The Pilot Plant Engineer for the Houston Technology Center is responsible for providing technical support for the daily operation of pilot plants, research laboratories, and facility systems. This role coordinates daily operational activities including safety, reliability, execution of experimental plans, and environmental compliance. The engineer also leads unit reliability improvements, procedure ownership, PHA stewardship, and periodic maintenance programs. The role requires strong technical expertise, problem solving capability, and leadership in safety, reliability, and cross functional collaboration.
A Day in the LifeOperational & Technical Support
• Provide daily technical support to Operations personnel to ensure operating targets are met and reliability is maximized in support of experimental goals.
• Track and analyze historical data related to downtime, equipment failures, upsets, and low quality data; develop and implement improvements.
• Troubleshoot process issues using historical knowledge and engineering judgment; implement timely solutions.
• Investigate unit and equipment upsets, failures, and off target operation; determine root causes with Researchers, Operations, and Maintenance teams.
• Serve as the HTC facility historian and provide the foundation for consistent pilot plant operation.
• Lead or support unit reliability upgrades, pilot plant commissioning, troubleshooting, and construction activities as needed.
• Support Development Engineering (DE) activities and provide backup support to execute small projects
Procedures & Documentation
• Maintain and improve Operating and Maintenance procedures to maximize HSE performance, reliability, and productivity.
• Serve as owner for site Asset Integrity programs
• Support work order creation, documentation, and workflow.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineering to update Unit Operating Manuals.
Safety, Environmental & PHA Ownership
• Provide leadership for safety and environmental performance; participate in safety programs, Process Hazard Analyses, and Incident Investigations.
• Integrate sound safety and environmental principles into all operational and maintenance activities to support GoalZero performance.
• Operation Owner for key facility systems
• Manage Thermal Oxidizer runtime/downtime reporting and propane usage reporting.
Maintenance & Reliability Systems
• Tracks and analyzes downtime, failures, and data quality issues to drive reliability improvements
• Manages Preventive Maintenance (PM) systems and supports maintenance troubleshooting
• Serve as SAP site requisitioner for maintenance and procurement needs.
• Provide troubleshooting support for maintenance activities.
• Manage the Preventive Maintenance (PM) system to ensure timely execution of required tasks.
Training, Mentoring & Collaboration
• Promote good operating practices and participate in or lead formal training to improve employee effectiveness.
• Mentor new research engineers, chemists, and technicians.
• Provide training on work order submission and support procurement activities (SAP PR issuing) as backup.
• Maintain broad knowledge of technician capabilities; provide input to improve operational and technical skills.
Team Participation & Cross Functional Roles
• Participate in or support the site Maintenance, Incident Investigation, and Process Safety teams and programs
• Manage short term contractors as needed.
You Bring This Value• B.S. in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering
• Minimum 5 years of plant support experience
• Strong technical understanding of pilot plant chemical processes and operations
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work with R&D and cross functional teams
• Ability to support a 24/7 operational environment
Preferred Qualifications • Experience in a research & development and/or research lab environment
• Experience in a petrochemical manufacturing plant environment
What We OfferCompetenciesBuild Partnerships
Deliver Results
Drive Innovation
Grow Capabilities
Promote Inclusion
Motivational Fit
Technical Skills
Learn more about our benefits: Benefits/Health & Welfare | LyondellBasell
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