Senior Process Engineer

Company Overview : Plastics have become indispensable for nearly every major industry, but conventional plastics impose an unsustainable burden on the environment. Plastic production currently accounts for 8% of global oil and gas use and nearly 5% of GHG emissions. More than 250 million tons of plastic waste accumulates annually, the vast majority of which will persist for centuries. ReSource’s proprietary technology will produce the first bioplastic that is made from truly sustainable feedstocks and outperforms incumbent materials without the environmental burden or health risks. We are commercializing an industrially scalable process for producing FDCA, which is a naturally occurring chemical that serves as a replacement for the petrochemical monomer PTA used to make polyesters such as PET. Polyester represents a >$100B industry, with applications spanning packaging, bottles, and fibers. Polyesters made using FDCA have superior gas barrier, thermal, and mechanical properties compared to the petrochemical incumbents, which translates into better performance with less material, including increased shelf life for perishable goods. They are also 100% recyclable and degrade much faster than conventional polyester if released into the environment. Beyond polyesters, FDCA is a platform molecule that can be used to make a wide range of other polymer and specialty chemicals. Past efforts to commercialize such products have been hampered by the high complexity and cost of the manufacturing pathways chosen to make FDCA, all of which use edible sugars as raw materials. In contrast, ReSource produces FDCA from CO2 and inedible biomass and removes two thirds of the conventional process steps, resulting in dramatically reduced production cost that enable rapid scale-up and high-volume applications. Bioplastics made using ReSource FDCA have the potential to eliminate >250 Mton yr–1 GHG emissions.

The company is in Oakland, CA and was founded on technology developed at Stanford University. Backed by leading investors including Khosla Ventures, Fathom Fund, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, we are currently preparing to commence pilot and demo-scale production. To date, ReSource has raised >$25M, including nearly $9M in R&D grants from the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.

Position Overview: We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated chemical engineer to join the team. The ideal candidate is an innovative thinker with a passion for problem-solving and an ability to drive the development of robust chemical processes. The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Scale-up and optimization of key chemical process steps.
• Delivering products to partners and customers on schedule.
• Conducting engineering studies and preparing design packages.
• Developing process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) for key reactors.
• Designing and evaluating system configurations for heat transport and water/steam handling.
• Supporting component specification and procurement for pumps, valves, instrumentation, mixing tanks, and heat exchangers.
• Support lab instrumentation commissioning and data collection activities for process validation.
• Creating clear and concise technical documents and reports.
• Contributing to process hazard assessments (PHAs) and mitigation.
  
  

Qualifications And Skills

• BS or higher degree in Chemical Engineering or related field with >5 years of industry experience.
• Experience in designing or analyzing thermal-fluid systems such as coolant loops, heat exchangers, or pressure vessels is required.
• Experience with AutoCAD, Bluebeam, or similar software for drafting is required.
• Experience with PLC-based automation (Rockwell, Siemens, etc.) is required.
• Experience configuring user interface and HMI screens is required.
• Experience configuring DDC, PLC and/or DCS control algorithms is required.
• Experience configuring networks to interface with equipment is required
• Must have experience designing control panels: design and implement controls upgrades.
• Prior experience in installing and troubleshooting motor controls, VFDs, and Soft-Starts is required.
• The ability to manually lift, carry, and move heavy raw materials to and from mixing vessels, weighing 50 pounds or more.
• The ability to perform strenuous tasks require frequent moving of heavy mixing vessels, process pumps, and process hoses.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Ability to work efficiently both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong documentation, analytical, and project management skills.
• Demonstrated mentoring, team collaboration, and leadership abilities.
• Prior chemical process scale-up experience will be highly preferred.