, equipment installations, and modifications, with a strong preference for candidates with  experience in food or chemical manufacturing industries. 
• Experience with large scale fermentation processes in a manufacturing environment.
• Liaise with Project Engineering, Maintenance, Management, and Operations personnel to fully provide process specifications to implement process improvements. 
• Understand the manufacturing process to identify and resolve quality, productivity, or safety issues.
• Previous experience working with supervisors, production engineers, and operators to troubleshoot and resolve problems and detailed data analysis to solve problems independently.  
• Maintain project control and accountability until the manufacturing group accepts the projects, and all project goals are met.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills are required.  
• Ability to apply a methodical experimental approach to solving production problems using data and current statistical tools.
• Strong Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access).
• Expertise in unit operations, process design, M&E balance, and process data analysis
• Ability to balance multiple simultaneous tasks and dynamic priorities. 
• Six Sigma Black Belt or Lean manufacturing experience is a plus
• Working knowledge of SAP is a plus
• Working knowledge of DeltaV control system is a plus
• Working knowledge of industry codes and standards 

#LI-LM1