Lead Process Engineer

Pelleton Operations Pty Ltd; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration package

Short-term incentive (STI)

Employee Participation Plan (EPP)

Job summary

Pelleton Renewables is seeking a Lead Process Engineer to steer the process engineering team and own the quality of engineering delivered to customers and EPC partners. You will set standards, guide scale-up from demonstration to commercial plants, and ensure designs meet expectations.

You will act as the senior technical contact, translate client needs into clear deliverables, and drive capability growth within Pelleton's engineering group while staying current with HSE standards and AI-enabled

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Process Engineering or related field.
• 8–12+ years of process engineering experience.
• 2–4 years leading engineers or engineering packages.
• Experience with EPC/EPCM partners and delivering design packages.
• Experience in waste management, resource recovery, bioenergy, water, food, minerals, chemicals or related process industries.
• Working knowledge of process simulation, P&ID/CAD and data analysis tools.
• Strong understanding of HSE standards and process safety.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication.
• Willingness to be hands-on in a demo plant environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the process engineering team and set priorities.
• Own the process engineering deliverables for customer projects.
• Oversee design basis, heat and mass balances, PFDs, P&IDs, datasheets, line lists and operating philosophies.
• Be the senior technical point of contact for customers and EPC partners.
• Lead scale-up of Pelleton's hybrid drying and pelletisation technology to commercial plants.
• Translate lab results into reliable feasibility statements, design inputs, and test protocols.
• Set engineering standards, documentation, change management and AI data usage policies.
• Collaborate on scope, feasibility, CAPEX/OPEX and risk with project leadership.

Skills

Team leadership

Process engineering

Process simulation

P&ID/CAD

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Process Engineering

RPEQ or CPEng eligibility

Tools

P&ID/CAD

Process simulation software

Data analysis tools

Job description

As Lead Process Engineer, you lead Pelleton's process engineering team and own the quality of the engineering we deliver to customers and EPC partners — from feasibility and design basis through front-end engineering design to commissioning and performance testing of commercial plants. You are the senior engineering voice in front of customers, you set the standards the team works to, and you guide the scale-up of our hybrid drying and pelletisation technology from the demonstration plant to commercial plants.

This is a leadership role with a technical core: you do not need to produce every drawing yourself, but you know what a good design package looks like, what customers and EPC engineers will ask, and how to get it delivered. Success in this role means customer projects that move confidently from feasibility to implementation, design deliverables that customers and EPC partners trust, and an engineering team that grows in capability and independence.

Key responsibilities

Lead the process engineering team – currently a small team: set priorities, coach, review work and build a team that delivers on time.

Own the process engineering deliverables for customer projects – produced by the team, reviewed by you and approved by Pelleton's Design Authority:

Design basis and feedstock envelope; heat and mass balances; process simulation; equipment sizing; process scale-up; utilities; and integration into customer sites.

Design criteria, PFDs, P&IDs, process calculations, equipment and instrument datasheets, line lists, control narratives and operating philosophies.

Be the senior technical point of contact for customers and EPC partners during demonstrations, feasibility studies, design reviews, commissioning and performance testing – translating what customers expect into clear engineering deliverables.

Lead the scale-up of the hybrid drying and pelletisation technology from demonstration to commercial plants, including technology choices, equipment and supplier selection, and lessons learned from each project.

Turn demonstration-plant and laboratory results into reliable feasibility statements, design inputs and performance-test protocols, working with the Process Engineer who runs the plant day to day.

Set engineering standards and ways of working: documentation and drawing standards, design reviews, management of change, process safety (HAZOP, risk assessments) and the use of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools within Pelleton's IP rules.

Work with the Technical Project Development Lead on project scope, feasibility, CAPEX/OPEX inputs and technical risk, and with the Global Technical Director on technology development and R&D priorities.

Grow into the technical leadership of Pelleton's engineering organisation, taking over more responsibilities as the business scales.

Stay up to date with relevant regulations and standards and understand their effect on customer projects and the end-use of Pelleton products.

About you

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Process Engineering or related field; RPEQ or CPEng (or eligibility to register) preferred

8-12+ years of process engineering experience, including at least 2–4 years leading engineers or engineering packages

Proven track record of delivering process design packages from concept and FEED through to plants that were built and commissioned

Experience on the owner's, technology provider's or licensor's side of projects delivered by EPC/EPCM partners – you know what customers and EPC engineers expect from a design package

Experience in waste management, resource recovery, bioenergy, water, food, minerals, chemicals or another process industry; drying, dewatering, pelletising, sludge or organic-waste processing experience is desirable.

Working knowledge of process simulation, P&ID/CAD and data analysis tools – enough to review, guide and step in when needed

Strong understanding of HSE standards, process safety and risk assessments

Credibility with customers and senior stakeholders; able to hold a technical position and explain it clearly

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

Willingness to be hands-on in a demo plant environment — including wearing PPE and working around machinery.

About us

Pelleton Renewables is a Swiss clean tech company and a leader in biomass and bio-waste management technology. Our proprietary, patented chemical desiccation process breaks away from conventional heating, filtering and centrifugal water removal methods — achieving around 80% volume reduction with 82% less energy and 34% lower CO₂ than thermal drying, and converting waste streams into valuable pellet products. The technology is proven at our fully automated demonstration plant in Yatala, Queensland, and we are now moving to our first commercial plants, delivered with EPC partners.

A leadership role in a unique and rapidly growing clean technology company.

A clear path to lead Pelleton's technical organisation as the company grows.

Direct exposure to the latest state of the art technology in the clean tech space

Opportunity to contribute to meaningful climate and sustainability outcomes.

Flexible, entrepreneurial, fun and collaborative working environment.

Competitive remuneration package, short-term incentive, EPP (Employee Participation Plan) and career development opportunities.

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