Fontana, US
Title: Plant Engineer
Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemistry for water intensive industries. For more than 100 years, our chemistry has advanced human progress and quality of life. We call it chemistry with a purpose, better every day. At Kemira, we foster a collaborative and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to thrive and make a difference. Learn more about Kemira at www.kemira.com/careers.
We are looking for a Plant Engineer to lead the maintenance function at our chemical manufacturing facility. This role is critical to ensuring plant reliability, safety, and performance. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in work order-based maintenance systems, and a passion for implementing and sustaining world-class maintenance practices, including preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance strategies.
In this role you will be responsible for:
- Develop, lead, and continuously improve a work order-based maintenance system to plan, schedule, and execute maintenance activities efficiently and effectively.
- Implement and sustain world-class maintenance practices, including preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
- Supervise, coach, and develop a team of skilled maintenance technicians to ensure timely, high-quality execution of all maintenance work.
- Collaborate with operations, engineering, and safety teams to identify and address maintenance needs, improve equipment uptime, and drive operational excellence..
- Ensure compliance with all environmental, health, safety (EHS), and regulatory requirements, particularly those relevant to chemical plant operations.
- Utilize SAP to track work orders, equipment history, performance metrics, and KPIs.
- Lead and support capital projects, turnarounds, and equipment upgrades as needed.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement.
- Champion safety and risk management across all maintenance activities.
- Any other duties as assigned
What you’ll bring to the team:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent work experience considered.
- Minimum 4 years of experience in industrial maintenance, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or managerial role within a chemical or process manufacturing environment.
- Experience in developing and managing work order systems.
- Strong leadership, communication, and team-building skills.
- Knowledge of relevant regulatory and safety standards (OSHA, PSM, EPA, etc.).
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, contractors, and cross-functional projects.
Preferred:
- Certifications in maintenance or reliability (e.g., CMRP, CRL, PMP).
- Experience with PSM (Process Safety Management) environments.
- Familiarity with Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Reliability Engineering.
What you can expect from us:
- Work with a global company that is committed to innovation, cares for people and dedicated to customer success.
- Opportunity for personal and professional growth
- Attractive benefits package compensation
- A multicultural and positive working environment
The starting salary range for consideration for this position is $85,000 to $110,000 per year with opportunities for performance-based bonuses. The actual starting salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to relevant employment history & experience, skill set/competencies, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes health insurance, paid time off, life/disability insurance and a 401k retirement plan (which includes a company match).
Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemistry for water-intensive industries. We operate globally and serve a wide range of customers including municipal and industrial water treatment companies and the fiber industry. Our solutions and services help secure clean water for millions of people every day and support our customers in advancing circularity and responsible resource use throughout their value chains. In 2025, Kemira reported annual revenue of EUR 2.8 billion with a global team of 4,911 colleagues. Kemira is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. www.kemira.com