Operations Performance Engineer

Dow's Emulsions/Polymers production facility in Knoxville, TN has an opening for an Operations Performance Engineer.

In this role, you will play a key part in helping the plant deliver maximum value through Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) excellence, operational reliability, efficiency, and low cost to produce.  As a member of a smaller manufacturing site, you will have the opportunity to work across a broad range of technical and operational areas, gaining exposure beyond what is typically available in larger facilities. This unique role offers significant opportunities to develop both technical and leadership capabilities while partnering closely with Operations, Maintenance, EH&S, and other functions to optimize plant performance, resolve complex challenges, and enable the safe, reliable, and efficient production of quality products.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the operations team leveraging their problem-solving skills and technical expertise.

• Elevate and appropriately apply knowledge of the plant and technology referencing historical data and conferring with Technology Center or other subject matter experts (SMEs).

• Ensure Most Effective Technology (MET) is understood and utilized, and that process automation is used as a tool to optimize plant performance.

• Utilize defined MET and challenge/escalate MET application and assumptions when better solutions arise.

• Partner with experts to perform advanced troubleshooting and improve and document operating discipline.

• Diagnose and document root causes of asset utilization losses in the facility.

• Understand why specific procedure steps and precautions are needed and keeps a strong field presence to reinforce the importance.

• Conduct daily review of logbook and alarm history to better understand the plant operation and stay engaged with daily activities.

• Maintain, own, and review daily Key Process Indicators (KPI)/ trends to ensure optimum performance.

• Respond urgently to plant issues and emergencies.

• Act as a unit technical expert during unplanned events and drive implementation of effective corrective and preventative actions.

• Provide leadership, expertise, diagnosis, and optimization in plant Raw Material Efficiency, which may include yield or waste generation.

• Ensure compliance with plant operating permits. Understand site integration and provide input to optimize the overall system.

• Provides support with on-call rotation.

Qualifications

• Must have obtained a bachelor's degree in engineering by January 2027. Chemical or mechanical engineering discipline is preferred. In lieu of a degree, relevant military experience at or above a U.S. E5 or Canadian Petty Officer 2nd Class or Sergeant ranking will be considered.

• Previous experience in a chemical production facility is preferred.

• Previous experience in coatings is preferred.

• A minimum requirement for this U.S. based position is the ability to work legally in the United States.  No visa sponsorship/support is available for this position, including for any type of U.S. permanent residency (green card) process.

Willing and able to meet 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.  

• Lift a maximum of 50 lbs.

• This role does involve elevated work greater than or equal to four feet above the ground.  Must be able to wear and use personal protective equipment (PPE), including harnesses with a total weight capacity of 300lbs.  

Your Skills

• Process Optimization: The candidate should have a strong understanding of process optimization techniques to enhance plant performance and efficiency.

• Technical Expertise: Strong technical and interpersonal skills along with a high level of initiative are required to be successful in this role.

• Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to identify and resolve issues quickly and effectively is important for maintaining smooth plant operations.

• Collaboration and Communication: Must be able to work with multiple functions and diverse workgroups, especially important to be able to work with shift and technical operations teams.

Additional Notes

• Work during off-hours and weekends are sometimes required during plant turnarounds or upsets.

• This position does not offer relocation assistance.