Chemical Process Engineer – Process Design and Scale-up

Kinaltek Pty Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Collaborative team environment

Pioneering technology projects

Job summary

Kinaltek Pty Ltd is seeking a scale-up process design engineer to drive FEED and CAPEX-ready scope across solid-state chemistry, thermal processing and hydrometallurgy.

You will bridge R&D and external stakeholders, translate lab results into engineering docs, and coordinate with consultants, OEMs and regulators to deliver on time and budget.

Qualifications

• Chemical engineer with frontline design and project engineering for scale-up of new technologies.
• Experience translating lab results into FEED requirements and CAPEX-ready plans.
• Experience with EPC projects or large engineering consultancies across full lifecycle.
• Strong knowledge of process safety and risk management, including HAZOP.
• Ability to engage with OEMs/vendors and regulatory bodies.

Responsibilities

• Analyze lab- and pilot-scale processes to create Material & Energy Balances, P&IDs, and Process Narratives.
• Evaluate design options based on process risk and OH&S best practices.
• Perform Techno-Economic Analysis comparing design options based on cost and ROI.
• Communicate technical and financial trade-offs to stakeholders.
• Source and manage vendors within budgets and timelines.
• Act as R&D bridge to ensure necessary experimentation and estimates for robust engineering docs.
• Own preliminary PFD and M&E Balance; identify missing data.
• Lead Front-End Engineering Study with internal and external teams to prepare for EPC.
• Coordinate with engineers, consultants, and equipment suppliers for procurement and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Chemical engineering

Process safety

Risk management

HAZOP

Front-End Engineering Design

Project engineering

Scale-up experience

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Autonomy

Education

Chemical Engineering degree

Job description

Join a trailblazing team shaping the future of advanced materials and chemical innovation

About Kinaltek:

Kinaltek is a technology company specialising in development and production of metallic, alloy and inorganic powders for applications in energy storage, catalysis and advanced manufacturing. We have an established portfolio of intellectual property proven within active physical pilots. There are multiple ongoing projects in the pipeline, including a joint venture with PCBL India (Nanovace) anda biomass-derived active anode material (AAM) pilot, which this position will mostly support.

About you:

You are a creative, hands-on chemical engineer with a background in front-end engineering design and project engineering for scale-up of new technologies. You may have had a start in academic research, corporate R&D or NPD but must have ventured out beyond the lab to design and manage proof-of-concept plants producing physical materials. Alternatively, you may have had experience with a large engineering consultancy (EPC) across full project lifecycle along with a stint in manufacturing / production. You have a sound understanding of process safety including some exposure to risk management and HAZOP studies.

Most of all you are autonomous, comfortable with uncertainty, rapid design iterations and finding technical solutions both from first principles as well as by applying engineering standards and engaging with prospective OEMs to suit project requirements.

About the position:

As the scale-up process design engineer, you will operate across the full process engineering project lifecycle. You will start from supporting R&D engineers in generating relevant findings, to translating those results into actionable FEED requirements all the way through to project engineering and CAPEX execution. We work at the intersection of Advanced Materials & Chemical Processing, with this position being focused on scaling up a mix of solid-state chemistry, thermal processing (biomass and inorganic powders), as well as hydrometallurgy / wet leaching unit operations. You will need to act as a bridge between the R&D team and external stakeholders such as consultants, OEMs/vendors and regulatory bodies to help deliver scale-up execution on time and on budget.

Key Responsibilities:

• Inputs for Front-End Engineering Design: Analyse lab- and pilot- scale processes to create preliminary Material & Energy Balances, Process Flow Diagrams, P&IDs, Process Control Philosophies, Process Narratives and Equipment Specification Datasheets.
• Risk Management: Evaluating design options based on process risk and best practices in OH&S.
• Techno-Economic Analysis: Comparing design options based on cost, ROI, and process risk.
• Stakeholder Communication: Ability to communicate technical/financial trade-offs firmly to stakeholders.
• Vendor & Procurement Management: Sourcing and managing partners and vendors within agreed budgets and timelines.
• Gap analysis and iterative development: Not all of the necessary engineering data is always there – you will act as a R&D bridge and have a say in the ongoing R&D program to ensure that all necessary experimentation and estimates are provided to create a robust engineering documentation package for further project execution.

As part of the role, you will:

• Work alongside our R&D engineers and scientists to understand the technology, how the process works and what is needed to scale it up.
• Own the preliminary Process Flow Diagram and Material and Energy Balance. Determine where process data or technical information is missing, and work with the team or outside specialists to fill those gaps.
• Bring together our engineers, consultants and equipment suppliers to prepare initial equipment datasheets, obtain budget pricing, and work through procurement and regulatory requirements.
• Manage the Front-End Engineering Study with support from the internal team and external consultants, and get the project ready to move into the EPC and delivery stages.
• Tertiary qualifications in Chemical Engineering or related disciplines
• 5-10 years of experience in chemical engineering, preferably a blend of R&D/NPD, Process Design and Project Engineering.
• Prior scale-up experience.
• Able to draft and analyse standard process engineering documents, including BFD, PFD & P&IDs with meticulous attention to detail and presentation.
• Basic knowledge of inorganic & physical chemistry for translation of lab-scale data into Material & Energy Balances.
• Prior experience with selecting relevant engineering standards, empirical rules and optimal materials of construction for sizing and selecting process equipment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills; Prior experience with diverse and multi-national workforce highly advantageous.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage a broad range of collaborators and stakeholders.
• Ability to coach and be coached in a cross-functional team.
• Full work rights in Australia are essential. We are unable to offer skilled visa sponsorship at this point.

What We Offer:

• An immediate start and remuneration package commensurate with your experience and the impact of your work.
• A collaborative, entrepreneurial environment that values curiosity, initiative, and innovation.
• The opportunity to work on pioneering technologies that have genuine industrial and commercial potential.