Senior Process Engineer

We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on process engineering leader to drive technical excellence, field execution, and project delivery across modular systems, separations, and revamp projects. This role focuses on process design, plant optimization, and field-based debottlenecking, with a strong emphasis on ethanol, refining, and industrial process systems.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership
  • Serve as senior technical authority on:
    • Distillation & separations
    • Heat integration / preheat trains
    • Tower internals and mass transfer equipment
  • Lead development of:
    • Process simulations (Aspen, Pro/II, ChemCAD)
    • PFDs / P&IDs / heat & material balances
    • Equipment design and datasheets
  • Provide expert guidance on revamps, debottlenecking, and grassroots design.
  • Ensure engineering solutions are practical, cost-effective, and constructible.
• Field Site Assessment & Ethanol Plant Optimization (Core Requirement)
  • Lead and personally execute on-site field assessments at ethanol production facilities.
  • Collect and validate real-time operating data, including:
    • Pressure profiles
    • Temperature surveys
    • Flow rates and compositions
  • Perform unit-level diagnostics across:
    • Distillation systems (beer column, rectifier, side strippers)
    • Dehydration systems (molecular sieves)
    • Evaporation systems (multi-effect evaporators, syrup concentration)
  • Conduct plant walkdowns and operator interviews to understand true operating conditions.
  • Develop baseline simulation models calibrated with field data.
  • Identify and quantify:
    • Hydraulic bottlenecks
    • Heat transfer limitations
    • Control and operability issues
  • Generate actionable debottlenecking solutions, including:
    • Tower internals upgrades
    • Heat integration improvements
    • Equipment modifications or revamps
  • Translate findings into:
    • Process Design Packages (PDPs)
    • Revamp scopes and detailed engineering deliverables
  • Support implementation and startup to ensure measurable performance improvements.
• Project & Execution Oversight
  • Lead projects from concept through design, execution, and startup.
  • Ensure alignment between:
    • Engineering deliverables
    • Fabrication and installation
    • Field conditions and constraints
  • Serve as technical lead on key projects ($1MM–$10MM+).
  • Drive:
    • Technical quality
    • Schedule adherence
    • Scope clarity and risk mitigation
• Team Leadership & Capability Building
  • Lead and mentor a team of:
    • Process engineers
    • Design engineers
  • Build internal capabilities in:
    • Ethanol process systems
    • Field data collection and validation
    • Simulation-driven debottlenecking
  • Train engineers in:
    • Field troubleshooting techniques
    • Translating plant data into actionable engineering solutions
• Product & Engineering Development
  • Support development and refinement of:
    • Modular distillation systems
    • Separation and heat transfer solutions
    • Revamp and optimization methodologies
  • Standardize engineering approaches and tools for repeatable, high-quality execution.
  • Collaborate with fabrication and operations teams to improve design for manufacturability and installation.

Requirements

• Required
  • B.S. in Engineering
  • 15+ years experience in:
    • Process engineering (distillation/separations)
    • Plant operations support, revamps, or project engineering
  • Demonstrated hands-on field experience, including:
    • Pressure and temperature surveys
    • Real-time data collection and validation
    • On-site troubleshooting and test runs
  • Deep expertise in:
    • Distillation, fractionation, and mass transfer
    • Heat exchangers and thermal systems
    • Ethanol plant systems (distillation, dehydration, evaporation strongly preferred)
  • Proficiency in:
    • Process simulation tools (Aspen, PRO/II, ChemCAD)
    • Developing heat & material balances and equipment designs
• Preferred
  • B.S. in Chemical or Process Engineering
  • Direct experience with ethanol plant debottlenecking and optimization
  • Experience executing revamp projects driven by field data
  • Strong understanding of:
    • Tower internals and hydraulics
    • Heat integration and energy optimization
  • Ability to independently perform:
    • Site walkdowns
    • Data reconciliation and model validation
  • Experience with modular system design and implementation

Schedule

This position is remote and will require travel to ethanol plants for field visits (approximately 50%) and travel to RCM Thermal Kinetics headquarters in Buffalo, NY.