Mechanical Engineer - Rotating Equipment

A new challenge? 
Pinnacle Polymers, LLC, a privately-owned polypropylene manufacturing facility, has an opening for a Rotating Equipment Mechanical Engineer. 

Main responsibilities and key tasks

The Rotating Equipment Mechanical Engineer provides technical expertise, reliability leadership, and maintenance support for all rotating and mechanical assets within a polypropylene production facility. This role ensures safe, reliable, and efficient operation of compressors, pumps, blowers, extruder drives, pelletizer systems, and ancillary equipment critical to polypropylene production. The engineer partners closely with Operations, Maintenance and EHS teams to optimize equipment performance and minimize unplanned downtime.

Equipment Reliability & Performance

• Lead reliability efforts for rotating equipment across the Unipol PP process, including reactor circulation compressors, purge gas compressors, pelletizer drives, cooling water pumps, and utilities equipment.
• Conduct root cause failure analyses (RCFA) and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Develop and maintain equipment performance monitoring programs (vibration analysis, thermography, lubrication analysis, ultrasonic inspection).
• Identify chronic issues and drive long-term reliability improvements through engineering solutions.

Maintenance Engineering & Technical Support

• Provide day-to-day troubleshooting support to maintenance and operations teams for rotating equipment issues.
• Develop detailed repair scopes, overhaul procedures, and quality assurance plans for major machinery.
• Review and approve maintenance work packages, ensuring compliance with OEM standards and plant specifications.
• Support turnaround planning, including equipment inspections, repair recommendations, and contractor oversight.

Engineering Design & Modifications

• Evaluate and implement equipment upgrades, debottlenecking projects, and reliability-driven modifications.
• Prepare engineering calculations, specifications, and technical documentation for rotating equipment.
• Review vendor proposals, drawings, and technical data sheets for new or replacement machinery.
• Ensure all modifications comply with plant engineering standards, industry codes (API, ASME, ANSI), and safety requirement

Asset Management & Strategy

• Maintain and update equipment criticality rankings, PM strategies, and spare parts requirements.
• Develop long-term asset care plans for compressors, pumps, gearboxes, pelletizer systems, and other rotating assets.
• Support budgeting for maintenance, capital projects, and reliability initiatives.
• Lead or participate in reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) studies.

Safety, Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure all rotating equipment activities comply with OSHA, PSM, and plant safety standards.
• Support mechanical integrity programs for rotating equipment.
• Maintain accurate equipment files, inspection records, and engineering documentation.
• Participate in HAZOPs, MOCs, and incident investigations.

Competencies and skills

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 5–7 years of experience as a rotating equipment or mechanical engineer in petrochemical, polymer, refining, or similar heavy industrial environments.
• Strong knowledge of rotating machinery design, operation, and maintenance, including compressors, pumps, turbines, gearboxes, and pelletizer systems.
• Proficiency with industry standards such as API 610, 617, 618, 671, 672, and relevant ASME codes.
• Experience with vibration analysis, condition monitoring tools, and reliability methodologies (RCFA, RCM, FMEA).
• Strong analytical, communication, and project management skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with CMMS systems (SAP).
• Knowledge of lubrication engineering and tribology.
• Experience supporting turnarounds and major machinery overhauls.
• Certification in vibration analysis (e.g., ISO Category II or III) or reliability engineering (CRE, CMRP).
• Familiarity with polymer finishing equipment such as pelletizers, extruders, and associated drives.

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

• Normal Production Plant environment with controlled climate as well as outside elements.
• Must be willing and able to work at various elevations and positions including heights of 125 feet or above
• Must be familiar with and be able to wear proper PPE including respirator and FRC
• Frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms
• Must be able to hear sounds and recognize the difference between them, focus on one source of sound and ignore others, understand speech of another person, speak clearly so listeners can understand.  Use of radio communications and hearing protection is required in process operation areas.  
• The employee is occasionally required to climb stairs, stoop, kneel, or crouch.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to safely perform the essential functions of the job without posing a direct threat to the safety of his or her own self, or the safety of others