Lead Process & Design Engineer

Michael Page Australia; City of Brisbane; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Job summary

Michael Page Australia is seeking an experienced Design Engineering Leader for a South East Brisbane based renewables organisation. You will own the process design basis and lead development of a commercial-scale plant, supervising a skilled engineering team and engaging with EPC contractors.

You will drive safety in design, oversee HAZOP/HAZID activities, and shape the technology roadmap while ensuring regulatory compliance and high-quality deliverables.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in design, mechanical/electrical or chemical engineering within process industries.
• Owned the process design basis and led development of a commercial-scale plant design.
• Pilot-to-commercial scale-up experience with a design basis or package built and commissioned.
• Hands-on plant fluency across demonstration to full-scale plants.
• Experience managing external engineering consultancies and interfacing with EPC contractors.
• HAZOP/HAZID participation with a strong safety-in-design mindset.
• Based in greater Brisbane; right to work in Australia; valid Australian driver's licence.

Responsibilities

• Own the process design basis and lead development of our commercial-scale reference plant - PFDs, heat and mass balances, P&IDs, equipment specification.
• Direct and develop our process engineering team and embed operating knowledge into design.
• Lead safety in design - HAZID/HAZOP participation and close-out of actions.
• Establish performance and acceptance basis for client-facing plant guarantees.
• Support client feasibility studies and plant projects with our technical sales team.
• Contribute to the longer-term technology roadmap as the company grows.
• Lead the design and development of engineering solutions and systems.
• Conduct technical reviews and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Analyse and resolve design challenges to achieve project objectives.
• Support mentoring and development of junior engineers.
• Maintain thorough documentation of design processes and project outcomes.

Skills

Design engineering leadership

Process design basis

HAZOP/HAZID

Pilot to scale-up

Team mentoring

EPC liaison

Regulatory compliance

Hands-on plant fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Mechanical/Design Engineering

Tools

PFDs & P&IDs

Job description

• South East Brisbane based role. Perm Opportunity with strong career progression.
• Own the Design Engineering function of an exciting renewables organisation.

About Our Client

Our client is an engineering driven clean tech company that converts bio-waste into valuable products such as fuel and fertilizer pellets, helping industries reduce waste, emissions, and disposal costs.

Job Description

Key responsibilities

• Own the process design basis and lead development of our commercial-scale reference plant - PFDs, heat and mass balances, P&IDs, equipment specification, control and operating philosophy.
• Direct and develop our process engineering team, and embed decades of operating knowledge into the design.
• Lead safety in design - HAZID/HAZOP participation and close-out of process actions.
• Establish the performance and acceptance basis for client-facing plant guarantees.
• Support client feasibility studies and plant projects together with our technical sales team.
• Contribute to the longer-term technology roadmap as the company grows.
• Lead the design and development of engineering solutions and systems.
• Conduct technical reviews and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Analyse and resolve design challenges to achieve project objectives.
• Support the mentoring and development of junior engineers.
• Maintain thorough documentation of design processes and project outcomes.

The Successful Applicant

Must have

• 15+ years in design, mechanical/electrical or chemical engineering within process industries (waste, bioenergy, water, food, minerals, chemicals or similar).
• Must have owned the process design basis and lead development of a commercial-scale plant design
• Demonstrated pilot-to-commercial scale-up experience - you have owned or been a lead author of a design basis or process design package that was subsequently built and commissioned.
• Hands-on plant fluency - as comfortable on the tools at a demonstration plant as defending a heat and mass balance in a design review.
• Experience specifying and managing external engineering consultancies and/or interfacing with EPC contractors.
• HAZOP/HAZID participation experience and a strong safety-in-design mindset.
• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical or Design Engineering (or equivalent).
• Based in, or willing to work predominantly from, greater Brisbane; the right to work in Australia; current Australian driver's licence.

Good to have

• RPEQ registration (Queensland) or eligibility.
• FOAK industrial design experience
• Drying, dewatering, densification/pelletising, sludge or organic-waste processing experience.
• Experience in a technology licensor, OEM or scale-up environment.
• HAZOP facilitation; capital cost estimating (AACE class 3-4).

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary ranging from $170,000 to $180,000 AUD base + super + bonus.
• Equity in the company as part of the package.
• Permanent position.