What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research & Development Technician HNO position at TPC Group?
Position Summary
TPC is embarking on a growth phase with a focus on expanding technology and new products which creates an excellent opportunity for someone to join our team and have a sizable impact. We are looking for a corporate Research and Development Technician that will have the challenging opportunity to integrate into project teams that are key driving forces for strategic growth and development at TPC Group. This candidate will be a self-starter and will demonstrate the ability to successfully execute a broad range of tasks and adhere to all safety and environmental compliance initiatives with minimal supervision. He/she will be proficient and have a thorough understanding of constructing, operating and maintaining lab equipment such as metal/glassware distillation apparatus, various reactor systems, autoclaves and analytical instrumentation.
The successful candidate will participate in projects that offer ownership, teamwork and effective communications with a cross section of engineers and chemists. Reporting to the Supervisor, R&D Technicians, the Research & Development Technician will demonstrate success by completing and ensuring quality experimental and analytical results of targeted project experimentation within established timelines. He/she will offer excellence through documenting experimental test results, working closely with technical professionals (chemists and engineers) and translating laboratory results into commercial practice.
Responsibilities Include
The Research & Development Technician will be responsible for building and operating laboratory equipment and analytical instrumentation to complete experimental protocols. In a short timeframe, he/she will learn and demonstrate performance on operation of assigned lab reactor systems and effectively demonstrate operation of analytical equipment. The successful candidate will contribute to process improvements through the use of lab equipment, participate in design teams and safety reviews for laboratory equipment used onsite and will be involved in the construction of lab reactor systems.
Role Specific Knowledge
TPC is embarking on a growth phase with a focus on expanding technology and new products which creates an excellent opportunity for someone to join our team and have a sizable impact. We are looking for a corporate Research and Development Technician that will have the challenging opportunity to integrate into project teams that are key driving forces for strategic growth and development at TPC Group. This candidate will be a self-starter and will demonstrate the ability to successfully execute a broad range of tasks and adhere to all safety and environmental compliance initiatives with minimal supervision. He/she will be proficient and have a thorough understanding of constructing, operating and maintaining lab equipment such as metal/glassware distillation apparatus, various reactor systems, autoclaves and analytical instrumentation.
The successful candidate will participate in projects that offer ownership, teamwork and effective communications with a cross section of engineers and chemists. Reporting to the Supervisor, R&D Technicians, the Research & Development Technician will demonstrate success by completing and ensuring quality experimental and analytical results of targeted project experimentation within established timelines. He/she will offer excellence through documenting experimental test results, working closely with technical professionals (chemists and engineers) and translating laboratory results into commercial practice.
Responsibilities Include
The Research & Development Technician will be responsible for building and operating laboratory equipment and analytical instrumentation to complete experimental protocols. In a short timeframe, he/she will learn and demonstrate performance on operation of assigned lab reactor systems and effectively demonstrate operation of analytical equipment. The successful candidate will contribute to process improvements through the use of lab equipment, participate in design teams and safety reviews for laboratory equipment used onsite and will be involved in the construction of lab reactor systems.
Role Specific Knowledge
- Follows all preset safety guidelines.
- Take part in and lead laboratory safety reviews.
- Ensures that proper department’s waste disposal policies are followed.
- Maintains a clean lab facility through proper housekeeping and is part of the facilities team maintaining general operation at the Technical Center.
- Coordinate & schedule efforts with plant and/or contract employees to help maintain the lab facilities.
- Responsible for submitting work orders/requests and seeing the work done to completion.
- Proactive with routine and building maintenance tasks such as: minor equipment repairs, troubleshooting, and improve existing facility needs.
- Experience with building and maintaining pilot plant/lab testing units. Improving and modifying to meet testing needs. Experience using and troubleshooting analytical, method development and data analysis.
- Builds and installs new equipment. Familiar with both the use of glassware style setups as well as metal/Swagelok.
- Operates lab systems including start up, operation, and shut down.
- Performs and ensures reliability of lab equipment through regular maintenance.
- Calculates mass and mole balances, conversions, selectivity and yields.
- Laboratory process control and excel macro coding experience a plus.
- Operates both online and offline analytical equipment to obtain necessary lab results.
- Conducts lab experiments and analysis to accomplish product and process improvement and development.
- Documents and communicates lab results concisely.
- Assists lab/field personnel in conducting or witnessing field or lab tests. Certifies the accuracy of the data reported for that sample.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality with regards to patents, proprietary information, etc.
- Performs a variety of routine, basic office/field tasks guided by detailed instructions using standard equipment, computers and established procedures.
- Understands organization, functions, roles and responsibilities; requires working with others to gather information.
- Works on non-routine assignments but recognizes the need for occasional deviation from typical roles and responsibilities.
- Applies acquired job skills and company policies and procedures to complete assigned tasks.
- Ask a lot of questions, be curious, and have insights into your work.
- Be nimble, embrace the speed and ambiguity of TPC culture.
- Ability to self-manage and set your own priorities and schedule.
- Ability to make conclusions with limited data yet drives to make data-based decisions and conclusions.
- Be comfortable working in multiple roles (ie, wearing multiple hats).
- Emphasize safety above all else.
- Respect for others.
- Creative problem solving.
- Willingness to learn and research new engineering/science concepts.
- Relevant Competencies: Influences, collaborates, focus on performance, proactive, agile, thinks analytically, and creates the new and different.
- 7 years of industrial research laboratory, pilot plant, or operations experience or 10 years of combined parallel relevant experience such as an Analyzer Tech, I/E Tech, or Process Control Tech.
- Comfortable working in an industrial environment.
- Able to lift and move up to 25 pounds, climb stairs & ladders.
- Able to (infrequently) work shifts during pilot plant campaigns and operational turnarounds.
- Take part in operational TA where entry into vessels, towers, reactors. Taking part in catalyst change outs with catalyst handling vendors.
- Flexible working schedule that allows for reasonable accommodations but mostly onsite work in laboratory setting.
