The Requirements
To be a good fit for the Chemist opportunity, you will have:- Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry or equivalent combination of education and experience required, some experience preferred
- Knowledgeable with modern analytical instrumentation, including gas chromatography required.
- Chemist experience in a refinery laboratory preferred.
- Thorough knowledge of petroleum products.
- Knowledge of the ASTM methods used for petroleum testing desired.
- Must be proficient with MS Office Suite software.
- Strong analytical and mathematical skills
Physical requirements:
- Ability to walk, stand, bend, reach – fully use the laboratory
- Ability to lift up to 25 pounds, and on occasion more
- 20/40 vision (with or without corrective lenses), hearing ability
- Willingness to wear safety equipment (e.g. safety glasses, earplugs, steel-toed boots, hard hat), as required
The Role
Role OverviewReporting to the Lab Manager, you will part of a six person in the lab that runs 24/7/365, including a Laboratory Technician and four other technicians who worked their way up in the company and into the lab. We run two twelve hour shifts -- 6 to 6, which rotate. You will participate in all lab testing, including specialized testing such as government fuel and the Quality Assurance Program.
Role Details
On a daily basis, you will assists the Laboratory Manager in the supervision of the laboratory staff and operations as well as assist in developing and maintaining the Quality Assurance programs. More specifically, you will:
- Ensure all equipment is calibrated and maintained.
- Assist the tech services group on projects above and beyond the scope of the lab technicians.
- Assist in laboratory operation and management.
- Represent the laboratory manager in their absence.
- Analyze control charts to verify that instruments are in control.
- Prepare samples for shipping.
- Organize and complete studies, and report the findings.
- Develop, perform, train and audit other technicians on new test methods as needed to support the refinery operation.
- Perform initial troubleshooting of instruments and coordinator repairs, if needed.
- Ensure laboratory equipment and solutions are properly maintained.
- Develop and administer maintenance and calibration procedures.
- Ensure that calibration and maintenance programs are adhered to as required by military contracts.
More Good Reasons
Employee Value PropositionPar Pacific is a growing energy company that provides more opportunity and career growth potential because of our ambition, entrepreneurial mindset, our premier market position, and our integrated business systems.
Working at Par Pacific is different. Because Par is a smaller energy company, employees have the opportunity to make a great impact on the business and to influence decisions. People truly have amazing careers at Par because they are exposed to all areas of the company and are connected to many of the industry experts.
Unique culture
There is nothing ordinary about Par Pacific – an unorthodox niche player in the energy space that drives operations from production-to-delivery. And there’s certainly nothing ordinary about Par Pacific people. If you’re at Par, you’re a driven, creative-thinking, hardworking, entrepreneur-minded professional that loves to win. If that describes you, you'll fit right in!
Opportunistic growth strategy
At Par Pacific, we look for operations with strong fundamentals and great employees who can move a business forward. Our management team has deep experience in the energy industry, as well as in leading mergers, acquisitions and integrations of newly acquired companies.
Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive compensation, we offer comprehensive benefits that include medical and dental insurance; life and AD&D insurance; retirement savings plans; employee assistance programs; and more. In addition, we provide safety glasses, Nomex flame resistant coveralls, earplugs, gloves, steel toe shoes, hard hats and respirators as needed.
Keys to Success
This is a busy and challenging role but with the right person at the helm, we know that the talent and tools are available to make a good thing even better. For example, though the team has a number of long-tenured members, they are still learning and have the capacity to continue to grow. Cross training will also be critical so that more than one person is responsible for areas such as jet fuel testing, and deadlinesYou'll need to be a strong leader and communicator, set clear goals and understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team and its members. You'll also be challenged to effectively manage deadlines and priorities. Ideally, you'll spend approximately 40% of your time doing hands-on work and 60% on management. It will, however, take strong leadership to be able to reduce your hands-on responsibility.
In addition, to be an outstanding Lab Manager, you will:
- Make good decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and judgment, without considering how much time a solution takes.
- Earn credibility through your skill and strong decision making so that others seek your advice.
- Clearly and comfortably delegate both routine and important tasks and decisions; broadly share both responsibility and accountability.
- Maintain high expectations and trust team members to perform.
- Effectively and efficiently manage your time concentrating on important priorities. Your expertise should allow you to get more done in a shorter amount of time than team members and cover a broader range of activities, as required.
About Newcastle
Western Gateway to the Black HillsBecause Par Pacific is located in some of the most beautiful places throughout the country, our employees get to make these places their home and enrich their lives. You'll work in Newcastle, the county seat of Weston County, which offers the neighborly culture you'd expect in a small town. We're proud of our great schools, low cost of living, and even lower cost of housing. The downtown historic district is listed with the National Registry of Historic Places, and it helps preserve the Western culture that residents love.
If you love the outdoor life, there aren't too many places to beat Newcastle. The town sits between Black Hills National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland. And you don't have to go that far to get into the wild. Outdoor recreation includes fishing, golf, hiking and camping, caves and cave tours, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, rock and ice climbing, and more.
There are great walking trails that encompass historic sites as well as wildlife viewing. There's a beautiful new aquatic center (indoors, of course), seasonal rodeos, museums and more here in town. If you don't mind driving a bit, you can make a day trip to see Mt. Rushmore or the Crazy Horse Memorial, or view dinosaur fossils at the Museum at Black Hills Institute. Just about any direction you head, there are scenic highways and byways.
Newcastle restaurants range from a good old-fashioned diner to Italian to steakhouses. There's plenty of music to be heard, from the Black Hills symphony in Rapid City to the Black Hills Bluegrass festival in Strugs.
Pictured: Newcastle's historic Main Street, as well as a shot of open country on the outskirts.