Director, Plant Engineering

The Director, Plant Engineering and Control Systems Support leads and oversees the technical teams responsible for sustaining and enhancing manufacturing operations through day-to-day troubleshooting, process improvements, and Management of Change (MOC) activities. This role encompasses stewardship of a broad range of assets, including fixed and rotating equipment, instrumentation, power systems, electrical infrastructure, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).

Key responsibilities include the engineering and execution of Small Capital Projects, as well as the strategic management and development of the Mechanical, Electrical, Civil engineering teams, and analyst talent pipeline at the Kingsport site.

The Director provides visionary leadership and strategic direction to the Plant Engineering and Control Systems organization, fostering team growth and capability development. They ensure alignment with Worldwide Engineering and Construction (WWEC) and Tennessee Operations (TNO) Manufacturing objectives, driving operational excellence and long-term sustainability.

Team Leadership - Lead the Plant Engineering and Control Systems Support team, fostering a strong safety culture, promoting positive team development, and empowering the team to effectively support ongoing operations and drive key strategic initiatives.Lead, develop, inspire, and mentor the Plant Engineering team, including ensuring appropriate goal setting and career planning.

• Foster the growth and development of early career Mechanical/Electrical/Civil engineers by providing mentorship, guidance, and clear work direction to prepare them for key technical roles across the plant.
• Provide management for Co-op and intern assignments, mentorship, and experiences as part of Eastman's overall technical recruiting strategy.
• Continual development/improvement of Mechanical/Electrical/Civil onboarding programs to ensure adoption of Eastman standard, safe designs, industry knowledge, and personal safety

Strategic Leadership - Develops and aligns strategic direction with Corporate, WWEC, and Manufacturing goals including budgets, staffing levels, required skills and work processes, tools, and Key Initiatives to drive continual improvements and efficiencies.

Tactical Leadership-

• Ensure teams are equipped to execute MOCs, process and safety improvements, troubleshooting/technical advisement and engineered solutions for manufacturing fixed and rotating equipment, instrumentation, electrical, DCS, PLC, and other assets (software, tools, training, staffing, evolving skill sets, metrics, management dashboards, etc.)
• Provide process and structure to deliver small capital project scoping, estimating, engineering and follow through until successful startup while delivering safe designs and meeting accuracy, timeline and cost targets.
• Ensure development and maintenance of DCS - PLC Obsolescence Heat Maps and track indicators of "remaining life" in order to propose asset replacement and capital upgrades for 1, 3 & 5 year asset management plans.

• 15+ years of engineering experience, including experience in industrial manufacturing and/or oil and gas, required.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering required.
• Comprehensive knowledge of plant engineering, industrial manufacturing, maintenance, and facility systems.
• Experience leading and developing direct line large teams, including the ability to inspire and motivate team members, required.
• Proven track record of driving results, particularly in the areas of maintenance, site engineering, reliability, asset integrity, etc.
• Ability to understand, summarize, and communicate complex topics in accessible and clear terms.
• Proven experience in process improvement with a track record of successfully driving efficient and quality enhancements in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and work cross-functionally in a complex / matrixed environment, including operation, maintenance, EHS, contractors, Technology, etc.
• Experience leading and managing large-scale change initiatives, driving cross-functional collaboration to successfully implement process improvements and organizational transformations.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills.