Project Engineer, Process Engineer

Project Engineer

Job Description | Chemical Manufacturing Environment

Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio

Reports To
- Engineering Manager

Employment Type

- Full-Time, Exempt

Work Environment
- Chemical Manufacturing / Industrial

The Project Engineer is responsible for developing, coordinating, and executing capital and facility improvement projects within a chemical manufacturing environment. This position manages projects from initial concept and scope development through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.

The Project Engineer partners closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, EHS, Process Safety, contractors, and other internal stakeholders to ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with applicable engineering standards and regulatory requirements.

• Manage capital and facility improvement projects from concept through final implementation and closeout.
• Develop project scopes, technical specifications, cost estimates, schedules, and capital expenditure justifications.
• Coordinate engineering design activities involving mechanical, piping, electrical, instrumentation, controls, civil, and structural disciplines.
• Work with Operations and Maintenance teams to identify equipment, reliability, infrastructure, and process improvement needs.
• Prepare and manage project budgets, forecasts, purchase requisitions, contractor costs, and project expenditures.
• Develop bid packages, evaluate proposals, and assist with contractor and vendor selection.
• Coordinate contractors, engineering consultants, equipment suppliers, and other external resources.
• Review engineering drawings, equipment specifications, P&IDs, layouts, vendor documentation, and other technical deliverables.
• Ensure project designs comply with company engineering standards, applicable codes, environmental requirements, and safety standards.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), and other Process Safety Management activities as applicable.
• Support OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) and EPA Risk Management Program (RMP) requirements for covered processes.
• Coordinate construction activities while minimizing disruption to ongoing manufacturing operations.
• Develop project execution plans that account for plant shutdowns, equipment outages, production schedules, and operational constraints.
• Monitor project schedules, milestones, risks, budgets, and contractor performance.
• Identify project risks and implement appropriate mitigation plans.
• Provide regular project status updates to Engineering, Operations, and site leadership.
• Coordinate equipment installation, startup, commissioning, testing, and turnover to Operations and Maintenance.
• Ensure appropriate operating procedures, maintenance documentation, drawings, equipment records, and training materials are completed before project turnover.
• Maintain accurate project documentation and ensure drawings and technical records are updated following project completion.
• Support troubleshooting and resolution of engineering and equipment issues during project implementation and startup.
• Identify opportunities to improve plant safety, reliability, efficiency, productivity, environmental performance, and operating costs.
• Perform other duties and engineering assignments as required.

• Project scope and technical requirements
• Capital budgets, forecasting, and expenditures
• Project schedules and milestones
• Engineering deliverables
• Contractor and vendor performance
• Construction coordination
• Safety and regulatory compliance
• Change management
• Commissioning and startup
• Project documentation and closeout

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or another related engineering discipline required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) certification or progress toward licensure preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or formal project management training preferred.

Experience

• 3-7 years of engineering and/or capital project management experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment preferred.
• Experience in chemical manufacturing, petrochemical, specialty chemical, refining, pharmaceutical, food processing, or other process manufacturing environments strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing capital projects from scope development through commissioning and closeout.
• Experience working with contractors, engineering firms, equipment manufacturers, and vendors.
• Experience coordinating projects within an operating manufacturing facility.
• Familiarity with PSM-regulated chemical manufacturing environments preferred.

• Capital project management and project cost control
• Chemical/process manufacturing operations
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs)
• Process equipment and piping systems
• Pumps, tanks, vessels, heat…