Distillation & Utilities Operator

Location: Georgetown, South Carolina
Pay Range: $24.00–$32.00 per hour, based on experience
Schedule: Rotating swing shifts consisting of 8- or 12-hour shifts. Applicants must be available to work days, evenings, overnights, weekends, and weekend overnights as scheduled.

Position Overview

We are seeking a safety-focused Distillation & Utilities Operator to support solvent recovery and chemical manufacturing operations at our Georgetown facility. This position operates distillation systems, manages plant utility equipment, and monitors environmental-control systems, including the thermal oxidizer (TOX), ground flare, and related solvent-recovery equipment.

The ideal candidate will have industrial process experience, strong mechanical aptitude, and the ability to safely monitor and adjust multiple operating systems.

What You’ll Do

• Operate distillation units used to recover solvents from chemical manufacturing processes. 
• Connect feed, product, and sludge tanks and adjust heat supplied by plant boilers to maintain safe and efficient operation. 
• Operate and monitor three distillation columns and associated process equipment. 
• Charge and discharge pot stills according to batch requirements and product specifications. 
• Monitor plant utilities, including steam and condensate, cooling water, chilled water, nitrogen, process water, air dryers, and compressors. 
• Operate and monitor environmental-control equipment, including the thermal oxidizer, ground flare, steam stripper, and cryogenic condenser. 
• Monitor temperatures, pressures, flow rates, tank levels, and other process conditions, making operating adjustments when necessary. 
• Complete hourly operating logs, batch sheets, logbooks, and other required production records. 
• Collect representative liquid samples from process operations for testing. 
• Enter work orders into the company’s ERP system and coordinate equipment repairs with the Maintenance Department. 
• Perform basic mechanical tasks, including breaking piping or process lines apart, installing gaskets or packing, bolting flanges, and using common hand tools. 
• Follow established procedures for safe work permits, hot work, line breaks, lockout/tagout, and confined-space entry. 
• Identify and report equipment problems, process deviations, environmental concerns, and unsafe conditions.

What We’re Looking For

• Previous experience in chemical manufacturing, distillation, solvent recovery, plant utilities, wastewater treatment, refining, or a similar industrial process environment. 
• General knowledge of pumps, valves, heat exchangers, condensers, rupture discs, pressure-relief devices, and other common process equipment. 
• Ability to read gauges, follow operating procedures, maintain accurate records, and respond appropriately to changing process conditions. 
• Mechanical aptitude and the ability to safely use basic hand tools. 
• Strong commitment to workplace safety, environmental compliance, and established operating procedures. 
• Ability to communicate and coordinate effectively with Production, Maintenance, Environmental, and other plant departments. 
• Ability to work rotating days, evenings, overnight shifts, weekends, and holidays as scheduled. 

Preferred Experience

• Hands-on experience operating distillation columns or solvent-recovery systems. 
• Experience with thermal oxidizers, flares, steam strippers, cryogenic condensers, or wastewater-treatment systems. 
• Familiarity with industrial utility systems, including steam, cooling water, chilled water, nitrogen, and compressed air. 
• Experience using an ERP or maintenance-management system such as JD Edwards, SAP, or Oracle. 
• Experience working under safe work permit, hot work, line-break, lockout/tagout, and confined-space-entry procedures.