Operations Project Manager

Praxair, Inc. is a leading industrial gas company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. Praxair produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Our products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, primary metals and many others. For more information about the company, please visit our website at www.praxair.com.

Praxair Distribution, Inc. is seeking an Operations Project Manager for our US operations.

The Operations Project Manager is a key national resource with a focus on safety, productivity, and compliance. This individual provides operations and engineering knowledge, along with the project execution skills to identify and implement best practices. Primary focus will include plant productivity programs, new process start-ups, process improvement, along with day to day operations support. The Operations Project Manager leads internal capital & productivity projects, based at various manufacturing sites. This role reports to the Senior Project Manager, while interfacing with PDI Safety, Engineering, and Productivity managers, as well as Global Teams of Experts (TOE) groups.

Operations Project Manager

• Collaborative and proactive attitude towards safety and productivity improvements
• Identifies opportunities for standardization and creates opportunities for sharing best practices.
• Design and develop project plans (new systems, upgrades, efficiency improvements, and maintenance projects) and execute the plans, using available resources, while maintaining strong timeline and cost controls to achieve safety, quality, and business requirements
• Perform and/or support the design of gas systems, including development of Process Flow Diagrams, P&IDs, BOM’s, etc.
• Manage capital project budgets, up to $1,000,000.00 US
• Provide expertise and ensure compliance to applicable building, electrical, and fire prevention codes, as well as alignment to industry standards (e.g. CGA, ISO).
• Supervise contractors and vendors complying with all Linde plc Golden Rule and appropriate safety requirements
• Support safety and compliance with all applicable internal and external standards (internal Praxair standards, FDA, Federal, State, & local regulations for the division)
• Responsibility for the transfer projects from the Engineering Phase to Operations. Including completion of project specific documentation, including installation drawings, SOP’s, risk assessment/HAZOPs, PSSR/commissioning procedures, customer presentations/progress reports, turnover manual, Lessons Learned/project close-out reports, etc.
• Manage assigned projects, involving multiple team members, where opportunities for improvement exist in efficiency, capacities, safety, yield, etc.
• Coordinates operations and project work with corporate functions including logistics, engineering, human resources, and finance
• Provide engineering and operational support to the field, including the production, manufacturing, analytical, and cylinder preparation departments.

Specific personal goals will include:

• Develop and lead at least two PEAK staffing models per quarter
• Coordinate equipment upgrades to improve safety, compliance & productivity
• Assist regions with acquisitions, plant consolidations & incident investigations
• Support work on full automation of small medical filling at a pilot site
• Work on the automation matrix goals of:
  • 100% Draeger Tube Rationalization/Horriba System
  • 100% Liquid shut-off Systems
  • >75% Pump Protection Systems
  • At least 25 sites with 3k/4.5/6K Capability >6 cylinders/hour
  • At least 40 sites with Helium compression of 5,000cfh
  • >60% of sites with automated High Pressure Filling
• Manages Productivity, Lean & Six Sigma Initiatives, working directly with region Productivity management team
• Other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience required
• Experience in Engineering or operations management environment, with experience working with compressed gases being highly desired
• Minimum of 1-year previous project management experience, preferably in industrial gases and/or cryogenics
• Experience with process equipment; P&IDs, process piping, pressure vessels, instrumentation controls, and process safety reviews (HAZOPS)
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong written & verbal communication skills, with proficiency in MS Office products
• Experience with AutoCAD, PLC programming and HMI interfacing is preferred
• Ability to travel a minimum of 50%

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other reason prohibited by applicable law.

SDL2017