Process Engineer at Pathfinder L L C – Eddystone, Pennsylvania

Position Summary

The Process Engineer is responsible for evaluating and improving the performance, reliability, and efficiency of existing manufacturing processes. This role focuses on reducing top operational losses (OEE), optimizing process flow, and strengthening process control, automation, and documentation accuracy across assigned manufacturing lines.

Key Objectives

Evaluate manufacturing line performance against intended design and operating conditionsReduce chronic operational and efficiency lossesIdentify gaps in process documentation, controls, and instrumentationSupport root cause analysis and corrective action development

Key Responsibilities

Process & Performance Evaluation

Analyze throughput, cycle time, downtime, flow rates, and bottlenecksIdentify inefficiencies, material flow interruptions, and losses impacting OEESupport equipment and process qualification activitiesTroubleshoot process issues including material conveyance losses, pneumatic inefficiencies, improper valve sizing, and contamination or infiltration risks

Controls & Automation Assessment

Review PLC and HMI configurations, automation logic, and network architectureEvaluate alarm management, interlocks, and data acquisition systemsIdentify weaknesses in control strategies affecting safety, reliability, or performanceRecommend improvements to controls, automation, and process data reliability

Documentation Review & Field Verification

Review P&IDs, process flow diagrams, and instrumentation drawingsConduct field walkdowns to verify documentation against actual plant conditionsIdentify missing, outdated, or inaccurate process documentationPrepare redlines and recommended documentation updates

Root Cause Analysis & Continuous Improvement

Support structured root cause analysis for chronic operational lossesDevelop technical recommendations and corrective actionsCollaborate with site leadership to build and track loss-elimination action plans

Deliverables

Actual vs. Intended Performance and Gap Analysis reportsRoot cause analysis documentationEngineering calculations and process sizing reviewsUpdated or redlined process documentationControls and instrumentation improvement recommendationsPrioritized action plans with estimated effort levelsPresentation of findings to plant leadershipWeekly progress updates

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or related fieldDemonstrated experience in manufacturing process evaluation and optimizationStrong knowledge of P&IDs, instrumentation, and industrial control systemsExperience with pneumatic conveying systems and material flow analysisPlant-based process engineering experience required