Manufacturing Engineer

Position Overview

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high-quality chemicals, fibers, and plastics. With world-scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of our customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution with five manufacturing facilities in the United States.

The primary purpose of the Manufacturing Engineer located in Decatur, AL is to run the unit safely, reliably, and efficiently. The manufacturing engineer is responsible for unit operating performance to include production, raw material usage, energy usage, quality, daily performance tracking, troubleshooting, and basic unit optimization. The manufacturing engineer adds direct value to the business by driving real-time unit performance in these areas.

TARGETED OUTCOMES

• Become functional area expert in assigned unit.
• Understand unit control strategy, including alarm system.
• Analyze opportunities and develop plans to drive operational ownership and entitlement performance in assigned unit.
• Develop relationships to allow for influence across the organization in driving performance.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Demonstrates leadership in driving Ascend’s zero-incident safety culture through safe work practices and operator engagement.
• Develop excellent, collaborative working relationships with Operations, Manufacturing, Production & Process Engineering, Reliability, Quality Assurance, Production Planning, & other support groups
• Design, put into practice, lead, and champion the use of best-in-class and lean/six sigma-based work processes to meet safety, regulatory compliance, operating cost, reliability, quality, and other performance goals directed at achieving Entitlement performance.
• Drives continuous improvement culture through participation and guidance in cross-functional teams.
• Leads in developing and maintaining a healthy pipeline of Six Sigma projects to deliver on safety, quality, and productivity goals.
• Consistently meet all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), budgeted, and forecasted commitments.
• Manages production plans vs Sales Order Inventory Planning to optimize inventories.
• Functions as a technical resource for the area in key processes including Process Hazard Analysis (PHA’s), Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA’s), & Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA’s)
• Lead Management of Change (MOC’s) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA’s) as needed to drive safety & unit performance.
• Ensure quality requirements are met consistently. Represents manufacturing in determining and eliminating the root causes of customer complaints.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, & Reliability to schedule and execute outages safely and efficiently.
• Partner with the Site Engineering organization to develop cost-effective capital projects that drive KPI goals.
• Provide support on executing technology programs that deliver breakthrough solutions to achieve entitlement performance.
  
  

TEAM

Production Manager

Required Experience

• 3 years Chemical manufacturing experience
• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
• Demonstrated ability to work as a member of self-directed team.
• Commitment to plant safety, environmental, and industrial hygiene practices
• Excellent oral and written communications
• Strong Computer skills including Microsoft Office, SAP, Minitab
• Demonstrated ability to simplify complex technical issues down to basic terms and economic impacts to upper management.
• Demonstrated ability to coach & mentor other manufacturing engineers.
• Time management and organizations skills
• Familiarity with Process Flow Diagrams and P&ID’s
• Ability to generate heat and material balances.
• Knowledge of basic accounting and plant cost economics
• Proactive leadership & team building skills with the ability to work effectively throughout the organization in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong sense of ownership and a drive to improve existing systems and processes by creative & innovative approaches.
  
  

Required Skills

• Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Green Belt, or Black Belt
• Knowledge of PSM, Title V, and ISO9001
• Provox/DeltaV based DCS System knowledge.
• Knowledge of quality systems (ISO:9001) and requirements – able to ensure consistency of operations within the established quality system guidelines.
  
  

At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.

Skills Summary

About Us:

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution facilities across the globe and six manufacturing facilities globally. As a privately-held company, our people do big things and make big decisions, often much earlier in their careers than at larger companies. Ascend Performance Materials offers team members the opportunity to contribute in big, meaningful ways—all within a stable and growing business.

Why work at Ascend?

Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values.

We care. We operate safely with high integrity for our employees, our customers and our communities. Our people are our greatest assets, and our Total Rewards Program extends beyond traditional benefits to include access to on-site medical clinics at our U.S. facilities, a global wellness rewards program and Performance Matters, an employee-driven recognition plan. Our Commitment to Zero demonstrates our belief that is it possible to operate with zero personal injuries, zero process safety incidents and zero environmental releases. And the Ascend Cares Foundation, led by Ascend employees, supports Ascend families in times of need, provides inspiring opportunities for community engagement and facilitates community leadership.

Customer-focused. We exist for our customers; they drive our actions. Their success is our success. Our plastics and chemicals are building blocks that help make everyday essentials safer and more sustainable, and we constantly strive to develop new and innovative products to meet the future needs of our customers. And that customer focus doesn’t only apply to the marketplace – it also applies to how we treat our colleagues and our fellow community members.

Better every day. We invest in our people and our processes to improve every day. A2E, our continuous improvement program, guides the way we do business. And this way of problem solving applies not only to our manufacturing practices but also to our commitment to developing our people. You’ll see it during your career at Ascend in our leadership development, skills training and mentoring programs

Agile. We think broadly and lead proactively in a constantly evolving organization and industry. Agility doesn’t mean simply working quickly – it means critical thinking, creative problem solving and novel approaches to everyday challenges.

One Ascend. All together, with a common set of goals and an eye toward the future. We don’t accept silos. We look for ways to share across departments, sites and geography. This means you won’t be boxed into a single role at Ascend – you could get the chance to work with teams across the globe to improve the way we serve our people, our customers and our communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.