Lead Process Engineer

Sustaera has an immediate opening for a Lead Process Engineer. This position plays a key role in leading the development of current and future work. This role will primarily focus on process design, modeling, equipment selection, and scale-up of our air contactor system. The role will expand to lead a team of process technologists with management responsibilities as the company grows. Competitive salaries based on experience and equity pool available for high performance.

Sustaera is a carbon removal technology developer in Research Triangle Park (Raleigh-Durham area), North Carolina, developing and deploying a novel solution for Direct Air Capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide from the air. Sustaera is a spin-out of Susteon, a climate tech company focused on H2, carbon capture, and carbon utilization and has been backed by Department of Energy grant funding. Sustaera has already signed up multiple customers for carbon removal service. Sustaera has funding support from leading climate tech investors that include Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Grantham Foundation's Neglected Climate Opportunities Fund. Sustaera is rapidly hiring to support the already committed scale-up activities for 2023 and onwards.

Sustaera an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As a condition of employment, Sustaera will inquire about COVID-19 vaccination status, and in the event that vaccinations and masking are mandated at a work location (including client/partner locations and Sustaera locations) we expect all candidates to comply with these required safety protocols. Please note that as of March 7, 2022, Sustaera will require all staff to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work at Sustaera locations. Candidates or employees who cannot get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons may be eligible for an accommodation, and should notify the hiring manager upon applying if they wish to request accommodation. Requests for accommodation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

 

Requirements
BS or MS in Chemical Engineering preferably with 10 years of industrial experience. Work on-site at Cary, North Carolina Headquarters required.

Desired Technical Skills

  • Lead process engineer from conceptual design through on-site start-up on industrial scale unit or facility including process modeling, equipment sizing, equipment selection, equipment purchasing, and fabrication

  • Experience with process design and/or operation of cyclic chemical absorption or physical adsorption systems (PSA, TSA, VSA)

  • Experience with creating and optimizing process simulations using modeling software such as AspenPlus, Aspen HYSYS, ChemCAD, or similar

  • Experience with system scale-up from pilot to industrial scale

  • Experience with equipment design, selection, and costing (pressure vessel, valves, piping, packed bed reactors and/or adsorption systems, rotating equipment)

Job Responsibilities

  • Lead development of process designs for new pilot, demonstration, and commercial units for the company

  • Lead creation of process flow diagrams (PFDs), heat and material balances (H&MB), and process specifications across the company

  • Perform Techno-economic analysis (TEA) on new units

  • Support preparation of invention disclosures and patent applications

  • Support laboratory/pilot plant testing for the ongoing projects

  • Conceptualize new ideas and perform techno-economic feasibility analyses

  • Support preparation of research proposals

  • Collaborate with other engineers including mechanical, materials, electrical, etc

Desired Soft Skills

  • Strong aptitude for learning new skills

  • Project management with multiple stakeholders and partners

  • Strong technical/business writing skills

  • Ability to effectively work with clients

  • Strong safety focus

  • Creative problem solving and lateral thinking ability

  • Ability to work in a team environment with a “can-do” attitude

  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills

  • A passion for climate change!

If interested, please reach out.