Instrumentation and Electrical Engineer

Title: Electrical Maintenance & Reliability Engineer

Location: Pasadena, TX

Who we are:

Voted one of the Nation's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top-of-the-line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, Kuraray leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 32 countries and employs more than 11,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States.

Why Kuraray:

Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability.

As a part of Kuraray America, Inc., our team shares the advantages of working for the leader in specialty chemicals, resins, and fibers. Our international presence and resources allow us to be a world-leading innovator in the industries we service. Yet, despite our size, our people are more than just a number. As a new team member, you can expect to earn responsibility quickly. Our commitment to our people is visible in our comprehensive benefits package. As a Kuraray team member, you will have the opportunity to enjoy competitive salaries and benefits, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment.

Position Summary:

The Electrical Maintenance & Reliability Engineer is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and improving the plant's electrical, instrumentation, and process control systems to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation. This role provides hands-on technical support, leads equipment reliability initiatives, and partners with Operations, Maintenance, and Project teams to minimize downtime, extend equipment life, and drive continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

Maintenance & Troubleshooting

• Provide day-to-day technical support to resolve electrical, instrumentation, and control system issues impacting plant operations.
• Troubleshoot failures involving motors, drives, MCCs, transformers, sensors, and control systems.
• Lead root cause failure analysis (RCFA) and implement corrective/preventive actions.
• Develop and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance programs for electrical and instrumentation assets.
• Support turnaround and maintenance planning by defining scopes, reviewing job plans, and providing field engineering support.

Electrical & Instrumentation Systems

• Design, specify, and oversee installation or upgrades of electrical and instrumentation systems including control valves, transmitters, analyzers, interlocks, 480VAC starters, 120VAC/24VDC circuits, and VFDs.
• Review and update I&E drawings, specifications, and single-line diagrams.
• Manage contractors for electrical and instrumentation projects; ensure work meets codes, standards, and plant specifications.
• Support and maintain compliance with electrical safety standards (NFPA 70E, NEC, IEEE, ISA).

Process Control / DCS Support (Yokogawa Preferred)

• Provide first-level troubleshooting and maintenance of DCS systems and related field instrumentation.
• Configure and maintain control loops, interlocks, signal inputs/outputs, and communication protocols (Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Modbus, wireless).
• Coordinate system updates, backups, and minor modifications to improve process reliability and operability.
• Collaborate with corporate or third-party specialists for major system changes and upgrades.

Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze equipment performance data to identify reliability risks and develop improvement plans.
• Apply reliability tools such as FMEA, RCM, and life-cycle analysis to optimize asset performance.
• Support capital projects by providing technical input to design, commissioning, and maintenance readiness.
• Participate in cost-benefit analyses and recommend solutions to enhance uptime and reduce maintenance costs.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Act as the primary technical advisor and functional lead for all I&E personnel in Maintenance.
• Collaborate with Operations to improve safety, yield, and overall plant performance.
• Support Process Safety Management (PSM) initiatives including MOC, PHA participation, and incident investigations.
• Deliver training and share best practices to strengthen the site's maintenance and reliability culture.

Minimum Qualifications:

• B.S. in Electrical, Instrumentation, or Chemical Engineering
• Minimum 5 years of instrumentation and electrical maintenance experience in a chemical, refining, or industrial manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of Yokogawa DCS (other platforms such as DeltaV, Honeywell, or ABB a plus)..
• Knowledge of discreet, continuous, and sequential control, loop tuning, adaptive control, and feed-forward control modeling.
• Proven ability to diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve equipment and process issues.
• Familiarity with key PSM elements including Process Hazards Analysis, Process Technology, Management of Change, and RAGAGEP.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and coach team members in a collaborative environment.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex, time-sensitive projects.
• Excellent technical writing, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Self-motivated with initiative and the ability to work independently.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Competencies :

• Customer Focus
  • Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Business Insight
  • Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals.
• Cultivates Innovation
  • Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.

• Action Oriented
  • Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Ensures Accountability
  • Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Drives Results
  • Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstance
• Collaborates
  • Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Values Difference
  • Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization
• Communicates Effectively
  • Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Courage
  • Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.
• Instills Trust
  • Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Situational Adaptability
  • Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive. This program is designed to reward individual performance and align overall rewards with corporate and team performance.

Our employees benefit from a robust healthcare package that includes wellness reimbursements, along with generous perks such as three weeks of paid time off, ten company holidays, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, and a matching 401k plan, among other offerings.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Learn more at kuraray.us.com/careers/

Kuraray America, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity/disability/protected veteran status

No third-party candidates accepted.