Chemical Process Engineer

Metal Processing And Refining Systems Engineer

Our client is a startup developing new metal processing and refining systems using furnaces and molten-metal chemistry. The company operates at demonstration scale from a 40,000-square-foot industrial facility in Charleston, where a multidisciplinary team is building and scaling its first commercial processes.

Requirements:

• Degree in Chemical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience demonstrating strong process engineering capability.
• Approximately 3 to 8 years of process engineering experience; backgrounds in metals, mining, refining, heavy industry, or oil and gas are especially relevant.
• Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, reaction engineering, separations, mass and energy balances, process modeling, and equipment sizing.
• Systems-level mindset with the ability to own a process end to end, from first-principles design and flowsheet development through commissioning, operation, and continuous improvement.
• Experience selecting and integrating unit operations into a coherent process; furnace, molten-metal, pyrometallurgy, copper, or other non-ferrous metals experience is a strong plus.
• Hands-on commissioning and troubleshooting experience, with a willingness to work directly on the plant floor and take ownership of performance, reliability, output, and product quality.
• Ability to analyze process data and improve yield, throughput, impurity management, process stability, and control strategies.
• Comfort operating with incomplete information, moving quickly, and solving problems across disciplines in an unstructured startup environment.
• Ability to work closely with mechanical and controls engineers, vendors, contractors, and outside technical resources; familiarity with instrumentation, process controls, automation, or AI-enabled optimization is a plus.
• Demonstrated leadership potential, clear communication, sound judgment, and a high level of personal ownership.

Charleston offers a distinctive coastal setting with a strong restaurant and cultural scene, historic neighborhoods, and easy access to beaches and outdoor recreation. The region also has a growing advanced-manufacturing base and an international airport serving the broader area.