Sr Engineer; Hydrogenation & Scale

Job Type: Permanent, Full-time

Work Schedule: Hybrid, Flexible

Sector: Alternative Fuels, Specialty Chemicals

Location: 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 pioneering start-up with innovative biotechnology that will create a sustainable pathway for alternative fuels, has a permanent opportunity for a Senior Engineer (Process), Hydrogenation & Scale-Up to be based in Chicago, IL, San Diego, CA, or Houston, TX.

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
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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.

• 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.
• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience scaling catalytic chemical processes, preferably hydrogenation.
• Hands-on experience with pilot-scale operations and transition to commercial-scale systems.
• Engineering skills including but not limited to developing PDFs, P&IDs, and more.
• Strong understanding of reactor design, catalysis, and chemical process modeling.
• 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.
• Proficiency with process simulation tools (e.g., Aspen, gPROMS, or similar).
• Experience operating in or supporting industrial chemical manufacturing environments.

• Highly collaborative with the ability to work effectively across internal teams and external organizations.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, early-stage scale-up environments.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Willingness to travel to…