Lead DCS Engineer – Process Controls

Richmond, VA
Engineering

AdvanSix plays a critical role in global supply chains, innovating and delivering essential products for our customers in a wide variety of end markets and applications that touch people’s lives, such as building and construction, fertilizers, plastics, solvents, packaging, paints, coatings, adhesives, and electronics. Our reliable and sustainable supply of quality products emerges from the vertically integrated value chain of our three U.S. based manufacturing facilities. AdvanSix strives to deliver best-in-class customer experiences and differentiated products in the industries of nylon solutions, chemical intermediates, and plant nutrients, guided by our core values of Safety, Integrity, Accountability and Respect.

Please view a short video about our company here, AdvanSix Video. For more information on AdvanSix, please visit our website at https://www.advansix.com

 

Why work at AdvanSix?

• We provide benefits that are industry competitive and focused on employee well-being

• Total Rewards program includes a competitive compensation, health, dental, vision & wellness programs, paid vacation, 401K with company matching, health savings programs, disability & life insurance, employee assistance program

• Tuition reimbursement for continued education, certifications, training, and development

• Flexible work options to help balance work/life demands (at participating AdvanSix sites)

• Work within a fast paced and innovative company, meeting passionate colleagues and partners with diverse backgrounds and experiences

 

AdvanSix has an immediate opening for a Lead Automations & Controls Engineer at their Hopewell, VA location. The focus of the successful candidate will be to ensure that Automation and Process Control is exploited to the extent that the technology allows and plant production, economic results, and operational goals are optimal and remain optimal over time.

 

The 450 acre Hopewell Plant is the world’s largest caprolactam plant, producing over 10 million pounds of finished products per day. Products include the nylon feedstock caprolactam, ammonium sulfate fertilizers, and various specialty chemicals. The site is located on the James River near the city of Richmond and is convenient to Virginia and North Carolina beaches, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley and the DC Metro area.

 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provide the appropriate technical leadership and support in the process control discipline for the site(s):
    • Become familiar with the process designs and operating philosophies of the plant operating areas in order to provide technical support to help meet plant goals through troubleshooting and continuous improvement
    • Work within cross-functional teams to track performance as well as identify and implement improvements on basic control schemes and advanced process control strategies with the overall goal of achieving improved safety, more efficient use of energy, higher yields, better production rates, and higher attainment
    • Effective use of OSHA-PSM elements including Process Hazards Analysis, Management of Change, Pre-Startup Safety Review, and Standard Operating Procedures when applicable
  • Provide technical support to capital engineering for the development of process design packages to address safety, quality, delivery, inventory and cost opportunities. This may include project prioritization, scope development, technical reviews, and commissioning/startup support.
  • Serve as primary site contact/owner of any Advanced Process Control (APC) efforts. 
  • Serve as primary site contact/owner of distributed control system troubleshooting and support.
  • Support the development and execution of short and long-term plans for the applications, networks and systems that constitute the process control technology across the sites as per the Manufacturing Automation Process (MAP) vision and mission.
  • Help ensure that appropriate processes for the selection, application, and delivery of automation and process control technology solutions exist, are known and get implemented on-site while:
    • Complying with all safety standards and meeting all legal requirements.
    • Complying with all AdvanSix Automation technology standards.
    • Providing the best life-cycle value.
  • Ensure that all automation projects are planned and implemented as per the MAP vision and mission and its principles and guidelines are accurately represented in project scoping, design and implementation.
  • Ensure that automation and process control documents are created and managed appropriately.
  • Ensure that automation and process control standards and best practices are used and renewed as per the MAP vision and mission (Architecture, Networking, DCS, PLC, and Instrumentation).
  • Provide mentorship and training to Production and Process Engineers on aspects of the control systems. 
  • Cross-functionally train members of the Automation team to be able to support configuration and troubleshooting on the control system.
  • Support incident investigations as a technical expert on the control system
  • Support a 24/7 operating plant with rotating off hours support duty – “on-call”.
  • Willingness to support shift work or extended hours during capex commissioning / startup or planned plant turn arounds.
    Incumbent must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, per AdvanSix standards. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities 

 

Basic Qualifications: 

  • Minimum BS degree in a Technical or Engineering discipline required.
  • Minimum 5 years automation and process control system experience required.
  • Chemical process, production and/or manufacturing plant experience required.

 

Additional Qualifications:

  • Experion PKS distributed control system (DCS) experience strongly preferred.
    • Experience with a similar function block diagram (FBD) control system will be considered, ex: DeltaV, Foxboro Evo, ControlLogix..
  • Provox distributed control system (DCS) experience preferred.
  • Honeywell Safety Manager sPLC experience preferred.
  • 8+ years automation and process control system experience preferred.
  • 5+ years experience in Chemical process, production and/or manufacturing plant preferred
  • Experience identifying and supporting productivity, safety, and growth improvements preferred
  • Process troubleshooting and optimization experience preferred
  • Experience with the use of OSHA-PSM elements including Process Hazards Analysis, Management of Change, Pre-Startup Safety Review, Standard Operating Procedures preferred
  • Capital project punch-listing, commissioning and startup experience preferred
  • Familiarity with server virtualization desired

 

 

At AdvanSix, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past work experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to still apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles.
AdvanSix is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, veteran status, or any other protected classification.
 
To all agencies: Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee of AdvanSix about this opening. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee at AdvanSix via-email, the internet or in any form and/or method will be deemed the sole property of AdvanSix, unless such search firms/employment agencies were engaged by AdvanSix for this position and a valid agreement with AdvanSix is in place. In the event a candidate who was submitted outside of the AdvanSix agency engagement process is hired, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid.
 
Application Process

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  • It is easy to apply for AdvanSix jobs online. Create a profile in DayForce and upload your resume or fill in the form with your job history.
  • Your profile and resume will be reviewed by a recruiter and you’ll be notified via email whether you will be proceeding with the interview process
  • The first interview will be a telephone screening with the HR and recruiting team, If there is mutual interest, there will be additional interviews with the team and an in-person site visit
  • Once interviews are completed, if you are determined a good fit for the AdvanSix team, a formal offer will be extended. Offers will first be verbally given and quickly followed by a formal letter via email
  • Every offer is contingent on the successful completion of the pre-employment and background checks required for the position.
  • We can’t wait for you to join the team!