Summary

The Manufacturing Start-up Engineer is aligned to Manufacturing Expansion activities and serves as a Manufacturing liaison providing input to the Capital Project design and Construction Teams applying technical discipline knowledge to review design, solve problems, assess performance and optimize manufacturing processes to meet the project scope. The individual is also responsible for organizing and leading plant asset commissioning with consideration to the elimination of safety, quality, process or reliability defects in the area of responsibility through turnover to Manufacturing.

Essential Functions

• Participates in Start-up team activities. Leads process commissioning activities, including detailed commissioning and quality performance planning.

• Participates in pre-construction Engineering Reviews, including Safety Reviews, and Project Planning.

• Follows construction progress and participates in problem-solving of construction, installation, and schedule issues.

• Communicates with Project Stakeholders in a logical, systematic, and timely manner regarding commissioning planning and progress.

• Leads the Management of Change (MOC) activities for the project as necessary to facilitate the safe and quality-appropriate activities required to commission the process or equipment.

• Manages all aspects of pre-commissioning, commissioning and checkout, through initial energization, chemical loading, heat-up and start-up of new processes, equipment and associated systems.

Other Job Functions

All the functions detailed below are performed at some time by the startup/manufacturing engineer to support commissioning/startup of a chemical plant. However, all of these may not be performed by an individual on a single project. Candidate will be supported and trained in these areas.

• Participates in pre-construction Engineering reviews and project planning. Learns and reviews the project scope, PFD’s (Process Flow Diagrams), schedules and goals, to ensure that all objectives will be met and all requirements will be satisfied. Support reviews of PP (process package), PDP (process design package), 30%/60%/90% design, project charters, P&ID’s (process and instrument diagrams), and process layouts. Reviews final construction packages for area of start-up responsibility. Represents the operations and maintenance organizations’ best interests during the engineering and construction phases of the project.

• Follows construction progress and participates in solving construction and installation problems. Follows construction progress and attends construction progress meetings for the purpose of anticipating and preventing problems that will have an adverse effect on the key parameters (safety/timing/cost/quality) of the project. Collaborates with Project Manager and Construction Rep to solve problems without redirecting work. Activities and actions include:

  • Acquire an in-depth knowledge of how to read, follow and understand construction packages. Use that knowledge to interact with the Construction Rep to ensure all terms of the contract are enforced as per issued specifications and communications.

  • Understands construction acceptance checklists and facilitates their completion.

  • Reviews project plans and ensures all equipment and piping is correctly installed as per design and any necessary changes are NCCN/MOC/SCR approved.

  • Identifies time windows for critical shutdowns required for construction and tie-ins,

  • Interacts with Quality Inspectors and operators to ensure the construction is being reviewed, the installed pipe and equipment is dry and protected from corrosion/contamination/damage, and is properly inerted and ready for commissioning.

  • Backs up and provides help to Quality Inspector as required/necessary. Travels to suppliers, if necessary, for equipment inspection/acceptance.

  • Partners with construction, maintenance shop and building teams to develop pre-commissioning and commissioning schedules and plans.

• Communicates with all project stake holders in a logical, systematic, and timely manner. Communicates progress and results of work via written and oral reports which leads to decisions and/or actions.

  • Informs other leaders and team members of activities and confers with them regarding plans, problems, and progress on an ongoing basis.

  • Promotes appropriate partnerships between plant, project team and other startup groups for information exchange and decision making.

  • Works routinely with project manager, process engineer and/or discipline coordinator on selected project issues important to the success of the project.

  • Participates in the regular schedule updates and reviews to identify problem areas in project completion timing. Presents project progress updates to manufacturing rep team leader and, as required, to Site Management.

• Leads the MOC process, as necessary, to facilitate the safe startup of new processes and/or equipment. Understands and utilizes the MOC process and workflows. Engineer is typically responsible for initiating the green/brown site MOC, completing the majority of line items on the MOC, and for obtaining the necessary formal approval for startup. This includes leading/delegating all MOC activities and items including SOP, checklists, training, documentation and SAT reviews necessary for startup approval. Ensures changes during startup are documented via the SCR process.

• Participates in management of change for engineering and construction of the project.

  • Works with project, construction, and manufacturing teams to evaluate and complete RFI’s and assess the need for scope and field changes.

  • Reviews and helps process engineers initiate design phase change requests (ECN, NCCN, SCR) for modifications and changes needed to meet required safety / environmental (Intolerable Risk), operability or maintainability requirements or design rate.

  • Works to conserve capital and control costs without sacrificing safety and functionality.

• Manages all aspects of pre-commissioning, commissioning, and checkout, through initial energizing, heat-up and startup of the new process and associated systems.

  • As a member of startup team, the engineer works with manufacturing and project teams to set and attain startup goals that meet or exceed the site manufacturing or business plan, internal quality goals and external customer requirements.

  • Learns and uses various IT tools, such as SAP Data Handling, PI Points and QA/Sample Manager, to contribute to startup goal attainment.

  • Prepares and communicates the process equipment conditioning plan to the startup team, manufacturing team and production planning team and assists in implementing that plan.

  • Participates in the development of SOP’s and contributes to plant operator training.

• Completes necessary documentation for project turnover to manufacturing.

  • Ensures items on the project punch lists are completed and action items are closed in GIMS.

  • Ensures all MOC’s are closed within 60 to 90 days of the completed startup.

  • Documents the capacity test and evaluates it vs. design basis.

  • Documents how commissioning of process was executed. Lists problems, lessons learned and recommendations for changes in future startups.

  • Issues final startup documentation.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, preferably in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent.

• Prefer 3 to 10 years’ experience.