Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

Ascend Performance Materials is a global leader in high-performance chemicals, fibers and plastics, committed to enhancing quality of life through innovation. With fully integrated manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, we develop essential solutions that drive safer vehicles, cleaner energy, advanced medical devices, and durable consumer goods. Guided by a strong focus on safety, sustainability, and customer success, we operate responsibly while delivering value through cutting-edge technologies and industry expertise. Join our team and be part of a collaborative environment where your work drives meaningful global impact.

Ascend Performance Materials is seeking a dynamic Global APC Group Leader to direct a team of engineers in the design, implementation, and maintenance of advanced process control (APC) systems. This role is critical to driving operational excellence through improved energy efficiency, yield optimization, and capacity enhancement across our global manufacturing network.

TARGETED OUTCOMES

• Drive agile deployment of APC applications that deliver improvements in capacity and operating costs.
• Demonstrate visible leadership of a global group of skilled and experienced Advanced Process Control engineers.
• Ensure the APC group is adequately resourced both internal and external to accomplish aggressive bottom-line business goals.
• Support and influence control system modernization capital initiatives across Ascend’s manufacturing sites

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Ascend enterprise-wide APC program including internal and external benchmarking
• Maintain a robust pipeline of APC projects from opportunity identification through deployment and handover to operations.
• Define APC scope within control system modernization capital project design packages
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify and prioritize APC opportunities
• Develop and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor APC controller utilization and performance.
• Oversee APC infrastructure maintenance through software patches and version upgrades
• Partner with IT/OT professionals to maintain high availability and scalability for APC applications
• Stay up to date with industry best practices and technologies in APC
• Travel up to 15% to Ascend sites in Houston, TX, Decatur, AL, Pensacola, FL
• Alternate primary location in Pensacola, FL with travel to other sites.

TEAM

• Reports to: Director, Process Automation.
• Direct reports: Four APC engineers across three North America locations.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering preferred
• Minimum 7 years of related process control or advanced process control experience.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering bottom-line value with APC implementations in the chemical industry.
• Experience leading project teams.
• Proficiency developing scopes of work and managing third party engineering support services.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Strong understanding of Advanced Process Control concepts and techniques, such as advanced regulatory control (ratio, feed-forward, cascade), MPC, and inferential sensors.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Confident presenter in both in-person and virtual settings
• Ability to coordinate and lead APC projects across Ascend locations.

PREFERRED SKILLS

• 5+ years in a technical people leadership role.
• Active participation in industry groups such as ISA or Advanced Control and Optimization World User Group (ACOWUG).
• Hands on experience with:
  • Emerson DeltaV DCS
  • Emerson MIMIC
  • AspenTech APC Tools (DMC3 and GDOT)
  • Capstone Technology MACS products

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.