Production Engineer

At Bakelite, you’ll help us create a better tomorrow with sustainable and innovative chemistry today.

Bakelite has more than 100 years of history and strong customer relationships, engineering sustainable products to tackle the world’s most challenging demands.

• Responsible for process optimization at the site, covering safety, productivity, and cost.
• Create value through leadership skills and expertise to direct the site production team to ensure quality products are manufactured safely, on‑time, at a competitive cost and without significant incident.
• Complete capital projects and EHS activities while managing OSHA’s Process Safety Management and EPA’s Risk Management Programs, leading incident investigations, conducting production trainings, and performing general troubleshooting.
• Serve as backup to the Site Leader when the Site Leader is out of the office.

• Riegelwood is a small North Carolina town within 30 minutes west of Wilmington.
• The local Bakelite team prides itself on safety, celebrating nine years with no recordable injuries.
• Riegelwood is close to coastal communities such as Carolina Beach and Myrtle Beach, and Wilmington offers cultural attractions and a nearby international airport.

• Lead and manage production organization safely and compliantly to maximize value.
• Optimize the Hexamine, Formaldehyde, and Aqua ammonia processes.
• Identify, assess, and develop production personnel.
• Act as Incident Commander during emergency responses.
• Contribute to the facility’s Operational Excellence program for continuous improvement.
• Meet customer expectations of product quality and delivery.
• Champion and lead process and plant improvement initiatives: conceive, design, fund, install, and manage projects.
• Coordinate weekly with Maintenance to prioritize work orders and outage plans.
• Assist Maintenance troubleshooting with data gathering and automation tools.
• Own capacity creation improvements and contribute to Site Effective Efficiency and Productivity Metrics.

• Ensure safe work practices per the Bakelite Safety Manual are followed.
• Oversee OSHA PSM programs, maintain the Process Safety Information master copy, and authorize changes through the MOC procedure.
• Lead or assist in PHA reviews.
• Develop, maintain, review, and certify operating procedures annually.
• Participate in the site safety committee and in safety incident investigations.
• Promote safety program ownership throughout the site.
• Ensure operating procedures and compliance items are up to date and completed as required.

• Participate in quality incident investigations and devise prevention solutions.
• Work with Site Admin to maintain ISO documentation and production procedures.
• Champion Six Sigma and Lean tools to improve quality and productivity.
• Ensure environmental policies and practices are followed and support environmental programs.
• Investigate environmental incidents and provide recurrence prevention solutions.
• Recommend waste reduction methods and formula changes.
• Ensure compliance items are completed.

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in plant engineering or production duties in the chemical process or similar industries.
• B.S. Degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering.
• Expertise with MS Office and Inquity Process Control applications.
• Customer focus with the ability to adjust efforts to meet internal and external customer needs.
• Skilled in managing multiple priorities/projects with minimal direction while maintaining focus.
• Analytical/statistical tool proficiency (Six Sigma); green belt certification is an advantage.
• Knowledge of SAP is an asset.

Apply for this exciting opportunity, and learn more about our hiring process, benefits, and more at

We are an Equal Opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, minority status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any characteristic protected by law.

In order to be considered for this position, candidates must be at least 18 years old, willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation, and have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. This company participates in E‑Verify.