Chemical Manufacturing Engineer

We are a leading specialty chemical manufacturer providing high-performance consumable solutions across industrial operations. Backed by a large parent corporation, our local manufacturing facility operates with a lean, collaborative team of 20 employees. We combine the agility and ownership of a tight site team with the stability, resources, and career growth opportunities of an industry leader.

Role Overview

We are seeking a versatile Chemical Manufacturing Engineer to join our site team and take ownership across three primary operational pillars: Quality Management System (QMS) maintenance, capital project management, and chemical process scale-up.

Reporting directly to the General Manager, you will work alongside an experienced engineering production supervisor during a planned 1-year transition period to master our site systems and QMS maintenance schedule. This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives in a hands-on plant environment, bridging lab chemistry with commercial manufacturing, managing capital upgrades, and ensuring high equipment reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Management & Equipment Maintenance Scheduling (~35%)

• Maintain full ownership of the facility’s ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) maintenance and review schedules (semi-annual/annual reviews, calibrations, document controls).
• Partner with the QC lab and production teams to troubleshoot batch deviations, lead internal audits, and implement Root Cause Analysis / CAPAs.
• Provide hands-on technical and mechanical troubleshooting for plant process equipment (reactors, agitators, pumps, mechanical seals, filter presses) and delegate maintenance execution to plant operators.

Capital Project Management (~35%)

• Lead ongoing and future capital expenditure (CapEx) projects from initial design through commissioning, including plant process modifications and facility/warehouse expansions.
• Manage third-party engineering contractors, specify and select new mechanical/process equipment, maintain project budgets, and update P&IDs.

Process Scale-Up & Optimization (~30%)

• Oversee the transition of new R&D chemistry formulations from lab-scale samples to full-scale commercial reactor production.
• Execute mass balance, fluid dynamics, and equipment sizing calculations necessary for scaling new formulations into existing or new equipment.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize chemical manufacturing processes to improve yields, optimize cycle times, and minimize waste.
• Champion site safety by ensuring compliance with Process Safety Management (PSM), environmental regulations, and active participation in HAZOP reviews.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
• Experience: 5–7+ years of progressive engineering experience within a chemical manufacturing plant, pharmaceutical facility, or food/beverage processing plant.
• QMS & Maintenance: Proven experience maintaining ISO quality management systems, managing maintenance compliance schedules, and practical troubleshooting of mechanical process equipment.
• Project Engineering: Direct experience executing capital engineering projects, specifying process equipment, managing contractors, and reading/modifying P&IDs.
• Technical Skills: Strong proficiency in scale-up calculations, fluid dynamics, mass balance, process simulation software, and AutoCAD.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional project management skills, strong mechanical aptitude, proactive communication, and a "safety-first" mindset.