Chemical Engineer

Job Title

The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation's biggest energy and environmental challenges.

The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy's goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage.

Due to the nature of this work, this position is onsite in Richland, WA.

Designs, develops, and operates processes or unit operations to create a diverse range of products. Evaluates and manipulates the chemical properties of various substances used in the fabrication of new products. Designs, models evaluates, and implements chemical processes, instrumentation, and equipment to ensure effectiveness in engineering and design. Performs trials, tests, and/or experiments to support engineering, production, and/or R&D activities. Applies the principles of chemistry, nuclear science, biology, physics, material science, math, and engineering to solve problems that involve the production, use or conversion of chemicals, materials, and energy.

Uses the principles of biology and the tools of engineering to mimic biological systems to create products or to modify and control biological systems so that they can replace, augment, sustain, or control chemical and mechanical processes.

• Conduct research and development in hydrothermal liquefaction and related hydrothermal processes, including hydrothermal carbonization, wet air oxidation, and supercritical water oxidation.
• Design, operate, modify, and troubleshoot continuous-flow, high-pressure, high-temperature systems processing slurries and solids-containing feed stocks.
• Investigate fouling, plugging, solids deposition, particle settling, and flow-instability mechanisms in feed systems, reactors, heat exchangers, and pressure-control components.
• Apply rheology, slurry transport, multiphase flow, heat transfer, and reaction engineering principles to understand process behavior and define reliable operating windows.
• Develop and evaluate fouling-mitigation strategies involving feed conditioning, pumping and mixing, equipment geometry, operating conditions, materials, and cleaning or flushing approaches.
• Design experiments and diagnostics to measure pressure drop, viscosity, particle behavior, solids transport, deposition rates, and other indicators of process performance.
• Characterize feed stocks, products, and deposited materials to connect physical and chemical properties with fouling and system operability.
• Develop engineering models and correlations that support process optimization, equipment design, and scale-up from laboratory to pilot systems.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams on system design, process integration, techno-economic analysis, and pilot-scale demonstrations.
• Communicate results through sponsor deliverables, technical reports, conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and proposal development.
• Maintain a strong commitment to safe operation of high-pressure systems and complex laboratory equipment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA and 2 years of relevant experience
  -OR-
• MS/MA
  -OR-
• PhD

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, materials science, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience designing, operating, or troubleshooting continuous-flow or recirculating process systems; experience limited primarily to batch reactors is not sufficient.
• Expertise in one or more of the following: rheology, slurry transport, multiphase flow, fouling, plugging, solids deposition, particle transport, or flow assurance.
• Experience with hydrothermal liquefaction, hydrothermal carbonization, wet air oxidation, supercritical water oxidation, or another high-pressure continuous-flow process.
• Experience processing high-solids, heterogeneous,…