Job Description
Job Title: Senior Process Engineer (Hydrogenation & Scale-Up) Job Type: Permanent, Full-time Work Schedule: Remote with Occasional Travel Sector: Alternative Fuels, Specialty Chemicals Location: Remote within US, but preference for Chicago, IL, San Diego, CA, or Houston, TX Reporting to: Chief Manufacturing Officer NES Fircroft is a leading global technical recruitment company providing professional contract and permanent staff to a diverse world-wide client base within the energy industry. Our client, a a pioneering start-up with innovative biotechnology that will create a sustainable pathway for alternative fuels, has a permanent opportunity for a Senior Process Engineer (Hydrogenation & Scale-Up) to be based in Chicago, IL, San Diego, CA, or Houston, TX. Position Summary We are seeking an experienced Senior Process Engineer to lead the scale-up of a multi-step catalytic hydrogenation process from laboratory development through pilot-scale validation and into industrial deployment. This role will serve as a technical bridge between R&D and Manufacturing and will work extensively with external technology licensors, catalyst suppliers, and joint venture partners. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of translating lab-scale data into pilot and commercial designs, with strong expertise in catalytic hydrogenation, process modeling, and technoeconomic analysis for complex, multi-intermediate chemical systems. Key Responsibilities Process Development & Scale-Up • Lead the scale-up of hydrogenation processes from laboratory and pilot scale to full industrial production. • Develop process flow diagrams (PFDs), mass and energy balances, and detailed process models for multi-step hydrogenation systems. • Define operating conditions, reactor configurations, and process integration strategies across multiple hydrogenation steps and intermediates. • Identify, assess, and mitigate scale-up risks related to reaction kinetics, heat and mass transfer, catalyst performance, and process safety. Experimental Planning & Execution • Partner closely with internal R&D and Manufacturing teams to design and execute experimental programs for catalyst screening, process optimization, and scale-up validation. • Translate lab-scale and bench data into pilot-scale and commercial-scale design inputs. • Oversee pilot trials, analyze results, and iterate process designs based on experimental data and performance metrics. External Partner & Technology Management • Act as the technical lead interfacing with external technology licensors and industrial-scale catalyst suppliers. • Coordinate work across multiple external partners concurrently, where different technologies or catalysts may be employed across the end-to-end process. • Collaborate with partners to define pilot and commercial unit sizing, operating envelopes, and catalyst requirements. • Plan and execute catalyst testing campaigns at partner pilot facilities or third-party sites. • Lead technical evaluations and development activities conducted at joint venture partner facilities. Technoeconomic Analysis & Cost Modeling • Develop and maintain technoeconomic models to evaluate process performance, scale-up scenarios, and key cost drivers. • Estimate CAPEX and OPEX for pilot facilities and full commercial deployment, including reactors, hydrogen supply systems, utilities, and downstream operations. • Evaluate trade-offs between alternative catalysts, process configurations, and external partners from both technical and economic perspectives. • Support commercialization strategies, partner selection, and investment decisions through rigorous, data-driven analysis. Cross-Functional Collaboration • Partner with Manufacturing to ensure process designs are practical, safe, and operable at commercial scale. • Support process safety activities, including HAZOPs and risk assessments related to hydrogenation operations. • Contribute to long-term manufacturing, scale-up, and technology deployment roadmaps. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemical Engineering. • Demonstrated experience scaling catalytic chemical processes, preferably hydrogenation. • Experience developing process design packages (PDP), detailed design, FEED studies, HAZID/ HAZOPS, equipment data sheet specifications, etc. • Proficiency with process simulation tools (e.g., Aspen, gPROMS, or similar. • Experience designing and taking process models to design a Pilot unit. • Hands-on experience with pilot-scale operations and transition to commercial-scale systems. • Experience working with external technology licensors, catalyst suppliers, and/or joint venture partners. • Ability to manage multiple parallel development efforts across different process steps and stakeholders. • Strong quantitative skills, including technoeconomic modeling and cost estimation. • Experience operating in or supporting industrial chemical manufacturing environments is a plus. Desired Attributes: • Experience wor