Louisiana, United States of America
Job Family Group:
Discipline Engineering
Worker Type:
Regular
Posting Start Date:
October 29, 2026
Business Unit:
Downstream and Renewables
Experience Level:
Experienced Professionals
Job Description:
What’s the role
The Senior Advanced Process Control (APC) Engineer serves as a site technical authority for APC applications, providing technical leadership for the development, implementation, sustainment, and lifecycle management of APC solutions. The role develops and implements the Norco site APC strategy to improve throughput and yield, energy efficiency, reliability, operational stability, and overall margin performance.
The Senior APC Engineer identifies, prioritizes, and documents APC improvement opportunities and leads execution from concept through realized and sustained business value. This is a working technical leadership position with strategic responsibilities and accountability for APC application performance, uptime, conformance, and continuous improvement. For clarity, the APC platform that Norco utilizes is Shell PACE, which is considered the same as Dynamic Matrix Control, or Model Predictive Control.
What you’ll be doing
The primary role of the Senior APC Engineer is to provide site-wide technical leadership and day-to-day assurance for APC applications supporting Norco Refining and Chemical Production. Main responsibilities include:
- Serve as the site APC and PACE technical authority and focal point for APC strategy, performance, technical assurance, and lifecycle management
- Develop, maintain, and implement the site APC strategy, aligning priorities with Production, Asset Operations, Asset Optimization, Process Engineering, and PACO objective
- Develop and improve proactive technical monitoring for existing APC applications to maintain and improve controller uptime, utilization, and conformance
- Be accountable and responsible for APC issue resolution, including troubleshooting application performance and coordinating internal, off-site, and external support resources
- Develop a comprehensive support strategy for APC controllers that uses available site, enterprise, vendor, and specialist support resources effectively.
- Identify, document, prioritize, and lead APC improvement opportunities across the site, including resource allocation
- Lead development and implementation of APC solutions that increase throughput and yield, reduce product giveaway and energy consumption, improve reliability and operational stability, and maximize sustained margin capture
- Monitor controller performance and conformance, identify performance gaps, and drive continuous improvement
- Collaborate with Control Systems Engineers to improve base-layer and complex control performance where those controls are foundational to APC effectiveness
- Engage Production Teams and Process Engineering to ensure APC actions align with operating objectives, unit constraints, optimization plans, and safe operating limits
- Mentor APC Engineers and Control Systems Engineers in PACE controller development, improvement, troubleshooting, and maintenance
- Provide APC technical assurance and support for management of change, projects, turnarounds, and other site work processes as applicable
- Communicate APC performance, risks, priorities, and realized benefits to stakeholders
The Senior APC Engineer is expected to have effective use of company tools and work processes including:
- ESP (Ensure Safe Production): Participate in alarm and process-control performance activities where APC performance interfaces with safe, stable unit operation
- MOC (Management of Change): Apply the process to APC and associated control changes and provide technical evaluation for PACO-related changes.
- EPD and applicable engineering work processes: Use approved processes to develop, assure, implement, document, and sustain APC applications and improvements
- Performance monitoring and opportunity tracking: Maintain visibility of controller uptime, conformance, improvement opportunities, execution status, and business benefits
- Process Control Domain security: Follow site requirements for secure development, support, access, and maintenance of APC and PACE applications
What you bring
- Must have legal authorization to work in the US on a full-time basis for anyone other than the current employer
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, or another relevant engineering discipline
- Minimum 8 years of experience in industrial process control and/or dynamic matrix control
- Demonstrated APC experience, including application development, commissioning, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and sustainment; PACE experience a plus
- Demonstrated knowledge of base-layer control, complex control, and manufacturing operations
- Ability to identify and translate operating and economic opportunities into practical APC solutions and sustained business value
- Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and provide site-wide technical leadership
What we offer
The base salary range for this position is $149,000 - $223,000 per year. Individual pay will be based on various factors, such as relevant work experience, education, certifications, skill level, seniority, and internal equity.
For regular full-time or regular part-time employees of the Company (participating companies as listed in the Summary Plan Description), insurance coverage options include medical, dental, vision coverage, life Insurance, Business Travel Accident Insurance, and Occupational Accidental Death Benefit programs. Employees also participate in a company pension plan and a 401(k) plan. Paid leave includes up to 6 weeks of paid vacation time, up to 11 paid holidays, and parental leave offering 16 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents, and 8 weeks of paid leave for non-birthing parents.
Additionally, employees are eligible for short-term disability leave for up to 26 weeks at 100% or 50% of base pay as well as Long-Term Disability insurance. Shell also offers other compensation such financial reimbursement for adoption, wellness, education, and personal learning expenses, and some roles are eligible for discretionary long-term incentives. For interns, eligible benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, Business Travel Accident Insurance, and Occupational Accidental Death Benefit programs; participation in a 401(k) plan; and paid leave for up to 11 paid holidays. Additional information on Shell’s US benefit programs can be found at https://www.shell.us/careers/about-careers-at-shell/rewards-and-benefits.html.
You bring your skills and experience to Shell and in return you work with talented, committed people on one of the most important challenges facing our planet. You’ll have the opportunity to develop the skills you need to grow in an environment where we value honesty, integrity, and respect for one another. You’ll be able to balance your priorities as you become the best version of yourself.
- Progress as a person as we work on the energy transition together
- Continuously grow the transferable skills you need to get ahead
- Work at the forefront of technology, trends, and practices
- Collaborate with experienced colleagues with unique expertise
- Achieve your balance in a values-led culture that encourages you to be the best version of yourself
- Benefit from flexible working hours, and the possibility of remote/mobile working
- Perform at your best with a competitive starting salary and annual performance related salary increase – our pay and benefits packages are considered to be among the best in the world.
- Take advantage of paid parental leave, including for non-birthing parents
- Join an organization working to become one of the most diverse and inclusive in the world. We strongly encourage applicants of all genders, ages, ethnicities, cultures, abilities, sexual orientation, and life experiences to apply
- Grow as you progress through diverse career opportunities in national and international teams
- Gain access to a wide range of training and development programs
Shell in The United States
With more than 11,000 employees, Shell has been in the US for more than 100 years and is delivering secure energy supplies across America.
From producing a reliable supply of oil and gas in the US Gulf of America to biofuels, our retail sites and EV charging network, to marketing and trading electricity generated by gas plants, solar and wind power, we are one of the few countries where every Shell business is represented.
We are working with our customers to deliver the energy the world needs today and building the energy systems of tomorrow, all while creating value for society and shareholders.
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