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| Careers - Meet our People |
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"My fondest memories of working at Ashland all have to do with people - the times spent with great friends I've made along the way."
Katie
Process Engineer
Composite Polymers
Neville Island, Pa.
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Day in the Life
The most rewarding part of being a process engineer is knowing that I have an impact on how the
plant and, therefore, the company performs. This ranges from providing input on safety and
environmental issues and my day-to-day responsibilities of assisting in plant operations to
supporting Lean Six Sigma™ initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency of our operations.
My main responsibility as a process engineer is to ensure the plant is operating as it should
on a daily basis. I troubleshoot problems, develop methods to prevent them from recurring and
ensure all work is safely completed.
The biggest challenge I'm facing right now has to do with our company's increased focus on operating
efficiencies, while maintaining and/or continuing to improve our high safety and environmental
standards. I must deal with the frustrations that come with changing how work was performed in
the past. With all the pain that comes with this sort of transformation, however, the progress
we've made is rewarding, especially when employee buy-in occurs.
Frankly, there is no such thing as a typical day for me. A workweek may range from 50 to 60 hours,
depending on any issues that may arise. Travel is minimal, but does include training and visiting
other plant locations - including a trip to China I took as part of a start-up team. A process engineer
may interact with employees in every other part of the plant on a daily basis, as well as at other plants
and our corporate office.
I first came to Ashland as a co-op student, where I was exposed to several business and operating groups.
It was then I realized the number of opportunities available in a company this size. In my first full-time
position, I was responsible for environmental, health and safety; capital projects; Lean Six Sigma™ and
maintenance at the plant level.
A potential candidate for the process engineer position should recognize the diverse number of opportunities
available within Ashland. This position has afforded me exposure - at least broadly - to almost every
area of the plant's operations and more technically in certain areas. This provides a good base for
future career moves down the road.
It is essential for anyone interested in a career as a process engineer - or any other position at Ashland
- to be able to recognize where change is needed and to be willing to push it. Ashland is a great company,
but there are always opportunities to improve how we operate.
™ Lean Six Sigma is a method for delivering products and services with speed, customer satisfaction
and lower cost through operations excellence. It is a service mark of George Group Consulting, L.P. The George Group Incorporated.
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