Steven James has over 25 years of experience in chemical engineering, project management, and quality control. He has expertise in areas such as capital project management, process engineering, environmental technologies, risk analysis, and quality assurance. He aims to leverage skills in areas like computer programming, CAD, process simulation, and instrumentation towards improving process efficiency and quality control.
1. STEVEN E. JAMES, P.E., C.P.E., P.M.P.
6825 DeSoto Avenue, #9
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(858) 335-5932
4stevejames@gmail.com
CAPABILITIES SUMMARY
• Capital Project Management, Estimates, Budgeting, Computer Applications: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft
Scheduling, and Coordination Access, Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Outlook,
• Process Engineering, Material and Energy Balances, AutoCAD, Autosketch, CADWorx P&ID, ChemCad, MathCAD,
Equipment/Piping Specification PhotoShop, and others
• Environmental Technologies
• Computer Programming: Fortran, BASIC, Pascal, C/C++
• Risk and Safety Analysis
(self-taught), and some assembler (self-taught)
• Wet Lab Analysis
• Field Testing and Equipment Troubleshooting
• Quality Control/Quality Assurance
• Hardware: IBM PC's/compatibles, Apple Macintosh, DEC
VAX's, DeltaV control networks, and some IBM mainframe
• Total Quality Management & Statistical Process Control
familiarity
• Computer Aided Design and Drafting
• Numerical Methods, Process Simulation & Modeling • Software Testing: Development of Test Plans and Testing
• DCS Systems, Instrumentation, & Data Acquisition Systems Methods, Performance Appraisals, Beta Testing and
• Process Control Theory Debugging
• Polymer Chemistry, Composites, & Related Technologies
• Software Documentation: Proposals, Requirements
• Cleanroom Technologies
Specifications, and Designs
• Ultrapure Water Systems
• Precision Cleaning Technologies • 4 yrs. Commercial Software Programming Experience
• Inspection Technologies
• Production Management
•
EXPERIENCE
Project Manager. Energy and Power Solutions, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA 3/09 to present
Project Manager. Independent Consultant, R.C. Costello & Assoc., Redondo Beach, CA 7/06 to 9/08
• Completed utilities capacity study for Chevron’s El Segundo refinery in advance of major $1 billion
refinery upgrade project. Successfully captured information for the study from the refinery’s control
system PI database. Successfully completed the report after the lead engineer quit the project.
• Completed upfront engineering and cost estimate for a 3.5 MMSCFD biogas plant for Microgy to be
located at a Texas dairy. The process would purify off-gas from anaerobic digesters in to marketable
natural gas, and would consist of an amine unit, a glycol drying unit, compressors, and biological
destruction of hydrogen sulfide.
• Served as local project coordinator for a large, state-of-the-art biodiesel project for Kreido Biofuels
• Investigated and implemented an online project file management system (Worksmart).
• Designed and implemented a custom MS Access database that interfaced with AutoCAD drawings.
o Database produced automated equipment lists, instrument lists, and drawing lists.
o Database also included queries that performed a variety of basic drawing checks such as
finding duplicate item tags.
• Project Manager for the upfront engineering and cost estimate for 6 biogas plants employing
pressure swing adsorption and caustic scrubbers for the purification of the gas stream. Developed
improved ChemCAD models that modeled both material balances and process hydraulics.
• Authored a comprehensive report surveying current biomass gasification technology.
Contract Project Engineer. Capita Tech. at Baxter Bioscience, Thousand Oaks, CA 1/06 to 4/06
• Commissioned a refrigerated product truck used for transporting finished product.
• Support of facility shutdown projects for formal facility shutdown.
2. • Project management of modifications to existing reverse osmosis skid to improve CIP process.
• Development of exhaust duct improvements for liquid nitrogen flash freezing for lyophilization.
• Taught a younger project manager how to effectively use Microsoft Project.
Project Engineer. Independent Consultant at Alberto-Culver, Chatsworth, CA 1/05 to 1/06
• Scope development and conceptual design of a relocated & upgraded Clean-Out-Of-Place parts
washing area for cosmetics manufacturing facility.
• Scope development and conceptual design of modifications to the wastewater treatment process to
make it operate more robustly. Created P&ID for system using AutoCAD.
• Scope development and project management of installation of a new 150 gpm pH Adjustment
System. Got system installed and operational within 60 days of management request.
• Technical input for a new $2 million purified water system.
• Resolved pumping issues with product totes costing over $10K each in repairs with a $300 part.
Project Engineer. Independent Consultant, R.C. Costello & Assoc., Redondo Beach, CA 10/04 to 1/05
• Prepared feasibility study of petroleum waste disposal upgrades for major refinery.
• Scaled-up the design of a 7 column distillation train and batch reactor for a manufacturer of
water treatment chemicals. Used ChemCAD process simulator to facilitate rapid design changes.
Project Manager. Aerotek Staffing at New England Controls, Mansfield, MA 10/03 to 5/04
• Managed execution of various Emerson DeltaV DCS system implementations for biopharma clients.
o Created resource-loaded Microsoft Project schedules that were used for tracking progress.
o Interfaced with clients, ran meetings, and prepared status reports.
o Prepared detailed project financial projections to track estimated costs at completion.
• Redesigned and reimplemented major MS Access databases used for commissioning.
Temporary Process Engineer. Kelly Engineering at Cabot, Inc., Haverhill, MA 6/03 to 10/03
• Provided key insights to the cause of leaking product drums. Implemented solution I developed.
• Authored user documentation of recipes for new DeltaV DCS system implementation.
• Provided periodic analysis of batch historian data for troubleshooting production issues.
Contract Project Engineer. Kelly Engineering at Millipore, Inc., Billerica, MA 12/02 to 2/03
• Successfully completed the redesign of 9 chromatography systems 2 weeks prior to the due date.
Senior Chemical Engineer. EarthTech, Inc. at Pharmacia, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI 11/99 to 5/02
• Managed the design and implementation of $1.3M of Clean-In-Place upgrades to eight pilot
plant work centers from start to finish.
• Completed a detailed estimate, process model, process design, and process validation of a $600K
sulfuric acid distribution system upgrade.
• Completed the process design of a $700K product unloading facility in Puerto Rico.
• Specified and used an ultrasonic flowmeter to complete an operating parameter characterization of
an industrial rotary dryer.
• Designed and coordinated the replacement of a lab water distribution system.
• Coordinated the completion of detailed estimates to upgrade jacket service, condenser service, and
instrumentation for a glass lined reactor.
• Completed a detailed cost estimate and process design for a $75K header extension for a liquid
nitrogen distribution system.
• Designed and implemented an award-winning Microsoft Access database to replace EarthTech's
outdated spreadsheet timesheet system and streamline the time reporting process. Was awarded
EarthTech’s Eagle Award for my leadership and initiative in this endeavor.
3. Senior Process Engineer. Fru-Con Engineering, Inc., Loveland, Ohio 12/97 to 4/99
• Served as Fru-Con's Project Engineer for a glycerin plant expansion project for a northern Ohio
client using vacuum distillation, wiped-film evaporation, multi-pass condensers, and a steam-jet
vacuum system.
o Investigated and specified optimal transportation of equipment modules to site.
o Completed material balance for entire project.
o Sized all lines, spray nozzles, and pumps. Verified the use of existing pumps as acceptable.
o Correctly identified the lack of a vent on a head tank (added near the end of the design cycle)
that would prevent proper system functioning.
o Correctly identified the need for a safety relief valve in the design.
• Stepped in as a Fru-Con cleanroom consultant for a semiconductor client and restored faith in Fru-
Con's ability to make a cleanroom addition functional. Reduced airborne particulate levels to meet
client requirements within one day of my arrival at the client's plant.
• Successfully worked as both Project Environmental Engineer and Process Engineer for a multi-
firm consortium working on a half billion dollar paper plant construction project.
o Served as environmental consultant for entire project to ensure all appropriate regulations
were addressed in the design. Signed off on all project P&IDs for environmental protection.
Worked closely with client environmental engineers.
o Specified and reviewed spill protection measures for the entire project.
o Completed a Global Spill Protection study to verify adequate spill protection across the entire
project.
o Assisted in completion of process design of utilities in Fru-Con scope work. Assisted in
completion of material balances and PFD's.
o Managed and reviewed the specification of all specialty items in Fru-Con scope.
Process Engineer. Borden Chemical, Inc., Woodlawn, Ohio 3/96 to 12/97
• Supervised the production of fiber optic coatings while the normal production supervisor was on
vacation.
• Designed and managed the implementation of a new production line for the fiber optic coatings
production plant. My improved design cut heating water usage by 50%.
• Developed the preventative maintenance program for fiber optic coatings in order to meet ISO
9000 requirements
• Developed the production planning approach for fiber optic coatings production; planned and
initiated raw materials purchases for each month of production
• Developed a test method for determining how effectively pigments are wetted out in ink dispersions
Identified and eliminated a source of coating contamination in the compressed air supply by
implementing a new desiccant dryer system.
• Re-wrote over 15 manufacturing procedures to eliminate product and process dependencies
Process Engineer. Crysteco, Inc., Wilmington, Ohio 7/93 to 2/96
• Developed and implemented new processes and procedures for cleaning and inspection of silicon
wafers
• Played an instrumental role in the specification and design of a new 1 million dollar state-of-the-
art ultrapure water system--defined project scope and functional specs.
• Led new employee orientations in hazardous chemical handling and safe lifting practices
• Developed and implemented improvements to Product Engineering's work order development
process that resulted in a 50% reduction in preparation time
• Developed and implemented data acquisition software to expedite cleanroom particle measurements
which reduced data processing time by 75%
• Designed and implemented a modification to inspection lighting systems that reduced emitted
airborne particles by 99%
• Identified and corrected a weakness in the sanitization procedure for the ultrapure water system
4. which resulted in cutting the downtime requirement by 36%
• Proved that static charge buildup on wafers is a key factor in particulate contamination; implemented
equipment that reduced particulate contamination losses by 25%
• Designed and implemented the incoming inspection program for cleaning chemicals in order to
meet ISO 9000 requirements
• Effectively used Kepner-Tregoe Decision Analysis techniques to select and implement shipping
cassette equipment from a new vendor which helped cut downtime by 20%
5. STEVEN E. JAMES (cont'd.)
EXPERIENCE (cont'd.)
Process Engineer. Hexcel Corporation, Lancaster, Ohio 8/92 to 3/93
Process Engineer. Corp. Staffing Resources at MTM Chemicals, Inc., Cols., OH 1/92 to 3/92
Engineering Associate. Primatech Inc., Columbus, Ohio 8/90 to 11/91
EDUCATION
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 1989
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Kepner-Tregoe Analytic Troubleshooting Zanger-Miller Frontline Leadership
SkillPath Managing Multiple Projects Toastmasters(CTM, Sergeant-At-Arms)
Landmark Education: Self-Expression and Leadership Program, Communication Program,
Team Management & Leadership Program I/II (Team Coach, also)
ISPE San Diego Process Systems & Piping Course
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
A.I.Ch.E. Member since 1989 P.M.I. Member since 2003
I.S.P.E. Member since 2001
REGISTRATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS
Year Registered/
Description Designation Organization Certified
Registered Professional Engineer PE State of Ohio 1997
Registered Professional Engineer PE State of Michigan 2002
Certified Plant Engineer CPE Association of Facilities Engineers 2002
Project Management Professional PMP Project Management Institute 2002
PORTFOLIO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
WILLING TO TRAVEL