Chemical Engineer - Power Plant

Overview

• This is a job description for a Chemical Engineer position at a Coal Fired Power Plant.
• This position will have accountability and responsibility for a variety of chemical systems in the Power Plant such as: anhydrous ammonia system, boiler cycle chemistry, absorber chemistry, fuel chemistry, flue gas chemistry, condensate polishing, engineering assistance to the Water Treatment Plant, plant water balance, injection well, and other systems assigned as necessary.
• This position will coordinate & oversee repairs to equipment in the systems listed above.
• The Power Plant uses a System Engineer concept, this position will provide Chemical Engineering support to Mechanical and Electrical System Engineers at the Power Plant as required.
• This position will work with the Environmental department as needed to assist in the permitting and emissions testing needs of the Power Plant.
• This position is focused on the application of technical skills and ingenuity in the maintenance and repair of equipment in the Power Plant.
• The responsibilities of this position are not limited, cross training into other systems is encouraged and will be required as the candidate develops in their position.
• It is expected that a Power Plant Chemical Engineer will be present for planned and forced outages as required, to coordinate repair activities with Operations, Maintenance, and Contractors. This includes 12+ hour shifts that may land on days, nights, holidays, and / or weekends.

Responsibilities

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, any one of the following assigned areas:

• Within the first year of employment, the candidate shall complete 10 weeks of training that involves shadowing an operations shift for the purpose of learing how the plant operates. The operations department is on a 5 shift, 12 hour day, DuPont schedule.
• For the systems listed above, coordinate with vendors to optimize chemical injection rates to increase plant reliability while managing cost.
• For the systems listed above, coordinate all maintenance and repair projects for both scheduled and unscheduled work as necessary to maintain and / or improve the reliability and capacity of the plant.
• Financial responsibility for the outage budget pretaining to the systems listed above.
• Lead and/or participate in any plant Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) and Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) processes involving the systems listed above to ensure corrective actions, repairs, and or modifications are appropriate and timely in their execution.
• For the systems listed above, develop and / or review the Preventative Maintenance (PM) activities for equipent to ensure all PM’s are correctly aligned with the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) philosophy.
• For the systems listed above, provide project and critical path management for plant outages through the development of contract work scopes, assembly of budgets, and contractor oversite.
• For the systems listed above, work with and train Maintenance and Plant Operations Personnel in the most reliable, safe, and efficient methods for equipment & system maintenance and troubleshooting.
• For the systems listed above, maintain all equipment inspections, testing, and history records for the facility and provide technical expertise, leadership, and assistance for ancillary improvement projects as assigned.
• Regular and reliable attendance required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• No direct reports
• People leader during outages

Qualifications

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential duties in assigned area in a satisfactory fashion.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for this employment position.  REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE MADE TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.

Education/Experience:

• BS degree in Chemical Engineering from an accredited college is required
• 5 years’ experience in the field of water chemistry is preferred

Knowledge of:

• Water treatment, pH control, process flow & mass balance, test methods for online & grab sample constituent measurements of water, chemicals, and various solid materials
• Microsoft Office Suite, for preparation of presentations and reports.

Skills, abilities, and physical requirements:

• Ability to clearly communicate with co-workers, supervisors, and others.
• Ability to perform work with a high degree of accuracy
• Ability to read and understand maintenance procedures.
• Ability to establish and maintain a highly organized work environment
• Ability to work overtime as required.
• Ability to work unsupervised as required.
• Ability to sit, stand, reach, stoop, and lift boxes weighing as much as 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

The characteristics listed herein describe the work environment the employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this employment position.  REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE MADE TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.  While performing the duties of this employment position, the employee:

• Must be able to walk distances of up to a quarter of a mile over rocky and uneven surfaces.
• Must be comfortable working in an industrial environment and around high-pressure steam.

Compensation and Benefits:

At Prairie State, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. The Power Plant Engineering Department has an established career path for engineers, starting at an entry level role (Engineer I) all the way up to the most experienced level (Senior Engineer). This model provides the opportunity for employees to grow and develop within a role in the Engineering Department. The base pay range we reasonably expect to pay for this engineering role is between $95,000 and $140,000 annually. Further, this range is set based on the career path model for the department. Individual pay decisions will depend on various factors, such as skills, qualifications, and relevant experience. In addition, this position is eligible to participate in the Company’s monthly incentive program.

Employees are also eligible to receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement savings plan with Company match, life and disability insurance, and tuition reimbursement. Click here to learn more about Prairie State’s benefits.

Prairie State offers all full-time employees paid time off, accruing 160 hours annually with gradual increases based on length of service, as well as nine paid holidays per year. Paid maternal and paternal leave is also available to employees that meet the eligibility requirements.

Note: Prairie State benefits, compensation, and employee incentive programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.