Ultra-Pure Water (UPW) Engineer

Position Overview

We are seeking a motivated Ultra-Pure Water (UPW) Engineer to support the performance, reliability, and advancement of critical water purification systems within a high-purity manufacturing environment. This individual will play a key role in ensuring a consistent supply of ultra-pure water that meets demanding operational and product-quality requirements while supporting system optimization, troubleshooting, and future expansion initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

UPW System Engineering & Optimization

• Develop, evaluate, and improve ultra-pure water treatment systems to achieve required quality standards for manufacturing operations.
• Support the design and implementation of treatment technologies such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange, ultrafiltration, UV treatment, and related purification processes.
• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency, capacity, reliability, and overall system performance.

Operations Support & Reliability

• Monitor daily performance of water treatment equipment and distribution systems to maintain dependable operation.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance efforts and assist in diagnosing and resolving operational issues.
• Work with maintenance and production teams to minimize downtime and improve system reliability.

Water Quality Management

• Track and evaluate critical water quality indicators, including resistivity, TOC, microbial activity, particle counts, and other process-specific parameters.
• Maintain monitoring programs and support continuous compliance with internal and industry quality requirements.
• Investigate deviations in water quality and implement corrective actions when necessary.

Performance Analysis & Reporting

• Collect, interpret, and trend operational data to identify optimization opportunities and potential system risks.
• Develop reports, presentations, and performance summaries for internal stakeholders.
• Utilize data-driven analysis to support decision-making and long-term planning.

Project Execution

• Participate in capital and improvement projects involving UPW infrastructure, system upgrades, and capacity expansions.
• Coordinate activities with vendors, contractors, engineering teams, and site personnel.
• Support project schedules, budgeting activities, equipment selection, and commissioning efforts.

Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure water treatment operations comply with applicable regulatory, environmental, and safety requirements.
• Maintain technical documentation, operating procedures, and system records.
• Assist during inspections, audits, and regulatory reviews.

Continuous Improvement

• Research emerging technologies and best practices related to high-purity water treatment.
• Recommend process improvements that enhance reliability, quality, sustainability, and cost effectiveness.
• Contribute to operational excellence initiatives across the organization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with process engineers, manufacturing personnel, maintenance teams, and quality groups to support production objectives.
• Provide technical guidance and training related to UPW system operations and performance.
• Serve as a key subject matter resource for water treatment processes and equipment.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Advanced degree preferred but not required.

Experience

• 3+ years of experience supporting, operating, or optimizing ultra-pure water systems within semiconductor, specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, microelectronics, or other high-purity manufacturing environments.
• Experience with water treatment technologies including reverse osmosis, deionization, UV treatment, membrane systems, and filtration processes.
• Familiarity with water quality monitoring equipment, instrumentation, and process control systems.

Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of automated process controls, SCADA systems, PLC-based monitoring platforms, or similar operational tools.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to interpret technical data and translate findings into actionable improvements.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Professional Attributes

• Comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across engineering, operations, maintenance, and quality teams.

Preferred Certifications

• Industry certifications related to water treatment or process operations are considered a plus.

Work Environment & Travel

• Position may require periodic travel to manufacturing and production facilities.
• Ability to work in controlled manufacturing environments that require compliance with contamination-control and safety protocols.
• Occasional work around treatment equipment, process piping, chemical handling systems, and pressurized water infrastructure.
• Must be able to perform routine site walks, stand for extended periods, and safely work within an industrial setting.
• Travel expectations are generally limited and anticipated to be less than 15%.