Pilot Plant Engineer - Shelter R&D

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The Pilot Plant Engineer is a hands-on, operations-focused engineer who plays a critical role in enabling Shelter R&D’s innovation pipeline. This position acts as the technical owner of pilot plant performance, partnering closely with Operations, R&D, EHS, and FSRE to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient pilot operations.

This role is ideal for engineers who thrive in a run plant environment—someone who enjoys being close to the process, solving problems in real time, and continuously improving how the plant operates.

This role is on-site at our Midland Headquarters location, and relocation is not supported.

What You'll Do:

Own Pilot Plant Performance

• Serve as the first-line engineering lead for pilot plant operations
• Rapidly troubleshoot process and equipment issues to minimize downtime and restore operations
• Provide technical leadership during upsets, breakdowns, and unplanned events
• Support pilot scheduling and execution to ensure high-quality, on-time trials

Drive Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement improvements in safety, reliability, and operational efficiency
• Analyze process data and trends to eliminate recurring issues and improve performance
• Lead root cause investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions
• Recommend and execute process modifications to improve throughput, capability, and consistency

Build & Scale New Capabilities

• Translate R&D needs into practical engineering solutions and new pilot capabilities
• Design, modify, and implement equipment or process enhancements (e.g., new attachments, flow systems)
• Support capital projects end-to-end, from idea generation through installation and startup

Operate as a Technical Leader

• Develop deep expertise across multiple pilot lines (extrusion, mixing, feeding, etc.)
• Act as the go-to problem solver for complex process and equipment challenges
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Manufacturing, and external partners to deliver results
• Progress into a role with broad ownership of pilot plant operations and team mentoring

Champion Safety & Compliance

• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure safe work practices are always followed
• Participate in and eventually lead Process Safety Management (PSM) and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) activities
• Support Management of Change (MOC) and environmental compliance requirements
• Lead or support incident investigations and corrective action plans

Document & Communicate

• Maintain accurate technical documentation, SOPs, and engineering records
• Communicate findings, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders
• Prepare clear reports and presentations to support decision-making

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline
• 0–5 years of experience in manufacturing, pilot plant, or process engineering
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with ability to diagnose process and equipment issues
• Ability to design and implement practical engineering solutions
• Effective collaboration and communication skills across functions
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications

• Internship or co-op experience in manufacturing, chemical processing, or industrial operations
• Exposure to Reliability Engineering, Lean/Six Sigma, RCA, or Continuous Improvement
• Experience with process safety concepts (PSM, PHA, MOC)
• Familiarity with process equipment, instrumentation, and troubleshooting
• SAP experience

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DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.