Chemical Process Engineering Associate - Part Time (Athol)

Idaho Forest Group; Athol (ID); On-site; USD 34,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Idaho Forest Group is seeking a Chemical Process Engineering Associate on-site in Idaho. This intermediate role bridges internships and entry-level engineering, with a flexible part-time schedule coordinated with the department.

Responsibilities include performing material and energy balances, analyzing process data, and supporting R&D, pilot operations, and environmental systems. The position emphasizes independence with oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or senior standing in an accredited program with relevant experience.
• Core coursework in material and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat and mass transfer.
• Ability to perform engineering calculations, analyze process data, and document results with oversight.
• On-site, part-time availability coordinated with the department.

Responsibilities

• Independently perform material and energy balances.
• Analyze process data to identify trends and abnormal conditions.
• Develop calculations for fluid flow, heat transfer, and yields.
• Support pyrolysis testing and process-development programs.
• Prepare and revise PFDs and portions of P&IDs.
• Assist with commissioning, startup, and testing.
• Participate in process-safety and management-of-change activities.

Skills

Excel

Engineering calculations

Data analysis

Lab safety

On-site work

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or closely related engineering discipline

Senior standing in accredited Chemical Engineering program

Tools

MATLAB

Python

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Process simulation

Job description

Position Summary

The Chemical Process Engineering Associate is an intermediate position between a Chemical Process Engineering Intern and a Chemical Process Engineer I. The position is intended for an advanced Chemical Engineering student, graduate student, recent graduate, or other qualified individual capable of performing meaningful engineering work with greater independence than an intern while maintaining a reduced or flexible work schedule. The engineer performs defined assignments associated with R&D, pilot operations, process design, process analysis, plant support, controls, environmental systems, and technology scale-up. This is an on-site, part-time position with a consistent schedule coordinated with the department. May independently perform routine calculations, process-data analysis, testing, and documentation within an established technical scope. Complex design decisions and significant process changes remain under review of more experienced full-time engineering personnel.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Independently perform defined material and energy balances.
• Analyze continuous-process operating data and identify trends and abnormal conditions.
• Develop engineering calculations for fluid flow, pressure drop, heat transfer, gas and vapor flow, residence time, equipment capacity, energy consumption, and process yields.
• Support catalytic fast pyrolysis testing and process-development programs.
• Evaluate relationships between process operating conditions and bio-oil yield, bio-oil quality, aqueous yield, char production, non-condensable gas generation, and catalyst performance.
• Assist with catalyst formulation, manufacturing, testing, activation, regeneration, and deactivation studies.
• Prepare and revise PFDs and portions of P&IDs.
• Prepare process descriptions and basic equipment datasheets.
• Analyze process historian and control-system data.
• Assist with instrumentation and control-system evaluations.
• Support pilot-plant and production troubleshooting.
• Assist with development and execution of process test plans.
• Participate in equipment sizing and preliminary equipment selection.
• Support environmental calculations involving air emissions, combustion, wastewater flows, contaminant loading, and water consumption.
• Support basic process-economic calculations.
• Assist with commissioning, startup, shutdown, and performance testing.
• Participate in process-safety and management-of-change activities.
• Prepare engineering reports, calculations, and technical documentation.
• Other duties as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline; OR current senior standing in an accredited Chemical Engineering program or closely related engineering discipline, with significant relevant engineering, laboratory, pilot-plant, research, cooperative education or industrial experience. Chemical Engineering strongly preferred.
• Candidates who have not yet completed the degree must have completed core coursework in material and energy balances, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat and mass transfer.
• Skills:
  • Strong Microsoft Excel and engineering-calculation capabilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently perform defined engineering calculations, analyze process data, document results, and organize and execute technical assignments with appropriate engineering oversight.
  • Ability to work safely in laboratory, pilot-plant, and industrial environments.
  • Ability to work on-site on a consistent part-time schedule coordinated with the department.
  • Self-motivated, dependable, organized, and able to manage multiple assignments with appropriate technical guidance.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and work effectively with engineers, technicians, operations personnel, vendors, and contractors.
• Valid driver's license with acceptable motor vehicle history for business travel in a company vehicle.
• Ability to pass a hair follicle drug test, post-offer pre-employment physical, and background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework or experience in reaction engineering and process control.
• Previous engineering internship, laboratory, pilot-plant, cooperative education, or industrial experience.
• Experience with instrumentation, data acquisition, process simulation, MATLAB, Python, AutoCAD, Solidworks, or related engineering tools.
• Experience or coursework related to biofuels, catalysis, refining, biomass conversion, environmental systems, or other continuous chemical processes.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Ability to sit and/or stand for shift, reach with hands and arms, stoop, squat, bend at the waist, kneel, walk varying distance, and climb stairs.

• Bend at waist – occasional
• Twist upper body – occasional
• Stoop - occasional
• Repetitive use of hands – frequent for computer, engineering, and clerical duties
• Stand/walk – frequent
• Sit – occasional
• Vision – near and far correctable; depth perception
• Hearing – preferred for awareness of surrounding machinery, mobile equipment, emergencies

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Must be able to tolerate all weather elements, loud conditions, airborne particles (sawdust).

Idaho Forest Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, family medical history, or any other status protected by law.