Chemical Process Engineer

Calcarea is seeking a highly skilled and creative Chemical Process Engineer to play a central role in designing our first commercial products as we successfully derisk our pilot systems. This individual will collaborate closely with the CTO, founders, external parties, and the rest of the technical team to translate pilot data and technical development into robust, commercial-scale real-world implementation.

Responsibilities will include:

• leading the development of Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) for our core systems and new chemical processes;
• generating detailed Bills of Materials (BOMs) and conducting rigorous cost and techno-economic analyses to optimize commercial designs;
• translating pilot-scale operational data into scalable, first-of-a-kind commercial product architecture;
• providing engineering support for the setup, testing, and commissioning of these new chemical processing operations, including deploying at sea for a few legs of our vessel-based pilot program.

This role requires a creative, analytical mind excited by the transition from R&D to commercialization. It is meant for a process engineering expert who thrives on designing novel physical systems from the ground up, is willing to execute hands-on work in the field and at sea, and wants to grow within the organization as we scale our technology.

This position is a full-time in-person role based in Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA with a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

• Degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, or a related technical discipline with 3+ years of direct industry experience.
• Extensive expertise in developing Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), and detailed Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Strong capability in conducting process cost analyses, techno-economic assessments, and reactor design optimization.
• Track record of successfully translating novel chemical processes from pilot to commercial scale.
• Experience with process simulation software and translating complex operational data into actionable engineering designs.
• Ability and willingness to go to sea for a few legs of our maritime pilot program, living and working onboard a commercial vessel to support operations, commissioning, and system validation.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced startup environments with evolving priorities and limited structure.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with a proven ability to think creatively to solve first-of-a-kind engineering challenges.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to support site visits, shore-based integration, and system validation alongside the required ship-board deployments.
• Experience in maritime systems, pilot plants, industrial equipment, process systems, or first-of-a-kind hardware deployments is highly beneficial.
• Practical, execution-oriented mindset with a strong bias toward action and problem solving.

Calcarea is at the forefront of decarbonizing the global economy, starting with the shipping industry. Our mission is to leverage Accelerated Weathering of Limestone (AWL) to safely and permanently sequester CO2 in the ocean as bicarbonate ions. We have developed an innovative system to apply AWL technology directly on ships, and over time, we also aim to develop a new category of vessel specifically designed around large-scale onboard carbon conversion.