Lead Engineer

Sixone Labs; Burnaby; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Sixone Labs in Burnaby, BC, seeks a Lead Engineer to guide scalable recycling tech from R&D to industrial operation. You will lead mechanical, chemical, and process engineering teams, manage external tech transfer, and drive reliable commissioning. The role requires 10+ years in related sectors and a P.Eng or eligibility in BC. A competitive salary and benefits accompany the position.

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemical Engineering or Process Engineering; P.Eng in BC or EGBC eligibility.
• 10+ years in Petrochemical/Chemical/Plastics/Recycling industries.
• Experience with EPC processes, industrial scale-up, and technology transfer.
• 3+ years of people management, performance reviews, and team development.

Responsibilities

• Lead Process Scale-Up and engineering development; drive tech transfer to industrial-scale equipment.
• Oversee vendor/integrator management; finalize equipment design and SOPs.
• Direct commissioning, field execution, and initial production operations.

Skills

Cross-disciplinary

Project leadership

Pilot plant design

Problem solving

Team mentoring

Education

Bachelor's in Chemical/Process Eng

P.Eng in BC or EGBC eligible

Job description

Company Sixone’s mission is to enable a world where blended plastics products can be circularly recycled back into existing supply chains instead of being sent to landfill. Sixone is a leading technology startup company developing advanced recycling technologies for blended plastics and plastic based products. The technology applies process digitalization and advanced analytics to build a recycling system to enable efficient plastics recycling. Our goal is to revolutionize the economics of recycled materials through innovative processing and materials technologies.

About the Role

The Lead Engineer is a high-impact, dual-mandate role responsible for rapidly transforming Sixone's recycling technology from development into reliable, operational capacity. Reporting to the VP of Engineering, you will balance hands-on technical completion with project planning and people leadership. You will lead two distinct areas of focus:

• Engineering Development: Supporting a team of mechanical and process engineers to drive Process Scale-Up, lead external technology transfer, and finalize industrial equipment design.
• Operational Readiness: Directing commissioning, support production campaigns, and training teams for long-term operations.

Responsibilities

• Process Scale-Up & Engineering Development
• Technology Transfer: Lead the technical transfer of R&D processes and prototypes into industrial-scale equipment designs.
• Vendor & Design Management: Oversee equipment vendors and integrators. Drive the finalization of equipment design, support the creation and approval of BFDs, PFDs, stream tables, P&IDs, control logic, data sheets, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Technical Completion: Diligently complete, check and review the work, reports, and calculations of other engineers to ensure absolute technical accuracy.
• Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify and mitigate technical roadblocks across mechanical, chemical, and control subsystems.

Commissioning & Initial Production Operations

• Commissioning Leadership: Plan and oversee equipment installation, pre-commissioning, and full commissioning activities.
• Field Execution: Author comprehensive commissioning procedures, write technical reports, and manage initial startup production campaigns.
• Validation & Handoff: Oversee initial production runs to validate performance against R&D targets. Train internal or contractor teams to assume long-term operations.
• Team Building: Actively mentor, coach, and develop engineers as the department grows.
• People Management: Identify areas for development, including performance management, career pathing, and support annual appraisals.
• Collaborative Culture: Maintain an approachable, communicative presence. Walk the floor, engage in open dialogue with teammates, and provide respectful, clear direction.
• Planning & Scheduling: Own the end-to-end project schedule, budget, and resource allocation.
• Cross-functional Alignment: Act as the primary liaison between R&D, Operations and external partners.

Qualifications

• Education & Licensure
• Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Licensure: Licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in British Columbia, or eligible for immediate registration with Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC).

Required Skills

• Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: Possess strong professional exposure and a comprehensive understanding across mechanical, chemical, and process engineering domains.
• Overall Experience: 10+ years of engineering work experience, specifically within the Petrochemical, Chemical, Plastics, Recycling, Pulp & Paper or Carbon Capture industries.
• Knowledge and experience of the EPC process.
• Leadership Experience: 3+ years of people management experience (handling performance reviews, mentoring, and team integration).
• Technical Expertise: Strong background in pilot plant design & operations, commissioning procedures, creating process deliverables, data sheets, and report writing.
• Problem Solving: A hands‑on leader who understands the high‑level strategy but is willing to "jump in" to solve immediate engineering problems.
• Legal Eligibility: Legally entitled to work in Canada and eligible for cross-border travel to the USA.

Sixone offers a competitive salary, benefits package, and opportunities for career advancement.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.