Plant Engineer

Description

Brief Overview

South Dakota Soybean Processors’ Plant Engineer provides hands-on engineering and technical support to improve the safety, reliability, efficiency, quality, capacity, and cost performance of plant operations. This role evaluates processes and equipment, develops engineering solutions and specifications, troubleshoots operational issues, supports the capital planning process, and manages assigned capital and improvement projects from initial concept through commissioning and closeout in coordination with Operations and the Engineering team.

Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with Operations and Maintenance to monitor, evaluate, and optimize plant processes, equipment performance, production capacity, energy use, yields, quality, reliability, and operating costs.
• Apply engineering principles and tools to develop process designs, calculations, equipment specifications, layouts, control narratives, and technical recommendations for plant improvements and capital projects.
• Take a proactive, solution-oriented approach to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve process, mechanical, instrumentation, controls, utility, and other technical or operational issues; complete root-cause evaluations and develop sustainable corrective actions.
• Collect, analyze, and communicate operating data, including costs, yields, quality, downtime, utility consumption, and process performance; identify trends, define improvement opportunities, and verify results after implementation.
• Develop feasibility studies, technical alternatives, preliminary scopes, cost estimates, business justifications, and implementation plans to support the annual capital planning and project prioritization process.
• Coordinate project-specific teams of employees, contractors, consultants, suppliers, and service providers; lead meetings, track actions, communicate plant impacts, and drive timely resolution of technical and execution issues.
• Manage assigned capital and improvement projects, including scope, budget, schedule, design coordination, procurement, construction support, commissioning, startup, documentation, and closeout.  
• Ensure engineering and project work complies with company engineering standards, applicable codes, safety and environmental requirements, SQF food safety requirements, and operational needs; participate in hazard reviews, management-of-change activities, and pre-startup reviews as applicable.
• Maintain accurate engineering and project documentation, including calculations, drawings, specifications, equipment files, operating information, meeting notes, change records, commissioning documents, and final as-built information.
• Demonstrate responsible stewardship of company resources, prioritize safety in all daily and project activities, support continuous improvement across the organization, and perform additional responsibilities as needed.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Agricultural, Electrical, Civil, Industrial, or a related engineering discipline. An equivalent combination of education and relevant technical experience may be considered where appropriate.
• Two or more years of engineering experience in a processing, manufacturing, or industrial facility is preferred; experience in soybean processing, grain handling, extraction, refining, food manufacturing, or a similar continuous-process operation is beneficial.
• Working knowledge of process and equipment design, engineering calculations, technical drawings, instrumentation and controls, troubleshooting methods, project execution, and applicable federal, state, and local codes and safety requirements.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical thinking skills, with the ability to interpret operating data, identify root causes, evaluate alternatives, prioritize work, adapt to changing conditions, and drive solutions to completion.
• Effective and professional communication through speaking, writing, and listening, with the ability to collaborate with Operations, contractors, consultants, vendors, and management.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Familiarity with Bluebeam, process data historians, and CMMS platforms is beneficial. 
• Must be able to drive and occasionally travel overnight for work purposes, requiring a valid state driver’s license and insurance.

Requirements

Physical Requirements

Must Possess the Ability to Do the Following Occasionally:

• Bend, squat, and kneel
• Stand, walk, climb ladders/stairs
• Push/Pull/Carry/Lift 25- 50lbs.

Work Environment

• The majority of work is carried out in an office environment.  
• Occasionally, may be exposed to excessive noise, dust or fumes, and marked changes in temperature
• Occasionally, may work around moving machinery, high structures and confined spaces
• Work may require travel, evening, and weekend work.