Chemical Engineer 4

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments called Directorates, each focused on a specific area of scientific research or function. The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s energy and environmental challenges, supporting the Department of Energy (DOE) in modernizing the power grid, advancing renewable energy and efficiency technologies, and addressing complex issues in nuclear science and environmental management.

The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates real-world solutions aligned with DOE’s goals for national energy security. We develop technologies in energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production, employing a systems perspective that spans discovery, technology development, scale-up, and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Lead research in slurry processing, rheology, particle transport, and flow assurance, applying expertise from industries such as mining, mineral processing, food processing, pulp and paper, or wastewater treatment.
• Apply fundamental and applied knowledge of slurry behavior to improve feed handling, pumping, mixing, heat transfer, solids transport, fouling mitigation, and reliable operation of continuous-flow process systems.
• Design, develop, and operate processes or unit operations to create diverse products, evaluating and manipulating chemical properties of substances.
• Design, model, evaluate, and implement chemical processes, instrumentation, and equipment to ensure effectiveness in engineering and design.
• Perform trials, tests, and experiments to support engineering, production, and R&D activities.
• Apply principles of chemistry, nuclear science, biology, physics, material science, math, and engineering to solve problems involving production, use, or conversion of chemicals, materials, and energy.
• Use biological principles and engineering tools to mimic or modify biological systems for product development or process control.
• Lead R&D focused on slurry processing, particle-laden flow, rheology, fouling, deposition, plugging, and flow assurance in continuous-flow systems.
• Design and execute experiments using flow loops, pumps, mixers, piping, heat exchangers, valves, and other continuous-flow equipment.
• Apply experimental methods, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and engineering analysis to understand slurry transport, particle settling, solids suspension, pressure drop, mixing, heat transfer, and fouling.
• Develop and validate CFD models, mechanistic models, engineering correlations, and scale-up methodologies for particle-laden and non-Newtonian flow systems.
• Use modeling to identify regions of poor mixing, low velocity, recirculation, particle accumulation, erosion, deposition, and plugging within process equipment.
• Integrate model predictions with rheological measurements and flow-system data to guide design, operating conditions, and fouling-mitigation strategies.
• Translate experimental and modeling results into actionable recommendations for process operation, equipment modification, and scale-up.
• Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary teams addressing fluid mechanics, materials handling, heat transfer, process control, and equipment design.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA and 7+ years of relevant experience, or
• MS/MA and 5+ years of relevant experience, or
• PhD with 3+ years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, mining engineering, mineral processing, food engineering, fluid mechanics, rheology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated research expertise in slurry processing, rheology, particle-laden flow, multiphase flow, fouling, or flow assurance.
• Hands-on experience with continuous-flow systems processing solids-containing, concentrated, heterogeneous, or non-Newtonian materials.
• Experience applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to slurry transport, multiphase flow, particle-laden flow, mixing, heat transfer, fouling, deposition, erosion, or equipment design.
• Experience with CFD tools such as ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, COMSOL Multiphysics, STAR-CCM+, or comparable platforms.
• Knowledge of modeling approaches for non-Newtonian fluids and particle-containing systems (e.g., Eulerian–Eulerian, Eulerian–Lagrangian, discrete phase, population balance, or discrete element methods).
• Ability to develop, validate, and interpret CFD models using experimental or operational data.
• Experience measuring and interpreting rheological properties and incorporating them into flow models and equipment-design decisions.
• Experience with slurry pumping, pipeline transport, solids suspension, particle settling, mixing, heat transfer, or flow through complex equipment geometries.
• Experience investigating fouling, deposition, agglomeration, plugging, erosion, or wear in continuous-flow equipment.
• Ability to design, construct, modify, operate, or troubleshoot experimental flow systems or flow loops.
• Ability to connect fundamental fluid and particle behavior with practical equipment performance, operability, and process reliability.
• Direct experience with continuous-flow slurry systems is strongly preferred; experience limited to batch systems does not meet the needs of this position.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families.
• Robust telehealth care options and mental health benefits.
• Free wellness coaching and health savings/flexible spending accounts.
• Basic life insurance and disability insurance.
• Employee assistance program and business travel insurance.
• Tuition assistance, relocation support, and backup childcare.
• Legal benefits.
• Flexible work schedules.

PNNL is located in eastern Washington State, known for its outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The campus is a 45-minute flight or ~3-hour drive from Seattle or Portland, serviced by the PSC airport with connections to 8 major hubs.