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Mechanical Maintenance Engineer

Houston, TX; La Porte, TX

With a strategy centered on people and sustainability, Braskem is engaged in contributing to the value chain to strengthen the Circular Economy. Braskem’s 9,000 team members dedicate themselves every day to improving people's lives through sustainable solutions in chemicals and plastics. With its corporate DNA rooted in innovation, Braskem offers a comprehensive portfolio of plastic resins and chemical products for diverse industries, such as food packaging, construction, manufacturing, automotive, agribusiness, health and hygiene, and more. With 40 industrial units in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Germany, Braskem exports its products to clients in over 70 countries.

Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, and a New Renewable Innovation Center in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.

Department: Maintenance

Location: La Porte, TX

Travel Involved: 0-5%

Job Type: Full Time

 

Description:

The Mechanical Maintenance Engineer supports plant operation and equipment improvement efforts and is an essential part of the Plant Maintenance Team.  Working in a team environment, the engineer is responsible for implementing best practices, supporting maintenance activities, and developing/optimizing preventive maintenance tasks.  The position interacts with other technical groups on site (process engineering, production, and capital projects), corporate technical networks, and vendors/suppliers to resolve problems and improve plant performance.

Key Responsibilities Include: 

  • Provide day-to-day technical support to area (craft & planners) for mechanical issues & projects
  • Troubleshoot and diagnose equipment failures/defects for job planning, either for improvements or repairs, or assist craftsmen in charge of doing so.
  • Manage (approve/reject) Preventive Maintenance (PM) and inspection deferrals as required per site procedure
  • Own and manage the maintenance procedures assigned
  • Ensure that equipment Files, spare parts, and Bill of Materials (BOMs) are constantly updated and appropriately filed.
  • Issue Add/Change/Delete forms to properly stock spare parts in stores, ensuring the site has all necessary parts needed to meet reliability and maintainability expectations, including the definition of inspection requirements.
  • Assist warehouse with inspection of materials received and provide technical support to warehouse/procurement enquiries, ensuring materials are available in stores when needed.
  • Understand obsolescence and upgrade requirements for equipment and spare parts, ensuring information is up to date in SAP or equipment files.
  • Develop/complete required MOCs for maintenance activities (temporary piping repairs, obsolete material upgrades, coupling/seal modifications), where applicable
  • Develop/complete required MOCs for plant equipment modifications, where applicable
  • Review and approve MOCs, as needed
  • Field oversight, and sometimes lead, for critical activities executed by craftsmen/outside contractors, especially when involving critical equipment.
  • Support turnaround activities, be it scope development, planning, or execution
  • Support and/or facilitate craftsmen training and development.
  • Issue Inspection and Testing Plans (ITPs) for outside shop equipment repairs and review them with the vendor, assisted by Procurement.
  • Provide technical support/expertise within your discipline in the design and installation stages of projects for new assets and modification of existing assets to minimize life cycle cost and maximize asset availability/reliability.
  • Participate in the development of design and installation specifications and commissioning plans.
  • Participate in the development of criteria for an evaluation of equipment and technical MRO suppliers and technical maintenance service providers. Develop acceptance tests and inspection criteria
  • Maintain awareness of emerging technology, assessing applicability to improve reliability and performance, or to reduce maintenance cost
  • Create and lead maintenance capital projects for equipment rebuilds or reliability improvements, utilizing the Clarity tool and following Braskem’s Capital Project Work Process.
  • Conduct or assist with continuous improvement projects and/or reliability initiatives.
  • Propose and forecast maintenance capital investment needs and update the Capital 10-year plan
  • Attend daily production meetings and monitor production KPIs as needed
  • Assist production engineers in evaluating IEG losses and allocate causes to the appropriate categories
  • Assist with QA/QC for outside shop repairs as needed
  • Participating in Improvement Teams and RCAs that are related to equipment failure
  • Lead RCAs related to equipment failures in his area of responsibility, as required. Formally issue the reports
  • Review operator round 'exception reports' and PLEs for accurate target values and associated responses
  • Meet with Pd.M. tech regularly and assist with routine troubleshooting for mechanical equipment
  • Knowledge and understanding of sound engineering practices and principles relating to mechanical equipment.
  • Knowledge of rotating equipment design, installation, and maintenance, including hands-on troubleshooting of pumps, compressors, extruders, and other rotating equipment commonly used in chemical plants.
  • Knowledge and understanding of Predictive technologies, including vibration, thermography, lubrication analysis, and ultrasonic.
  • Knowledge of fixed equipment design, installation, and maintenance, including tanks, vessels, piping, etc.
  • Assist the Mechanical Integrity inspector on day-to-day issues, as needed.

Requirements: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field, Mechanical Engineering is preferred.
  • Must be available during off-hours to support unexpected plant equipment issues and downtime.
  • Must have a minimum of 5 years of applicable industry experience.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to coordinate activities with other departments.
  • Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, Teams, etc.)
  • Polypropylene or Polyethylene Plant experience is a plus
  • Experience with SAP and Maximo is a plus
  • RCA Methodology training is a plus (Taproot, Logic Tree, etc.)

 

What we offer

At Braskem, we offer more than just a competitive pay package. Our total rewards package includes a wide range of benefits you need for every stage of your life. Our benefits include:

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
  • Retirement Benefits
  • Maternity and Paternity Leave
  • Life Insurance
  • Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Teladoc
  • A wide range of voluntary benefits like Pet Insurance, Legal and ID Theft Insurance
  • Flexible work schedules like 9/80 schedules for eligible team members

Depending on qualifications, the successful candidate may be offered a position at a more appropriate level and/or ladder.

Candidates must be currently eligible to work in the United States without the need for any type of sponsorship now or in the future. Braskem is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees according to applicable law. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you require reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact the Talent Acquisition team.

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