Plant Engineer

At Bakelite, you’ll help us create a better tomorrow with sustainable and innovative chemistry today.

We’re Everywhere. Everywhere you look, you’ll find products enabled by Bakelite, from stronger homes to safer automobiles and everywhere in between. With more than 100 years of history and strong customer relationships, we boldly engineer sustainable products to tackle our world’s most challenging demands.

Join Our Team and Help Us Build a Stronger, Safer, Better World.

It’s Better with Bakelite.

Plant Engineer: The Impact You’ll Have on the Organization and World

• You will drive innovation and reliability by optimizing the performance of critical production units through process improvement, technical expertise, and project execution.
• You will ensure safety, environmental compliance, and operational excellence by applying sound engineering practices, leading improvement projects, and driving a culture of continuous improvement.
• You will partner across operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to enhance production capacity, efficiency, and quality — ensuring Bakelite remains a leader in sustainable manufacturing.
• You will strengthen our technical foundation by selecting the Most Effective or Most Appropriate Technology (MET/MAT) for capital projects and ensuring long-term process reliability and efficiency.
• You will help shape the future of the Louisville site by advancing innovation, reducing costs, and supporting sustainability goals.

It's Better with Bakelite: Our Commitment Back to You

• You’ll Help Shape Our Future. As a Bakelite associate, you’re part of a diverse, global population creating the next generation of the company and we expect you to put your fingerprint on it.
• We Champion Our Associates. At Bakelite, you don’t just climb the career ladder – you pave your personal path through continued learning and development.
• Together, We Will Protect the Planet. From our processes to our products, we are focusing on the opportunities that both grow our profitability as a company, and improve and protect the planet.
• Safety is a Core Value. At Bakelite, safety is a 24/7 mindset. We are all safe today to ensure we are able to show up tomorrow – for our families and friends, for each other and for our communities.
• We Care. Plain and simple, we care about our associates. From the top on down, we place a high value on our culture and the associate experience. We offer competitive compensation, robust benefits and support our associates every step of their career.

Life in Louisville: Louisville is Kentucky’s biggest city and the “Gateway to the South.” It’s located on the Ohio River and is just over the Indiana border.

• Louisville is home to the Kentucky Derby, an annual horse race with a long history that takes place at Churchill Downs.
• There are lots of attractions to explore in downtown Louisville, including the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, where Major League Baseball bats are produced.
• Louisville was named among the top 50 Best Places to Live in 2024 by U.S. News & World Report.
• Love to travel? You’re minutes from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, where you can hop a flight to anywhere in the world.
• Learn more about Louisville

What Does a Typical Day Look Like? Here Are Your Primary Responsibilities:

• Optimize production processes by engaging directly with operators, troubleshooting issues, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Lead and manage process and plant improvement initiatives — from concept through design, funding, installation, and implementation.
• Support production and maintenance teams with data analysis, troubleshooting, and automation solutions.
• Partner with Production Leaders to implement capacity creation and efficiency upgrades.
• Identify, develop, and execute capital projects to improve safety, quality, environmental compliance, and cost performance.
• Lead utilities optimization for assigned areas, improving energy and waste efficiency.
• Apply Lean/Six Sigma techniques to drive measurable process improvement.
• Ensure adherence to PSM, ISO 9001, and all Bakelite safety and quality standards.
• Participate in Process Hazard Analyses (PHAs) and reliability improvement teams.
• Demonstrate project management capability through effective scope control, budgeting, and Stage-Gate execution.
• Promote and uphold Bakelite’s strong safety culture through visible leadership and proactive risk management.

What Is Needed to Be Successful in This Role (Required Skills/Abilities):

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering required.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in a chemical or manufacturing environment (chemical manufacturing preferred).
• Strong technical understanding and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities; able to collaborate effectively at all organizational levels.
• Proven ability to coordinate multidisciplinary projects.
• Experience with CMMS systems (SAP preferred).
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, PFDs, and other engineering drawings.
• Experience managing contractors in electrical, mechanical, or related disciplines.
• Must possess or meet eligibility requirements for a TWIC card.

We are an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, minority status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any characteristic protected by law.

In order to be considered for this position candidates are required to submit an application for employment through our career site, be at least 18 years or age, willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation as part of the selection process, as well as additional periodic background checks as required by the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) or regulations adopted by the Department of Homeland Security or other regulatory agencies. Candidates are required to have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. This company participates in E-Verify. For additional details, click HERE.

If currently an employee of the Company, you must have satisfactory work performance. Disclaimer: We are not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms/employment agencies for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails to an employee about this position. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee of the Company via email, the Internet or in any other form and/or method without a valid written search firm agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of the Company; no fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by the Company as a result of the unsolicited referral or through other means.