Senior Process Engineer

About the company

ChemFinity Technologies is building critical mineral recovery systems to produce over 30 minerals from waste and mining feedstocks at low cost, using proprietary, high-performance, high-durability sorbent filters. Up to a 6x increase in critical mineral demand may be expected by 2040 to meet supplies needed for clean energy, defense, manufacturing, and other technology sectors. However, 80% of U.S. critical minerals already come from foreign sources, and 7% of greenhouse gas emissions come from mining. The team’s mission is to produce these minerals in ways that are cheaper, cleaner, and more accessible than existing methods such as high-temperature smelting. Spun out of UC Berkeley in late 2022 and based in New York City, ChemFinity is backed by top-tier investor firms and over 10 top government and grant agencies, including Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the U.S. Department of Energy, ARPA-E, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ChemFinity has been recognized as top innovators in the critical minerals sector by the World Economic Forum, Forbes, Cleantech, and Conservation X Labs.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, commission, and validate pilot-scale process units of mineral recovery systems.
• Integrate process units together for continuous processing and recovery of critical minerals, ensuring high-purity products.
• Oversee the automation and controls of recovery system prototypes.
• Support the modeling of recovery systems to determine process variable sensitivities for pilot- and demo-scale systems.
• Work with external partners (e.g., suppliers, contractors, EPCs) to determine design requirements for various unit operations, help source materials and supplies for pilot plant operations, and identify design needs at larger scales.
• Prepare and manage comprehensive documentation, including flowsheets, equipment and process design criteria, technical reports, and standard operating procedures.
• Perform full-time hands-on work on-site at the Brooklyn facility.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in chemical engineering, mining engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or other closely related field.
• 5+ years of experience in building deployable pilot systems and/or industrial chemical separations technologies.
• Experience in programming systems automation and process controls.
• Experience in project management and successfully interfacing with external partners.
• Experience in planning scale-up processes based on materials, designs, and flowsheets.
• Hands-on experience in building, operating, and troubleshooting equipment.
• Unwavering commitment to high safety standards and supportive work behavior.

Preferred qualifications

• Prior experience in scaling up critical mineral recovery systems and/or sorbent technologies.
• Experience in scaling technologies in startups and/or from the lab to full-scale commercialization.
• Proficiency in process modeling software (e.g., AutoCAD, Aspen).
• Desire to be in a dynamic startup environment and proactively use critical thinking to solve difficult but impactful challenges.

Compensation and benefits

Salary range for this position is expected to be $100K–$150K. Compensation will be commensurate with experience level; the company is considering candidates from a range of experience levels and highly values fit with the team.

• Competitive compensation including equity options
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
• 401(k) benefits with company matching
• Flexible paid time off and holidays
• Health/fitness stipend
• Open, supportive, and diverse team focused on creating major impact