Job Description
Job Description
POSITION PURPOSE :
Heavy travel. The primary objective of the Process Integration Specialist II is to become a technical expert of new technology offerings and support the successful deployment of new technology offerings into the ethanol industry. In supporting this objective they will be involved in scale -up of new technology developments, working in a cross functional team environment, to prove out the commercial offering at demonstration scale. Once a new technology is ready for commercial deployment, they will use their in-depth knowledge of the technology to support both internal ICM resources and the customer with a goal to ensure a seamless transition from the sale, through engineering, construction, start-up and ongoing operations of new technology installation. They will maintain a close relationship with the plant personnel as a trusted and expert source of information and assistance as they solve complex operational issues. They will also work closely with the ICM internal resources to assure accurate and up to date technical information is available and provide technical support.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND BASIC DUTIES :
- Demonstrate an understanding and operational proficiency in base ethanol plant operations, process flows, mass and energy balance, board operations, etc. Then, confidently apply that knowledge to support troubleshooting and advising plant operators.
- Demonstrate an understanding and operational proficiency of ICM’s new technologies when integrating into the base ethanol plant, understanding modifications to base plant process flows, mass and energy balance, mechanical operations, set points, controls, etc. Then, confidently apply that knowledge to support troubleshooting and advising plant operators.
- Collaborate with ICM internal development and engineering teams to scale up new technology to a demonstration scale. Then, support testing in the field to validate whether the new technology meets certain metrics at the demonstration scale.
- Collaborate with ICM internal development and engineering teams to scale up new technology to a commercial scale providing input on process design, controls, layout, maintenance access, operational ease, etc.
- Participate in internal and external project meetings for early adopter projects to stay involved and provide input on the design of the project and maintain a good understanding of project progress through the construction phase. This includes field visits to projects under construction, periodically, to evaluate progress to date and provide input on project progress and readiness for commissioning.
- Collaborate with early adopter customers during the deployment of new technology in their facilities supporting customer interaction during design and construction phases. During this execution phase of the project the objective will be to maintain consistent communication and to provide ongoing education of the new technology to the customer leading up to commissioning phase. During this time clear communication expectations shall be established with the customer for the commissioning and post commissioning performance run campaigns, so ICM is sure to meet expectations. Established communication shall cover points of contact, frequency of operations updates, substance of operations updates, written customer report requirements, etc.
- As commissioning approaches this person will take a more active and engaged role working closely with the customer to ensure consistent communication is maintained, establish baseline operations, validate that baseline metrics meet contract requirements.
- Re-occurring visits to early adopter customers to obtain certain operating data periodically for purposes of evaluating against technology metrics and goals to ensure that technology deployment performance expectations are being met. Examples may include energy savings, yield improvements, throughput improvements and diversified product yield.
- Participate in internal project closeout meetings to provide input on technical and operational knowledge learned during new technology implementation in order to carry lessons learned forward to future projects.
- Provide ongoing input to ICM internal teams concerning recommended improvements in first generation technology deployment, including process, mechanical equipment, automation, operating procedures and maintenance access to name a few examples.
- Perform cold training on new technology for plant operations in a power point formatted presentation which provides an overview of the new technology. Presentation material will be developed through a collaborative effort with the various ICM internal teams that were involved in the development of the technology.
- Perform hands on field training with demonstration scale equipment at customer sites.
- Perform field training for plant operators including safety considerations, plant layout, process flow, process and instrumentation diagrams, unit operations, chemicals involved, digital control system operations, and quality control requirements as needed.
- Provide clear and objective field progress reports to ICM’s internal resources when supporting a specific initiative or project, as directed. Reports shall include objectives, summary of outcomes and path forward. Frequency of reporting will vary depending on the audience, either daily or weekly. Primary goal of the report is to provide transparency to ICM internal team concerning progress made with technology deployment at a customer facility. Reporting shall be consistent throughout the project lifecycle including, as an example, site visits during construction, training visits, pre start-up operations visits, commissioning, start-up, performance runs, etc.
- Coordinate with the Plant Services team during start-up reviewing all redline mark-ups of Recommended Operating Procedures for new technology installations. Plant Services team will maintain ownership of the redline during the course of a start-up and provide red line documents to the ICM Process Engineer to create the final as-built document for the customer.
- Only as requested by ICM Project Management, assist with the direction of the activities of outside contractor services.
- Provide 24 hour on-call assistance for plant needs and troubleshooting as required during and following a new technology installation. On-call assistance will primarily consist of Customer & internal onsite technical support, answering and assisting with questions from operating facilities both during and after startup has been completed.
Education / Certification :
Bachelor's degree and / or industry and job specific technical skills acquired through a combination of formal instruction and on-the-job training required.
Required Knowledge & Experience :
3+ years of experience in ethanol plant operations requiredTraining experience preferredKnowledge of Microsoft Office Suite requiredFamiliar with ethanol plant technology and operations including : safety requirements, environmental requirements, grain handling, cook & liquefaction, fermentation, enzymes, yeast propagation, distillation, evaporation, molecular sieves, centrifugation, water and cooling systems, oad out flares, dryers, laboratory testing requirements.Skills / Abilities :
Ability to solve operational issuesExcellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skillsAbility to pull a team together to solve problemsAbility to read and understand Piping and Instrumentation DiagramsPHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS POSITION
Must possess current, valid driver’s license with no restrictions. Up to 95% travel may be required. Travel frequency will vary with periods of down time and uptime. Travel will be quite extensive during periods of startup, operational troubleshooting and demonstration testing. International travel may be required. Ability to sit for long periods of time. Able to view computer screen for lengths at a time. Must be able to speak and listen clearly. Fine visual acuity to read for accuracy. May be exposed to loud noises, wet and humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic chemicals, extreme hot and cold depending on weather conditions. May be required to work in high, precarious places.
PHYSICAL STRENGTH :
This job may require lifting of up to 70 pounds seldom.