Junior Chemical Engineer

Shape Your World

At Alcoa, you will become an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress.

The way we see it, every Alcoan is a work-shaper, team-shaper, idea-shaper & world-shaper.

We are seeking a Jr.

Chemical Engineer to join our breakthrough technologies team at Alcoa’s Technical Center, located in New Kensington, PA.

This professional will provide foundational chemical engineering support to technology development, plant support, and process improvement activities under close technical supervision.

This role is intended to build strong technical fundamentals, safe work practices, and business understanding through hands-on execution, analysis, and learning.

The Entry Engineer applies established engineering principles to well-scoped or moderately complex problems while developing judgment, independence, and technical depth.

About the Role:


* Apply core chemical engineering principles including mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and reaction fundamentals.


* Execute defined experiments, trials, test plans, or process changes following established procedures and review requirements.


* Analyze experimental, process, and operational data and document methods, results, and conclusions.


* Support troubleshooting of process deviations using standard analytical tools.


* Contribute to technical documentation, calculations, reports, and knowledge capture.


* Support laboratory, pilot, or plant activities in compliance with safety, quality, and environmental requirements.


* Collaborate with technicians, operators, engineers, and cross-functional partners including EHS and Operations.


* Demonstrate continuous learning and development of technical and business knowledge.


* Contributes as an individual technical team member.


* Works under close functional supervision with regular technical review.


* Build effective working relationships within assigned scope.


* May provide informal assistance to interns, co-ops, or technicians as directed.

Problem Complexity & Autonomy


* Solves well-scoped or moderately complex problems using established engineering methods.


* Follows standard procedures, specifications, and engineering practices.


* Escalates ambiguous, novel, or high-risk issues appropriately.


* Demonstrates increasing autonomy as experience and competence develop.

Process Lifecycle Involvement


* Supports defined portions of the process lifecycle including laboratory, pilot, plant support, optimization, or validation activities.


* Executes work within established scope and technical direction.


* Gains exposure to broader lifecycle phases through project participation.

What you can bring to this role:


* Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering (required).


* 0–3 years of engineering experience, including internships or co-op experience.


* Exposure to laboratory, pilot-scale, or m...