Maleic Operations Lead

Job Description:

North America Maleic Operations Lead

Huntsman is seeking a Maleic Technical Engineer supporting the Performance Products Division two Maleic Anhydride plants located in Geismar, Louisiana, and Pensacola, Florida. The initial assignment is focused on Geismar.

Job Scope

The overall purpose of this role is to manage the most critical technical and operational decisions to optimize unit performance, reliability and costs, as well as driving corporate initiatives. This role serves as the Huntsman Performance Products owner and advocate within the Pensacola and Geismar third-party sites, with initial focus particularly on Geismar.

In summary, as the Maleic Technical Engineer, you will:

• Optimize the reliability and cost-efficiency of the Geismar unit by balancing operating efficiency, asset reliability, and maintenance spending—ranging from minor interventions to major turnarounds—while reducing critical costs without compromising Unit availability.
• Distinguish between safety and reliability “non-negotiables” and discretionary risks.
• Conduct detailed turnaround analysis (tasks, purpose, frequency, resources, and cost) and guide optimized turnaround programs.
• Update and document the Maleic unit cost structure (fixed and variable costs), analyze five-year spending trends, and recommend cost-saving initiatives.
• Benchmark operational and maintenance performance by comparing Pensacola and Geismar Maleic units with high‑performing internal and external units, identifying gaps, and applying best practices to the Maleic unit.
• Collaborate with the Huntsman Center of Excellence and other technical experts to remain current on best or new approaches to chemical plant challenges.
• Use strong influence and relationship-building skills to drive required change at sites.
• Analyze plant data to evaluate catalyst and other Unit performance, provide guidance to operations.
• Be a leader in tackling any unplanned threat to the Maleic units: Raw material supply, unplanned major equipment failure resolution, third-party challenges, etc.

Qualifications

You must possess the below minimum qualifications to be initially considered for this position. Preferred qualifications are in addition to the minimum requirements and are considered a plus factor in identifying top candidates.

The candidate must have an unrestricted right to work for Huntsman in the United States.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 7 years of relevant engineering experience in a manufacturing or chemical processing environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of process design, unit operations, equipment mechanical systems, and turnaround management, and how these integrate to support sound operational and financial decisions.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, including raw material handling and qualification, production processes, process controls, quality control, and cost accounting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance technical decision-making with cost and business impact considerations.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills across cross-functional teams.
• Relationship-building and trust development capabilities with operations, maintenance, environmental, accounting, and leadership teams.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with plant historian tools.
• Experience in Maleic Anhydride or similar chemical production units.
• Experience benchmarking operations across multiple sites.
• Prior experience leading turnaround optimization or reliability improvement programs.

Working Environment

This role is based at the Geismar manufacturing site and requires working in a chemical plant environment. The position may involve:

• Regular interaction with operating units and field equipment.
• Participation in turnaround planning and execution activities.
• Exposure to industrial environments requiring compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
• Collaboration with cross-functional technical and operations teams onsite.

Additional Locations: