Technology Process Manager

The T echnology Pro cess Manager will serve as a member of the Technology Leadership Team and play a key role in defining and implementing the technical strategy. This is a senior individual contributor role with no direct reports and a strong emphasis on mentoring: the Technology Process Manager is a guiding force and resource for the organization.

The role provides technical leadership for a specific portion of the technology, driving continuous improvement and solving critical technical problems to improve efficiency, productivity and product quality and create long-term value. The role also leads documentation of current best practices and development of Most Effective Technology (MET), including evaluating and rolling out new technologies to define new MET, and develops technology training for engineers and technical staff. The Technology Process Manager is also the key link between the Chemical Research and Development (R&D) organization and the plant, helping new technologies move smoothly from research through trials to scale-up.

The Technology Process Manager will have primary alignment to one Technology but will be cross trained across the others and will move to where the work is needed, partnering with fellow Technology Process Managers to share learnings and align practices.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Own and drive implementation of continuous improvement opportunities

Own a section of the continuous improvement action plans, driving improvement in the technology of your expertise, defining the value case for each technology and holding team members accountable

Support production units in resolving technical issues and lead data-driven improvement projects that improve yield, quality, productivity and raw material/energy efficiency

Lead Root Cause Investigations (RCIs), defining definitive action to address critical technology gaps

Serve as the key link between R&D and the plant to ensure successful trials and scale-up

Lead documentation of current best practices and development of Most Effective Technology (MET), evaluating, selecting and rolling out new technologies that may become MET

Research competition to benchmark existing operations, defining areas for improvement

Support alternate raw material source qualification for security of supply and cost savings

Mentor Unit and Continuous Improvement engineers on first principles of engineering, process technology, process safety and continuous improvement through coaching, technical reviews and knowledge transfer

Develop and deliver technology training, including physical training documentation, for site engineers and technical staff

Provide technology- and chemistry-specific input to the process safety function, including design of safety systems, and support compliance with environmental, safety and industry regulations (e.g., OSHA, EPA)

Serve as lead technical contact for the primary technology; support the other technologies as workload requires, including occasional travel for cross-training and projects; and partner with the other Technology Process Managers to share learnings and align practices

Knowledge, Skills and Capabilities:

8 or more years of relevant chemical manufacturing experience in plant-side technical roles, including direct production plant experience

Experience supporting R&D projects, commercial trials or scale-ups, with enough operational background to translate operations requirements to R&D and R&D work to operations

Demonstrated experience mentoring or coaching engineers or technical staff

Preferred: experience in monomer, specialty chemical, solution polymerization or similar chemistries and processes

Understand the Chemical division's products, processes and markets or similar products in the industry, and chemical processes from an engineering perspective

Able to effectively mentor, coach and influence others without direct authority

Able to build relationships and collaborate across Operations, R&D, the business and multiple sites

Able to develop and deliver technical training

Knowledge of chemical industry regulatory and compliance requirements (e.g., OSHA, EPA, PSM/RMP)

Able to plan, execute and monitor technical projects within scope, schedule and budget

Proficient in interpreting production data to drive decision-making

Able to solve complex technical challenges with practical solutions Quick to learn new technologies; flexible, adaptive and able to bring order to ambiguity

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a related engineering discipline required

Six Sigma or other Continuous Improvement training preferred