Environmental Specialist

POSITION OVERVIEW

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of our customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution with five manufacturing facilities in the United States.

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented individual to be a part of our Environmental team at our Chocolate Bayou Plant located in Alvin, TX. The ideal candidate will be responsible for driving the site to best-in-class environmental performance primarily for the water and wastewater environmental programs.

This role requires an individual who possesses Environmental regulatory knowledge, permitting experience, technical expertise and continuous improvement leadership in operations. This individual should be solution-based and enjoy technical hands-on work, diverse cross-functional teams, and collaborating with site technical, operations and maintenance personnel concerning environmental related issues and improvements.

TARGETED OUTCOMES

• Achieve regulatory and corporate requirements, site and corporate procedure development, self-auditing and drive sustainable compliance
• Engage and interface with regulatory agencies, prepare required documentation and reports
• Review environmental regulations and determine applicability and strategic path forward
• Obtain all necessary Environmental permits to enable the site's growth projects to proceed as needed to meet its Business Plan
• Communicate environmental issues with Environmental team and Site Leadership
• Identify the key Environmental Risks for the site and cooperate with the Environmental team and Site Leadership to develop a multi-functional plan to address risks annually
• Network and work cross-functionally with Operating Units, Technology, Engineering, Maintenance and Training organizations and translate problems/solutions directly into the stakeholders' frame of reference, including the ability to influence without authority
• Develop and deliver environmental training

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively engage in site environmental issues, projects, and programs and drive continuous improvement in the areas of:
  • Drinking Water [disinfection, nitrification action plan, total coliform rule, groundwater rule, boil water notices, backflow prevention]
  • Wastewater [DMRs, biomonitoring, toxicity reduction evaluations, assist with wastewater treatment operations, management of sampling & testing]
  • Stormwater
  • Surface Water [water use survey, water conservation reports, and water reservoir and withdrawal]
  • Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90)/Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC)
  • Underground Storage Tanks (UST)/Aboveground Storage Tanks (AST)
  • Environmental emergency response management

• Obtain or renew environmental permits from regulatory agencies (EPA, TCEQ, GLO and USACE)
• Ensure the site's wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water regulatory requirements are completed in a timely manner. Maintain environmental compliance with all current Federal, State and local standards and understand future possible regulatory changes in EPA, TCEQ and Army Corps of Engineers legislation that may be impacted by environmental performance and minimize/mitigate risk
• Provide leadership on environmental incident and near miss prevention, root cause analysis and behavioral modification to drive a learning organization
• Drive continuous development of environmental knowledge and skills among employees onsite, along with implementation of systems and processes to drive efficiency and improved performance in environmental
• Troubleshooting and optimization of water and wastewater treatment systems
• Provide input annually to update the 5-year strategic plan and a focused current year plan for environmental issues
• Drive a sustainable culture of excellence in environmental by fostering leadership commitment, and the engagement of employees and contractors to take responsibility for themselves and others
• Ensure environmental processes are robust and strong across the site
• Maintain a favorable image with communities, regulatory agencies and other companies through active involvement with the TCEQ, EPA, TCC and associations with neighboring facilities
• Deal with agency inspections and enforcement actions
• Lead or participate in environmental audits at the plant and other Ascend plants

REPORTS TO

• Environmental Manager

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor of Science or higher degree in Engineering, Sciences or related technical discipline
• Minimum three years of relevant experience in water, wastewater, ESSH and/or Operations

DESIRED CERTIFICATION

• Certified Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator or ability to become certified within two years
• Certified Public Water Systems Operator or ability to become certified within two years
• Certified Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Knowledge/prior experience with Environmental regulations, permitting and developing/executing permitting strategies to provide site operations with flexibility
• Experience with wastewater treatment, drinking water/potable water treatment and stormwater management
• Proactive leadership and team building skills with the ability to work effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Change Management - experience in driving organizational change and accountability
• Working knowledge of Incident Analysis (Why-Tree and FMEA) tools
• Working knowledge of ACC's RCMS management system
• Solid interpersonal, influential, coaching, facilitation and organizational skills with excellent verbal and written communication capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple initiatives to successful completions
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering customer success
• Excellent computer skills are required, including sound proficiency with MS Office products

PREFERRED SKILLS

• Knowledge/prior experience with TaskTrakker (Environmental Compliance Scheduler), Visium KMS, and/or other Environmental Management Systems software utilized by Environmental professionals to maintain and track records for record keeping programs
• Assist other media compliance and other program activities as needed

At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.

Skills Summary:

About Us:

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution facilities across the globe and six manufacturing facilities globally. As a privately-held company, our people do big things and make big decisions, often much earlier in their careers than at larger companies. Ascend Performance Materials offers team members the opportunity to contribute in big, meaningful ways-all within a stable and growing business.

Why work at Ascend?

Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values.

We care. We operate safely with high integrity for our employees, our customers and our communities. Our people are our greatest assets, and our Total Rewards Program extends beyond traditional benefits to include access to on-site medical clinics at our U.S. facilities, a global wellness rewards program and Performance Matters, an employee-driven recognition plan. Our Commitment to Zero demonstrates our belief that is it possible to operate with zero personal injuries, zero process safety incidents and zero environmental releases. And the Ascend Cares Foundation, led by Ascend employees, supports Ascend families in times of need, provides inspiring opportunities for community engagement and facilitates community leadership.

Customer-focused. We exist for our customers; they drive our actions. Their success is our success. Our plastics and chemicals are building blocks that help make everyday essentials safer and more sustainable, and we constantly strive to develop new and innovative products to meet the future needs of our customers. And that customer focus doesn't only apply to the marketplace - it also applies to how we treat our colleagues and our fellow community members.

Better every day. We invest in our people and our processes to improve every day. A2E, our continuous improvement program, guides the way we do business. And this way of problem solving applies not only to our manufacturing practices but also to our commitment to developing our people. You'll see it during your career at Ascend in our leadership development, skills training and mentoring programs

Agile. We think broadly and lead proactively in a constantly evolving organization and industry. Agility doesn't mean simply working quickly - it means critical thinking, creative problem solving and novel approaches to everyday challenges.

One Ascend. All together, with a common set of goals and an eye toward the future. We don't accept silos. We look for ways to share across departments, sites and geography. This means you won't be boxed into a single role at Ascend - you could get the chance to work with teams across the globe to improve the way we serve our people, our customers and our communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.

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