Engineer Principal, Reliability

SUMMARY

The primary role of this position is to provide the necessary engineering and technical support to continuously improve plant rotating equipment integrity, reliability, cost and economic performance.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide technical support to production and maintenance departments.
• Learn and understand maintenance and production work processes, methods, cost points, etc.
• Longview Site resource for polymers processing equipment, including gearboxes, extruders, mixers, melt pumps and rotary feeders.
• Develop and maintain reliability improvement / tracking programs for critical assets.
• Serve as leader and/ or member of cross-functional teams to resolve equipment problems, investigate incidents, and improve reliability
• Perform root cause failure analysis on critical equipment failures and failures that result in economic impact greater than $ 100,000.
• Perform component failure analysis as required.
• Participate in the maintenance budgeting process.
• Witness repairs to critical equipment and performance testing of new equipment as needed.
• Initiate capital projects to maintain / enhance business goals
• Participate in Westlake Continuous Improvement (WCI) projects
• Assist in the development and monitoring of the preventative maintenance program
• Participate actively in department/plant safety and environmental programs
• Investigate and evaluate new methodologies,  work practices, and technology
• Develop / Review / Maintain equipment specifications as related to purchasing, installation, operation, and maintenance / repairs.
• Develop and implement alteration and revisions to equipment to improve business performance of the operating units.
• Provide administrative and technical support to the maintenance organization concerning improvement oriented efforts.
• Perform duties in a manner that protects personal safety as well as the safety of all personnel on site.  Whenever appropriate, promptly report Safety, Health or Environmental incidents or issues to management so the situation can be corrected.  Attend Monthly Safety Meetings to help prevent off site and job accidents.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• B.S. Engineering: Preferably Mechanical Engineering
• 15+ years plant experience

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This job is performed mainly in control room or office setting; physical presence is required. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; have full use and range of motion of arms, hands and fingers to reach, grasp, hold, push or pull, twist, and work with tools; and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to perform tasks that may require bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, lying down or working from elevated platforms. The employee must be able to move safely over uneven terrain or in confined spaces.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to see details of objects that are more/less than a few feet away; see differences between colors, shades and brightness and determine the distance between objects. This job requires response to audible emergency alarms inside of the plant.  Employee must be able to evacuate when required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee must be able to work in a normal factory environment, including enclosed spaces and exposure to various hazards. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate as normally based in an office.  Some of the work may be required in the operating units which can require usage of required PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, flame retardant clothing, etc.  May also result in exposure to outside elements and may require usage of stairs and elevators.  Travel including air travel or auto travel may occasionally be required.