Job description
NovaChem Industries is seeking a Senior Chemical Process Engineer to join our expanding team in Houston. You will lead process design, scale-up, and optimization for our petrochemical and specialty chemicals portfolio. This role offers exposure to multi disciplinary projects, safety critical operations, and opportunities to drive significant efficiency gains while advancing your career in a collaborative, results driven environment.
As part of our Engineering group you will collaborate with Operations R&D and Quality to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant processes from concept through commissioning, with a strong focus on delivering measurable business value.
Responsibility
- Lead process design, modeling, and optimization using Aspen Plus or HYSYS; perform mass and energy balances for new and existing facilities.
- Size and specify equipment for reactors, separators, and heat exchange systems to meet performance and safety targets.
- Develop and implement process control strategies; work with automation and instrumentation teams to deploy robust control schemes.
- Conduct process safety analyses including HAZOP and LOPA; drive risk reduction across projects.
- Lead multi-disciplinary projects from concept to commissioning, including scope, schedule, budget, and risk management.
- Analyze plant data and implement improvements to enhance yield, energy efficiency, and throughput.
- Collaborate with Operations, R&D, and Quality to scale new products from pilot to full production.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering; Master's preferred.
- 5+ years of experience in process engineering within chemical, petrochemical, or related industries.
- Proficiency with process simulation tools such as Aspen Plus, HYSYS, or CHEMCAD; strong MATLAB and Excel skills.
- Solid understanding of mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and heat exchanger design.
- Experience with P&ID interpretation and equipment design; familiarity with safety standards and regulatory compliance.
- Strong knowledge of process safety management, HAZOP, LOPA, and risk assessment methodologies.
- Excellent communication, teamwork, and project management abilities; capable of influencing cross functional teams.