Environmental Engineer

Contribute. Grow. Lead...with OxyChem. Looking for a challenge? Desire to achieve your true potential? OxyChem is a growing, action-oriented, safety driven chemical manufacturing company continually striving to be the best in the business while staying focused on environmental protection. The secret to our success has and will continue to be our people.

Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem) is a leading North American manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, chlorine and caustic soda – key building blocks for a variety of indispensable products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals and water treatment chemicals. Other OxyChem products include caustic potash, chlorinated organics, sodium silicates, chlorinated isocyanurates and calcium chloride. OxyChem's market position is among the top three producers in the United States for the principal products it manufactures and markets. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

In a fast-paced industry that demands precision, we create a supportive workplace where the safety and well-being of our employees are paramount. We are committed to rewarding top performers, offering very competitive pay and benefits, and providing tremendous career development opportunities.

This position supports plant personnel in developing, implementing, and sustaining HES&S programs, policies, procedures, and systems to comply with federal, state, local, and OxyChem requirements. This position will provide safety expertise alongside environmental compliance knowledge.

The role supports daily production and maintenance in environmental and safety activities, with eventual expertise expected in all HES&S disciplines.

Essential Functions:

• Provide technical leadership and direction through development and implementation of programs by:
  • Being the expert on safety procedures, with emphasis on the 5 Key Procedures;
  • Providing clear interpretation of laws, regulations, permits, and associated Oxy procedures;
  • Determining applicability of interpretations to Site operations;
  • Integrating HES&S requirements into work processes, procedures, and guidelines to ensure continual compliance.
  • Attaining competency in fall protection, life critical guarding, fall arrest equipment, and scaffolding.
• Assist facility with regulatory permitting, emissions reporting, wastewater monitoring, solid waste management, sampling and testing programs, and other activities to maintain compliance.
• Obtain and maintain all required permits, licenses and or/exemptions.

• Create and/or optimize Site HES&S resources, programs and work processes, including:
  • Title V, UIC, RCRA, NPDES, and MI Part 5 permitting and compliance;
  • Develop and deliver environmental and safety training for the site;
  • WERCS database environmental approval for Site chemical changes;
  • Communicate changes to HES requirements, ensuring understanding and implementation;
  • Develop and deliver compliance systems, tools, training, and coaching, as applicable
• Personally demonstrate and encourage behaviors that embrace excellence in HES&S processes, standards, and procedures. 
  • Follow the Ludington Guiding Principles.
  • Actively participate in plant safety meetings.
  • Develop and distribute safety meeting topics and information, as needed.

• Demonstrate leadership in contractor safety oversight by:
  • Working with the project teams to develop and implement Safety Activity Plans;
  • Supporting the development and implementation of the contractor safety process, including scorecard requirements, tailgate meetings and Job Safety Analysis (JSA) use;
  • Mentoring the site’s contractor safety representative;
  • Co-leading, with the site contractor rep, the annual contractor performance review process.

• Conduct and participate in Corporate-wide HES&S audits and self-assessments to ensure compliance with internal and external requirements.
• Serve/lead on Site and Corporate teams formed to address specific local and/or corporation initiatives
• Member of
  • Site Emergency Manager on call rotation (on-call ~5 weeks/year)
  • Safety Solutions Team
• Utilize and support the management of change (MOC) process to review/implement HES&S and plant modification proposals.
• Demonstrate empathy and selflessness

• Ability to effectively juggle competing priorities
• Willing and able to effectively intervene to ensure compliance with HES&S expectations
• Exhibit situational leadership by assessing personnel development levels and coaching appropriately
• Supports the Food Safety Program and Quality Program. Adheres to FDA requirements.
• Lead and participate in root cause investigations and corrective action processes.
• Coordinate governmental compliance inspections and responses to inquiries

Qualifications:

• BS Degree in environmental engineering OR other degreed person with previous environmental experience is required
• Excellent interpersonal skills (Encourage teamwork by exhibiting humility and embracing feedback)
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• 5 years experience with HES&S regulations, standards, programs, and work processes is desired
• Demonstrated project management skills are desired
• Demonstrated teaching/training facilitation experience

Post-employment Requirement:

• The successful candidate is expected to develop an in-depth understanding of plant operations.  This will likely include an period of time working directly within operations.

Other Factors:

• Assignment, Review and Approval of Work:  Assignments are normally self-initiated in response to site, corporate and regulatory needs.  Other work is derived, reviewed, and approved by the HES&S Manager.
• General:  Must be able to lead and influence site employees to meet HES&S objectives.
• Relationships with Outside Organizations:  Maintains good working relationship with environmental agency personnel to maintain and improve Agency interactions. 
• Physical Requirements: Able to wear personal protective equipment, sit for long periods of time (extensive computer work), and climb multiple flights of stairs (access top of tanks, buildings, and process equipment).
• Specialized or Technical:  Can determine applicability of HES&S tasks and activities as related to standards and requirements.  Understands operating discipline and process issues that impact company HES goals.  Understands specific government reporting requirements.  Understands production and maintenance processes and how they impact HES reporting requirements, where to collect the data, and how to compile it into regulatory reports.
• Application Knowledge:  Proficient Microsoft Office software user, including SharePoint, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  Working knowledge of all HES&S tools, forms, and processes.  Use SAP to create HES&S service contractor and equipment requisitions, approve invoices, and enter work notifications.
• Relationship of Position to Others in its Function: Teach HES&S best practices and work processes.  Expected to lead in the HES function and drive culture change.
• Major or Unusual Problems:  Must be able to understand operating disciple and process issues that impact company HES&S goals, complete corrective actions to improve HES performance, and be able to monitor and validate Corrective action effectiveness.
• Sources of Support:   Corporate HES personnel, EGLE, EPA, Site personnel
• Decision Making Authority:  Day-to-day work-related decisions are normally made without direct supervision.
• Travel: Minimal - Likely limited to less than 6 out-of-state trips annually.
• Developmental Position: Expected to grow into a future leadership position.

Recruitment Fraud

It has come to our attention various individuals and/or organizations are contacting people falsely pretending to recruit on behalf of Oxy. Please be aware that these recruiting scams and communications do not originate nor are they associated with our recruitment process. All Oxy job postings and offers will require a completed application through our company website.

Oxy does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruiting process. We will never:

•  Ask you to pay for applications, interviews, meetings, processing, training or for any other fees

•  Use recruiting or placement agencies that charge candidates an advance fee of any kind or

•  Request personal information such as passport and bank account details at an early stage of our recruitment process.

We recommend against responding to unsolicited business propositions or offers from people you don't know. Do not disclose your personal or financial details. If you believe you have been the victim of a recruiting scam, please contact your local police department.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.