Process Safety & Chemical Engineer

Job Summary

Provide technical leadership for process safety chemical risk management and engineered safeguards across a vertically integrated acrylic and glass transparency manufacturing facility supporting civil and military aerospace programs.

Prevent fires explosions toxic releases uncontrolled polymerization chemical exposure events environmental releases and production interruptions by applying disciplined chemical engineering process hazard analysis mechanical integrity management of change operating procedure and emergency preparedness practices.

Translate Cal/OSHA PSM federal OSHA PSM EPA RMP California CalARP Orange County CUPA fire code hazardous materials and aerospace customer expectations into practical risk controls for MMA/monomers flammable solvents adhesives coatings resins catalysts/inhibitors tanks reactors/mixers ovens autoclaves furnaces utilities and chemical storage/transfer systems.

Job Responsibilities

1. Process Safety Program Leadership

• Develop maintain and improve the site process safety and chemical risk management framework including process safety information hazard review/PHA MOC pre-startup safety review mechanical integrity operating procedures training emergency planning and incident investigation.
• Determine applicability and maintain evidence for Cal/OSHA PSM federal OSHA PSM EPA RMP and California CalARP requirements based on regulated substances flammable quantities process configuration and threshold calculations.
• Lead process safety governance for high-hazard areas such as MMA/monomer storage resin/casting operations solvent bonding coating/primer application mixing curing ovens autoclaves furnaces tanks utilities and chemical transfer systems.
• Advise EH&S and site leadership on risk acceptance escalation capital needs production changes temporary operations and stop-work decisions involving chemical or process safety risk.

2. Process Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment

• Lead or facilitate PHAs What-If/Checklist reviews HAZOPs LOPA-style assessments FMEAs facility siting reviews dust hazard screening thermal hazard reviews and task-based chemical risk assessments as appropriate.
• Maintain risk registers recommendation logs safeguard verification records action owners due dates and effectiveness checks.
• Evaluate credible scenarios including MMA overheating or polymerization loss of inhibition/cooling flammable vapor release static ignition solvent fire tank overpressure dust collector fire oven/autoclave upset coating booth fire utility loss incompatible chemical mixing and emergency shutdown failure.
• Ensure risk reviews include operators maintenance engineering EH&S quality and area leadership to capture practical operating knowledge.

3. Chemical Engineering and Safeguard Design

• Define engineering controls for tanks mixers transfer systems vents relief devices alarms interlocks emergency shutdowns ventilation grounding/bonding secondary containment temperature control cooling/refrigeration inhibitor management and vapor control.
• Support design and troubleshooting of chemical storage transfer reaction/curing coating cleaning filtration dust collection wastewater/waste interfaces and emissions-control systems.
• Apply recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices (RAGAGEP) vendor requirements insurer guidance NFPA concepts fire code expectations and site standards to chemical/process equipment.
• Partner with engineering and maintenance to ensure critical safeguards are captured in preventive maintenance inspection calibration testing spare parts and failure-response procedures.

4. Management of Change and Pre-Startup Safety Review

• Review changes to chemicals formulations suppliers SDS data process parameters batch sizes tanks equipment controls utilities ventilation relief systems layouts software/PLC logic operating procedures staffing and production rates.
• Ensure MOC reviews address EH&S air/water/waste permits fire code CUPA/CERS CalARP/RMP/PSM applicability product quality aerospace customer approvals and emergency response impacts.
• Lead pre-startup safety reviews for new or modified processes to verify engineering completion procedure issuance training PHA action closure permits inspections labeling emergency equipment and maintenance readiness.
• Manage temporary change controls and ensure temporary deviations have risk assessment duration limits monitoring authorization and closure.

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5. Chemical Inventory Thresholds and Regulatory Interface

• Maintain chemical/process threshold analyses for PSM RMP CalARP CUPA/HMBP fire code hazardous materials storage and emergency planning applicability.
• Review SDSs and chemical hazard data for flammability reactivity thermal stability inhibitor requirements peroxide-forming potential polymerization risk incompatibilities toxicology VOC/HAP/TAC content and storage requirements.
• Support CERS/Hazardous Materials Business Plan accuracy CalARP/RMP submissions if applicable regulator inspections information requests and coordination with Orange County Health Care Agency CUPA and Orange County Fire Authority.
• Coordinate with environmental air water and waste leads when chemical/process changes affect SCAQMD permits stormwater/wastewater controls hazardous waste profiles or spill prevention.

6. Operating Procedures Training and Field Verification

• Develop or technically review operating procedures for chemical transfer tank unloading mixing storage heating/cooling bonding coating cleaning startup shutdown emergency shutdown abnormal conditions and temporary operations.
• Train operators maintenance engineers supervisors and emergency responders on process hazards safeguards operating limits alarms emergency actions chemical incompatibilities and escalation expectations.
• Perform field verifications of procedure use critical alarms/interlocks relief devices ventilation grounding/bonding container closure inhibitor/cooling checks hot work controls and chemical transfer practices.
• Ensure procedures and training support multilingual workforces and practical shop-floor execution.

7. Incident Investigation and Emergency Preparedness

• Lead or support investigations of chemical releases fires near misses overheating events alarm bypasses loss of containment off-spec mixing abnormal reactions control-device failures spills exposure concerns and emergency response activations.
• Apply rigorous technical root-cause methods and ensure corrective actions address engineered safeguards operating limits maintenance systems procedures training supervision and verification of effectiveness.
• Develop credible emergency scenarios for drills and tabletop exercises involving MMA solvents coatings fires earthquake impacts power loss tank failures ventilation loss and chemical release response.
• Coordinate with EH&S leadership security operations OCFA CUPA and emergency response contractors on preplans response resources and recovery expectations.

8. Aerospace & Defense Mission Assurance Linkage

• Ensure process safety controls protect uninterrupted civil and military aircraft transparency production customer commitments and defense supply continuity.
• Maintain objective evidence for customer insurance AS9100/NADCAP-style and regulatory audits including risk assessments MOC records chemical approvals training safeguards inspection records and corrective actions.
• Partner with quality and program teams when chemical/process changes could affect optical clarity adhesion coating performance qualification data special process requirements customer approvals controlled scrap or restricted programs.

Protect controlled program customer-property and export-controlled information during regulator visits technical reviews emergency response and documentation requests.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in chemical engineering process safety engineering mechanical engineering materials engineering chemistry or closely related technical discipline.
• 5 years of experience in chemical/process engineering process safety chemical manufacturing aerospace manufacturing polymer/resin processing coatings flammable liquid systems or regulated industrial operations.
• Working knowledge of process safety concepts including PHA/HAZOP/What-If MOC pre-startup safety review process safety information operating procedures mechanical integrity incident investigation safeguards and emergency planning.
• Working knowledge of OSHA/Cal-OSHA PSM principles EPA RMP California CalARP HazCom/GHS hazardous materials storage chemical compatibility and fire-prevention concepts.
• Experience evaluating flammable liquids monomers/resins solvents adhesives coatings tanks transfer systems temperature control ventilation relief/venting grounding/bonding and process utilities.
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs PFDs SDSs equipment specifications control narratives relief device documentation operating procedures maintenance records and regulatory requirements.
• Strong technical writing facilitation data analysis root-cause analysis project management and cross-functional influence skills.
• Ability to work safely in chemical process areas production areas mechanical rooms tanks/utility areas maintenance environments and emergency response planning settings.
• Must be a U.S. Person per ITAR regulations to comply with export compliance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in chemical engineering process safety fire protection materials science or related technical field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) Certified Safety Professional (CSP) Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) CCPSC CFSP Six Sigma/Lean or equivalent technical certification.
• Experience with PMMA/MMA acrylic casting monomer inhibition reactive chemistry polymerization hazards thermal runaway screening solvent bonding aerospace coatings optical finishing autoclaves ovens furnaces or laminated glass manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with Cal/OSHA PSM Section 5189 federal OSHA 1910.119 EPA 40 CFR Part 68 CalARP Title 19 CUPA/CERS HMBP and Orange County regulator interfaces.
• Experience with LOPA relief design dispersion/consequence screening combustible dust hazard analysis SIS/interlock management alarm management facility siting and quantitative/semi-quantitative risk methods.
• Experience supporting aerospace and defense customers AS9100/NADCAP audit cultures defense-prime supplier expectations ITAR-adjacent environments controlled materials or customer-qualified chemical processes.
• Experience implementing digital MOC action tracking chemical inventory PHA mechanical integrity or permit/compliance management systems.
• Bilingual English/Spanish capability or demonstrated ability to train and influence a multilingual manufacturing workforce.

Compensation Data

Salary range: $120464.00 - $150580.00