Head of Solutions Design

Sulzer; Madrid; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global exposure to engineering teams

Professional development programs

Competitive compensation and benefits

Collaborative, innovative environment

Job summary

Sulzer is seeking a Head of Solutions Design to drive the development and standardization of water and wastewater solutions for municipal and industrial sectors. You will lead cross-functional teams spanning process engineering, design and laboratory functions to deliver scalable, market-ready solutions.

You will oversee pilot programs, validate designs, and define standard configurations while collaborating with product management, R&D and sales to accelerate growth and innovation in a global

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Process Engineering, Water Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Master’s degree in Water/Wastewater Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Business Management is an advantage.
• 10+ years in municipal and industrial water/wastewater treatment including process design and solution development.
• Experience in developing and standardizing treatment solutions and applications.
• Strong background in pilot testing, process validation and technology scale-up.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams in global/matrix contexts.
• Knowledge of biological, physical, and chemical treatment processes including membranes, filtration, sludge treatment, tertiary treatment, and water reuse.
• Advanced process design, optimization, and data analysis capabilities.
• Experience with Excel, AutoCAD, process simulation, Visio, Power BI or similar tools.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Customer-focused with problem-solving and solution development abilities.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and standardization of treatment solutions for municipal and industrial water and wastewater applications.
• Define application guidelines, process design criteria, and standard technology configurations.
• Ensure solutions are cost-effective, competitive, and compliant with market and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with PM, Application Management and R&D to integrate new technologies into offerings.
• Develop and maintain a global reference database of validated applications and benchmarks.
• Plan, organize, and oversee pilot testing programs at internal and customer sites.
• Define pilot objectives, methodologies, KPIs and validation criteria.
• Analyze pilot and full-scale data to derive robust design standards and improvements.
• Lead and develop process designers, lab technicians and other specialists.
• Review and validate process calculations, PFDs, P&IDs, mass balances and specs.
• Ensure lab activities, testing procedures and quality standards support development goals.
• Provide technical leadership to sales, tendering and execution teams.
• Support customer, consultant and partner engagements through expertise and optimization.
• Drive knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across global teams.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, standards, quality requirements and safety.

Skills

Excel

AutoCAD

Process simulation software

Visio

Power BI

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering (or related)

Master’s degree in Water/Wastewater Engineering (advantage)

Tools

Excel

AutoCAD

Process simulation software

Visio

Power BI

Job description

Sulzer is a leading engineering company with a proud heritage of innovation. Join our global team to grow your expertise and develop innovative solutions that enable a prosperous and more sustainable society.

About the role

Join Sulzer’s Water Treatment Solutions team as our Head of Solutions Design, leading the development, standardization, and optimization of technical solutions for municipal and industrial water and wastewater applications.
This strategic leadership role is responsible for building competitive, scalable, and high-performing treatment solutions across key process technologies. You will lead solution development, pilot testing, process validation, and application standardization while managing multidisciplinary teams across process engineering, design, and laboratory functions. The role plays a key part in supporting business growth by transforming technical innovation into practical, market-ready solutions.

Your Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• Lead the development and standardization of treatment solutions for municipal and industrial water and wastewater applications.
• Define application guidelines, process design criteria, and standard technology configurations.
• Ensure solutions are cost-effective, competitive, and aligned with market and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Application Management, and R&D teams to integrate new technologies into standardized offerings.
• Develop and maintain a global reference database of validated applications, case studies, and performance benchmarks.
• Plan, organize, and oversee pilot testing programs, both internally and at customer sites.
• Define pilot objectives, testing methodologies, performance KPIs, and validation criteria.
• Analyze pilot and full-scale operational data and convert findings into robust design standards and solution improvements.
• Lead and develop process designers, laboratory technicians, and other technical specialists to ensure engineering excellence.
• Review and validate process calculations, PFDs, P&IDs, mass balances, technical specifications, and engineering deliverables.
• Ensure laboratory activities, testing procedures, and quality standards support solution development objectives.
• Provide technical leadership and support to sales, tendering, business development, and execution teams.
• Support customer, consultant, and partner engagements through technical expertise and solution optimization.
• Drive knowledge sharing, technical training, and continuous improvement initiatives across global teams.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, engineering standards, quality requirements, and safety procedures.

To Succeed in This Role, You Will Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Process Engineering, Water Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master’s degree in Water/Wastewater Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Business Management is considered an advantage.
• 10+ years of experience within municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment, including process design, applications engineering, and solution development.
• Proven experience developing and standardizing treatment solutions and applications.
• Strong background in pilot testing, process validation, performance evaluation, and technology scale-up.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams within a global or matrix organization.
• Strong understanding of biological, physical, and chemical treatment processes, including membranes, filtration, sludge treatment, tertiary treatment, and water reuse.
• Knowledge of engineering standards, environmental regulations, and international best practices within the water industry.
• Advanced process design, optimization, and data analysis capabilities.
• Experience with engineering and digital tools such as Excel, AutoCAD, process simulation software, Visio, Power BI, or similar platforms.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and technical reporting skills.
• Customer-focused mindset with strong problem-solving and solution development capabilities.
• Fluent in English. Additional languages would be considered an advantage.

What we offer you

• Opportunity to shape and standardize solution design practices across a global organization.
• A strategic leadership role with significant impact on technology development and business growth.
• International exposure and collaboration with engineering, R&D, commercial, and operations teams worldwide.
• Professional development opportunities within a global engineering leader.
• A collaborative and innovative environment focused on sustainable water solutions.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.

Sulzer is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in the strength of a diverse workforce and are committed to offering an inclusive work environment.

We are proud to be recognized as a Top Employer 2026 in Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Switzerland, South Africa, the UK and the USA.