Stepan

Engineering Manager

Stepan$100K — $130K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering
  • 8+ years of engineering experience in chemical or process manufacturing
  • 3+ years of engineering leadership or supervisory experience
  • 5+ years of capital project experience for projects over $2MM
  • Experience in a PSM-regulated manufacturing environment
  • Strong knowledge of OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and applicable engineering standards

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the single point of accountability for technical integrity at the site
  • Own the quality and compliance of Management of Change (MOC) activities
  • Lead technical and hazard reviews including HAZOPs and PSSRs
  • Provide technical governance for the site’s 5-year capital plan
  • Partner with Project Managers while retaining authority for technical scope
  • Lead, mentor, and develop site engineers, enhancing technical ownership
  • Ensure environmental compliance is built into all plant systems

Benefits

  • Be a technical leader with clear authority and accountability
  • Work for a global leader in chemical manufacturing
  • Closely partner with Operations and Maintenance to improve plant reliability
  • Make a visible, lasting impact on plant safety, performance, and design quality
Full Job Description
Job Description

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Engineering Manager to join our team at our coastal Wilmington, NC manufacturing facility. In this key leadership role, you will report directly to the Plant Manager and serve as the site technical authority, ensuring the safe, compliant, and reliable design of plant systems.

This role is ideal for an experienced engineering leader who is comfortable owning technical decisions, guiding engineers, and partnering effectively with Operations and Maintenance-without owning daily execution. This role provides technical authority, governance, and coaching for site engineering acitvities, while execution is primarily performed by early-career engineering roles.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Lead, mentor, and develop direct-reporting early-career site engineers (Environmental, Process Safety, and Project Engineering), providing structured technical direction, review, and coaching.
  • Build technical capability, standard work, and long-term bench strength within an early-career engineering team.
  • Serve as the single point of accountability for technical integrity at the site, including engineering standards, specifications, and design practices, with final technical approval authority.
  • This role includes accountability for site environmental engineering and permitting support, ensuring environmental compliance through oversight of early-career engineering execution.
  • Partner with Project Engineering and Project Managers while retaining authority for technical scope and change control.
  • Own technical governance of the Site 5-Year Capital Plan, including front-end loading (FEL), technical scope definition, and design approval, while delegating day-to-day planning and project development to an early-career project engineer.
  • Provide oversight and accountability for the Site Process Safety Management (PSM) program, with day-to-day ownership and administration assigned to an early-career process safety engineer. Ensure PHAs, DHAs, MOCs, and other PSM compliance activities are technically sound, appropriately staffed, reviewed, and closed in accordance with regulatory and company requirements.
  • Collaborate with Operations to translate operating needs into sound engineering solutions and with Maintenance & Reliability to eliminate repeat failures.
  • Exercise authority to stop work for technical, safety, or PSM concerns when required.
  • Fostering a culture where safety is a core value, proactively identifying and mitigating risks, and promoting a positive safety mindset among all employees. Establishes clear expectations and demonstrates commitment to safety through actions and words.
  • Retains final technical decision-making and approval authority for engineering, PSM, and capital project deliverables at the site.


What This Role Does NOT Own
  • Daily plant operation or shift supervision
  • Control room or field execution
  • Craft labor or contractor supervision beyond engineering scope
  • Project schedule or construction execution


Qualifications

  • 8+ years of engineering experience in chemical or process manufacturing
  • 3+ years of engineering leadership or supervisory experience
  • 5+ years of capital project experience providing technical leadership and engineering scope ownership for projects >$2MM
  • Experience serving as technical authority in a PSM-regulated manufacturing environment
  • Strong working knowledge of OSHA, EPA, NFPA, and applicable engineering standards


Education

Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering

#LI-RV1 #LI-ONSITE

Why Join Us?

  • Be a technical leader at a critical manufacturing site with clear authority and accountability
  • Work for a global leader in chemical manufacturing
  • Partner closely with Operations and Maintenance while shaping long-term plant reliability
  • Opportunity to make a visible, lasting impact on plant safety, performance, and design quality


If you are an experienced engineering leader who values technical rigor, clear decision-making, and collaboration, we would love to hear from you.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

About Stepan

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. The company was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Northfield, Illinois. Stepan's products are used in a variety of end markets, including construction, agriculture, consumer goods, and transportation. The company operates in three segments: Surfactants, Polymers, and Specialty Products. Stepan has manufacturing sites and research and development facilities in North and South America, Europe, and Asia.
Learn more about Stepan
Size
2,439 employees
Market Cap
$2.3 billion
Industry
Net Income
$126.7 million
5 Year Trend
+5.8%
Revenue
$1.8 billion
NASDAQ

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