Plant Engineer

Reports to: Engineering Manager

Work Location: RTP Site - Durham, North Carolina

FLSA Status: Exempt

The Plant Engineer provides technical leadership for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of a copper powder manufacturing facility. The role supports process improvement, equipment reliability, capital projects, utilities, facilities, and technical problem solving across the plant. This position partners with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, EHS, Purchasing, and external contractors to improve safety, capacity, product consistency, energy use, equipment performance, and long-term asset condition.

• Provide engineering support for copper powder production equipment, furnaces, dryers, screening systems, mills, material handling systems, dust collection, utilities, packaging equipment, and facility infrastructure.
• Lead or support capital projects from concept through scope development, budgeting, design, procurement, installation, commissioning, startup, and project closeout.
• Develop technical specifications, equipment requirements, drawings, bid packages, project schedules, cost estimates, and contractor scopes of work.
• Analyze equipment, process, quality, and maintenance data to identify constraints, recurring failures, energy losses, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead root-cause investigations for equipment failures, process interruptions, quality deviations, and safety-related events; develop and verify corrective actions.
• Support process optimization and equipment upgrades that improve throughput, yield, product consistency, maintainability, reliability, and operating cost.
• Review and approve engineering drawings, equipment layouts, P&IDs, electrical documentation, calculations, manuals, and vendor submittals within assigned responsibility.
• Ensure engineering changes follow approved management-of-change, risk assessment, documentation, testing, training, and startup requirements.
• Partner with EHS to incorporate machine safety, combustible-dust controls, ventilation, guarding, electrical safety, environmental requirements, and other regulatory considerations into projects and modifications.
• Support preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, equipment criticality reviews, spare parts recommendations, and improvement of maintenance job plans.
• Coordinate contractors, consultants, vendors, and equipment manufacturers; monitor safety,quality, schedule, cost, and technical performance.
• Support plant shutdown planning and execution, equipment installations, commissioning,acceptance testing, and post-startup performance review.
• Maintain accurate project files, equipment documentation, drawings, specifications, calculations, permits, and change history.
• Prepare project justifications, status reports, risk updates, and technical recommendations for plant leadership.
• Provide technical guidance and training to operations and maintenance personnel on new or modified equipment and processes.
• Perform other duties and support site priorities as assigned.
• This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities unless specifically assigned. The role may lead project teams and provide technical direction to employees, contractors, consultants, and equipment suppliers.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or a related engineering discipline required.
• Three or more years of engineering experience in manufacturing, process industries, capital projects, reliability, or plant operations.
• Experience supporting industrial equipment, controls, utilities, facilities, and production processes.
• Experience developing project scopes, specifications, cost estimates, schedules,…