Job Description: FCC Technical Excellence Engineer – Digital Systems & Toolkits

Location: Houston, TX
Travel: ~25%
Department: FCC Technical Services / Global Catalysts
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

About the Role

Ketjen’s Global FCC business is expanding its digital capabilities to elevate the way we support customers across the entire lifecycle—from pre‑sales technical engagements and commercial bids to post‑sales unit monitoring and optimization. We are seeking an FCC Technical Excellence Engineer with strong digital affinity to lead the development and deployment of advanced digital systems and technical toolkits that empower our technical services, commercial, and regional teams to deliver differentiated, data‑driven solutions to customers worldwide.

This role is ideal for a chemical engineer who understands FCC operations and has a passion for data models, digital systems, and the integration of IT/OT workflows to drive value. The successful candidate will shape how Ketjen brings technical excellence to market through scalable and intelligent digital tools.

Key Responsibilities

Digital Systems & Tools Development

• Design, develop, and maintain digital platforms, toolkits, and analytical models that support FCC technical services and commercial activities.
• Build and enhance standardized FCC technical tools for:
  • Pre‑sales technical evaluations
  • Catalyst selection and optimization modeling
  • Technical bid development
  • Post‑sales unit monitoring and performance tracking
• Partner with IT and data engineering teams to ensure systems are robust, scalable, and secure.

FCC Technical Excellence & Support

• Provide expert technical input into FCC performance models, mass balance tools, kinetic models, and operational benchmarking methodologies.
• Collaborate with regional technical teams to translate FCC operational insights into actionable digital solutions.
• Ensure tools accurately reflect latest catalyst technologies, process trends, operating limits, and customer needs.

Customer Interface / Value Delivery

• Support commercial teams with high‑quality, data‑backed assessments during pre‑sales engagements.
• Enhance after‑sales customer experience by improving digital monitoring capabilities, reporting frameworks, and performance dashboards.
• Help define and implement digital workflows that deliver consistent, high‑value customer service globally.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with R&D, Technical Services, Commercial, and IT to integrate FCC domain knowledge with digital architectures.
• Lead training and onboarding of global teams to adopt new digital capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and standardize FCC data and technical processes globally.

Qualifications

Required

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering
• 3+ years of experience in refining, FCC operations, FCC catalyst technical support, or FCC process engineering
• Strong affinity for digital systems, data modeling, and data connectivity frameworks
• Understanding of refinery data sources (LIMS, DCS/PI, historian systems, unit test data)
• Ability to translate technical requirements into structured digital solutions
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and commercial functions

Preferred

• Experience in:
  • Building analytical or modeling tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Excel VBA)
  • Process simulation (e.g., Aspen, PetroSIM)
  • Data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI)
  • Digital transformation or IT/OT integration projects
• Exposure to FCC catalyst performance metrics and operational troubleshooting
• Familiarity with global technical service models in the refining sector

What Success Looks Like

• Creation of reliable, scalable digital systems that simplify and elevate FCC technical workflows
• Improved consistency and quality of pre‑sales technical and commercial deliverables
• Enhanced customer engagement through advanced monitoring and digital reporting
• Strong collaboration and adoption across global technical and commercial teams
• Measurable impact on service efficiency, customer satisfaction, and commercial differentiation

Why Join Ketjen

You’ll be at the forefront of transforming how FCC technical excellence is delivered across a global customer base. This role gives you the opportunity to combine FCC domain expertise with digital innovation to shape the next generation of refinery support tools. You’ll influence global teams, build high‑impact systems, and play a key role in strengthening Ketjen’s position as a leader in FCC solutions.