Full-Time
Automation Engineer
Braskem
10,001+ employees
Produces thermoplastic resins and biopolymers globally
No salary listed
No H1B Sponsorship
Victoria, TX, USA
In Person
 Electrical Engineering (1) |
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- Applicable Engineering degree (chemical preferred) with 10+ years of previous experience in industrial manufacturing, with 3+ years in controls/automation
- Experience with DCS systems (Foxboro I/A), safety systems (Triconex), and PLCs (Modicon)
- Strong self-starter, good communicator, and solid interpersonal skills
- Ability to visualize, understand, and troubleshoot control loops and their associated documentation from the instrument through logic
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without visa sponsorship (U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident)
- Excellent general computer skills
- Comfortable working in a small plant environment
- Travel involved: 0-5%
- Perform troubleshooting of the automation systems, including DCS, SIS, PLCs, Data Historian, Advanced Solutions, and DMZ/PCN layer network
- Serve as the primary interface with the I&E technicians, providing occasional support while troubleshooting particularly challenging issues or offering specific guidance for capital work
- Collaborate daily with operations personnel, helping them troubleshoot process issues, logic, graphics, drawings, etc.
- Maintain and update process control strategy documents, such as loop diagrams, logic drawings, and cause & effect matrices
- Monitor performance of PID loops and tune as necessary. Diagnose poor performance and recommend next steps as needed
- Monitor and evaluate automation asset health and performance, and take actions as necessary
- Be an active participant in Management of Change and Process Safety Management initiatives, identify how proposed changes may impact our control systems, and help determine optimal implementation solutions
- Support our Alarm Management process by generating alarm reports, participating in alarm rationalization meetings, and implementing changes to the DCS configuration
- Perform routine tasks, such as backups and preventive maintenance, to verify the viability and reliability of all automation equipment and to repair/replace components as needed
- Identify and correct problems that may arise during the commissioning of new control system equipment
- Serve as a liaison to the electrical and mechanical groups and provide insight into how their work might affect automation systems
- Responsible for developing alarms/interlock testing procedures and conducting functional testing of alarms/interlocks following site specific procedures
- Perform minor maintenance on the site historian (IP 21). Be able to add/modify tags
- Coordinate with vendors & Industrial Data and Architecture team to ensure automation system support software is patched and up to date
- Ensure that applicable safety practices are followed and that personnel are informed of possible hazards while working with and around automation equipment
- Our sites are all 24/7 and will require availability to support the plant during off-hours in case of automation system failures
- Support site cybersecurity initiatives through the Braskem Cybersecurity Champions program
- Provide technical training to operations on control system functionality and alarm management
- Participate in incident investigations into automation system issues and represent automation during other incident investigations
- Work closely with vendors as needed to support automation systems
- Participate as needed in Process Hazard Analysis studies
- Support root cause analysis investigations for process safety incidents/near misses
- Rigorous testing of automation systems, including creation, planning, execution, and documentation to ensure safety
- Manage tracking of bypasses on all automation systems and instrumentation to ensure the process is being managed correctly
- Previous plant experience in chemical manufacturing, preferably in Spheripol or Unipol polypropylene technology
- Previous plant experience in a Process Safety Management regulated facility
- Knowledge of computer hardware and software
- Knowledge of network systems
- Competency in programming in at least one computer language
- Knowledge of virtualization
Braskem is a major petrochemical producer with plants in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Germany, supplying thermoplastic resins like polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC, plus other chemicals. It also makes biopolymers, including green polyethylene derived from sugarcane ethanol, using renewable feedstocks. Its products serve industries such as packaging, construction, automotive, and consumer goods in more than 70 countries, sold to manufacturers for further processing. The company differentiates itself as Latin America's largest petrochemical producer with a strong focus on sustainable solutions and renewable materials, and aims to expand its global manufacturing network and increase the share of low-carbon materials in its product line.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
São Paulo, Brazil
Founded
2002
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- IG4 Capital acquires 50.1% voting control via R$20B debt-to-equity swap resolving disputes.
- Philadelphia Eagles Tackling STEM program reaches 15,000 students since 2018.
- Holds 4.5% US market share in plastic and resin manufacturing with 8,482 employees.
What critics are saying
- R$51.8B debt and negative cash flow trigger bankruptcy filing by mid-2026.
- Maceió land sinking exceeds R$7B in costs, forcing asset sales immediately.
- Auditors flag going-concern doubt; stock drops 10% amid restructuring failures.
What makes Braskem unique
- Braskem produces world's first green polyethylene from sugarcane ethanol at 200,000 tons annually.
- Leads US polypropylene production with 1.5 million tons capacity across five plants.
- Showcases post-consumer recycled portfolio with bio-circular solutions at PRSE 2025.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
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Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Flexible Work Hours
Maternity and Paternity Leave
Teladoc
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Retirement Benefits
Company News
April 9, 2026 - Control Station names Braskem's Neal Plant industry leader in PID performance. * By Control Guru * April 9, 2026 Integration of PlantESP and Asset Intellect helps manufacturers turn control loop diagnostics into faster operational decisions Control Station, Inc., today named Braskem's Neal Plant as the recipient of its inaugural Top Performing Facility Award. The recognition honors the Braskem facility's exceptional performance in achieving world-class PID control loop effectiveness as measured by Overall Controller Effectiveness (OCE). As process manufacturers increasingly adopt data-driven performance metrics to improve reliability and efficiency, benchmarking control loop effectiveness has become a critical component of operational excellence. Located in Kenova, West Virginia, the Neal Plant distinguished itself from more than 150 production facilities by achieving the highest average benchmark for plant-wide regulatory controller performance during calendar year 2025. Through proactive monitoring and analysis of PID control loops, the site achieved industry-leading OCE scores that reflect superior controller utilization, minimized variability, and sustained operational excellence. "Braskem's Neal Plant exemplifies what is possible when organizations prioritize their control infrastructure as a strategic asset," said Dennis Nash, President of Control Station. "Their commitment to continuously monitoring and improving control loop effectiveness has delivered measurable gains in stability, throughput, and efficiency. This data-driven approach to optimization is precisely what the Top Performing Facility Award was created to celebrate." The award was based on a year-long, data-driven evaluation of OCE scores collected monthly from a diverse set of global manufacturing sites using Control Station's PlantESP Loop Performance Monitoring solution. As an analogue to Overall Equipment Effectiveness, OCE provides a holistic measure of controller health by assessing factors that characterize an individual PID loop's availability, performance, and quality. Because OCE is computed using normalized values, performance can be compared across different loop types and aggregated seamlessly from loop to unit, plant, and even enterprise levels. This approach is helping establish OCE as a standard benchmark for control performance across the process industries. Braskem's achievement reflects a sustained focus on best practices in loop tuning, performance monitoring, and proactive maintenance. By leveraging advanced analytics and standardized workflows, the Neal Plant has improved process stability and reduced operator intervention, unlocking incremental production capacity and delivering measurable improvements in cost efficiency and operational reliability. "Achieving world-class regulatory control performance requires both the right technology and a culture of continuous improvement," commented Bob Rice, PhD, Control Station's Vice President of Engineering. "Braskem's Neal Plant has demonstrated leadership in both areas, delivering measurable gains in operational performance and overall efficiency."
Brazilian investment firm IG4 buying Braskem. Brazilian materials leader Braskem is being acquired by financial firm IG4 Capital. Plastikos Medical is expanding its ISO Class 7 clean room capacity with the addition of three Arburg injection molding machines to support growing demand from medical device OEMs.
Brazilian asset manager IG4 Capital has moved to assume control of petrochemical company Braskem after major creditor banks agreed to transfer shares pledged as collateral by Novonor (formerly Odebrecht) to a fund advised by IG4. The parties have agreed to a 60-day exclusivity period to complete the transaction, which requires approval from Brazilian antitrust authority Cade. Itaú, Bradesco, Santander, Banco do Brasil and BNDES, holding approximately R$20 billion in credits against Novonor backed by Braskem shares, are participating in the deal. IG4 will hold 50.1% of voting capital and 34.3% of total capital, sharing control with Petrobras. Novonor will retain 4% in preferred shares without governance rights. The agreement resolves a protracted dispute and paves the way for a new shareholders' agreement with Petrobras.
Novonor SA is nearing a deal to sell its controlling stake in Braskem SA to a fund managed by IG4 Capital. This transaction involves one of the world's largest petrochemical companies, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Braskem SA, the Brazilian chemical giant, said it tapped the entirety of a $1 billion credit line amid an industry downturn and mounting investor concern.