Director, Pipeline Engineering

Nscale; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Equity and bonus programs

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Generous PTO

Parental leave

Retirement plan participation

Job summary

Nscale is seeking a Director of Pipeline Engineering in Houston to own the gas transmission pipeline scope from upstream interconnect to plant interface. You will lead hydraulic design, controls philosophy, and integrity, while directing consultants and contractors to ensure reliability for AI-driven data-center campuses.

The role demands senior leadership, deep pipeline experience, and the ability to translate model results into robust design decisions, with travel to project sites and vendor

Qualifications

• 15+ years of natural gas pipeline engineering experience in design, construction, and operations.
• Strong hydraulic engineering and transient modeling capabilities.
• Familiarity with 49 CFR Part 192 and ASME B31.8 and MAOP calculations.

Responsibilities

• Own the pipeline design basis, hydraulic design, line pack, and inventory strategy.
• Direct third-party engineering consultants and pipeline construction contractors.
• Define safety, control, and regulatory compliance across transmission systems.

Skills

Pipeline engineering

Hydraulic modeling

Process safety

MAOP/ASME B31.8

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Chemical/Civil Engineering

PE license preferred

Job description

About Nscale

At Nscale, we are building the infrastructure for the AI revolution. Nscale is developing cutting-edge, sovereign generative AI solutions powered by a new generation of high-performance, sustainable data centers and GPUs built specifically for AI workloads.

At Nscale, we are building the infrastructure for the AI revolution. Nscale is developing cutting-edge, sovereign generative AI solutions powered by a new generation of high-performance, sustainable data centers and GPUs built specifically for AI workloads.

About the Role

We are hiring a Director, Pipeline Engineering to own the engineering of the natural gas transmission pipelines that fuel Nscale's generation campuses, from upstream interconnect to plant fence. Nscale's Power and Energy group develops behind-the-meter generation colocated with our data center campuses: large reciprocating engine fleets served by dedicated, large-diameter gas transmission pipelines moving hundreds of millions of cubic feet per day. These are not ordinary laterals. The pipeline is also the storage: line pack is the operating inventory that buffers nominations against engine demand, pressure is governed by that inventory balance, and the design of overpressure protection, regulation, and system controls determines whether gigawatts of compute stay online. Much of this work is closer to process engineering than to conventional pipeline design, and this role owns it. This is a senior, hands-on technical leadership role built for someone who runs independently, with full delegated ownership of the pipeline scope. You will establish the design basis for our pipelines and demonstrate how it ties to our downstream commitments (engine demand, swing, and availability), drive the engineering through hydraulic design, controls philosophy, and construction, and technically manage the third-party engineering firms and pipeline construction contractors doing the work. Lines are in delivery today and new lines will follow, so the role owns both the systems being built now and the reference engineering for what comes next. You will sit within the Power and Energy technology organization, working alongside the generation engineering and commissioning teams that depend on the gas you deliver. You will be the owner's technical authority on the pipeline scope, directing the work of consultants and contractors rather than simply accepting it, and resolving the design questions where standard midstream practice does not account for a single customer whose demand can swing with AI workloads. As the accountable leader for pipeline engineering at Nscale, you will set the design basis, establish the standards, and represent Nscale's position with EPC partners, upstream operators, and executives, and you will be expected to do so from day one.

Location

Houston, TX (remote considered within the US, with regular site and vendor travel)

What You'll Be Doing

Pipeline system engineering and design basis

• Own the design basis for Nscale's gas transmission pipelines: hydraulic design, MAOP and pressure regime, line pack and inventory strategy, routing and sizing philosophy, and expansion provisions for future lines.
• Perform and direct steady-state and transient hydraulic modeling of the pipeline systems, and own the models as living engineering assets that answer real operating questions: inventory swing, survival time on line pack, ramp response, and curtailment scenarios.
• Demonstrate explicitly how the pipeline design basis supports downstream commitments: engine fleet demand and turndown, campus availability requirements, and the nominations-versus-consumption balance that governs system pressure.
• Evaluate gas storage and supply resilience options, including line pack utilization, interconnect diversity, and cross-connection strategies between lines, with clear analysis of the risk each option carries.

Process and controls engineering

• Own the overpressure protection philosophy across the pipeline systems: regulation, monitor, slam-shut, and relief selection, justified against reliability requirements, industry practice, and regulatory obligations rather than habit.
• Define the control philosophy at interconnects, letdown stations, and plant interfaces: pressure versus flow control, control interactions with upstream operators' facilities, and the measurement and SCADA provisions needed to run the system on inventory.
• Apply process safety discipline to the pipeline scope: lead and support HAZOPs and design reviews, own the closure of actions, and carry management of change through design and construction.
• Engineer the interface into the plant fuel gas systems, coordinating conditioning, letdown, and protection philosophies so pipeline and plant behave as one system.

Regulatory compliance and integrity

• Own compliance of the pipeline designs with 49 CFR Part 192 and the applicable ASME B31 codes, including the code boundaries between jurisdictional pipeline and plant piping.
• Establish material, welding, and construction specifications, class location and MAOP documentation, and the records discipline that a traceable, verifiable, and complete basis requires.
• Lay the foundation for integrity management: baseline assessment planning, pigging and inspection provisions, and mainline valve philosophy, including remote actuation and its treatment in availability analysis.
• Support commissioning and first gas: purge and pack planning, energization of the measurement and control systems, and readiness reviews in partnership with the commissioning and startup organization.

Third-party technical management

• Technically manage the engineering consultants supporting the pipeline scope: set the design basis they work to, review and challenge their deliverables, and integrate their output into a coherent whole.
• Direct pipeline construction contractors on technical matters: specification compliance, field queries, deviation dispositions, and as-built reconciliation.
• Own the technical interface with upstream pipeline operators and interconnect counterparties: metering station design, control coordination, nominations behavior, and the operating agreements' technical exhibits.
• Hold third parties to disciplined engineering, testing, and documentation, and know when their standard answer is not good enough for this application.
• Own the scope, schedule, and budget of third-party pipeline engineering: define consultant scopes of work, review and recommend change orders and addenda, and hold firms accountable to their commitments.

Standards and cross-functional leadership

• Develop Nscale's engineering standards, specifications, and reference designs for gas pipelines, so each new line builds on the last instead of starting over.
• Coordinate with generation engineering on fuel gas requirements, with permitting and land teams on routing and regulatory strategy, and with commercial teams on gas supply and transportation arrangements.
• Build and lead the internal pipeline engineering function, directing specialist consultants today and hiring and developing a team as the portfolio scales.
• Communicate complex pipeline and process issues clearly to project leadership and executives, with honest assessments of risk and readiness, and represent Nscale's pipeline scope in design basis alignment with EPC partners, upstream operators, and customers.

About You

• 15+ years of natural gas pipeline engineering experience across design, construction, and operations, with significant time in a lead or owner's engineer role on transmission systems, including senior accountability for the outcome of major transmission projects.
• Deep hydraulic engineering capability, including transient modeling of gas transmission systems, and the judgement to translate model results into design and operating decisions.
• Strong process engineering instincts: comfort with inventory-based system behavior, regulation and overpressure protection design, control philosophy development, and process safety methods such as HAZOP.
• Working fluency with 49 CFR Part 192 and ASME B31.8, including MAOP determination, class location, and the code interfaces with plant piping under B31.1 or B31.3.
• Hands-on experience with measurement and regulation stations, interconnects with major interstate pipelines, and the commercial mechanics of nominations and transportation that drive system behavior.
• Experience taking pipeline scopes through construction, hydrotest, and first gas on major projects, and comfort in the field when systems misbehave.
• Proven ability to direct engineering consultants and construction contractors, and to make technically defensible decisions under schedule pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to own a scope independently and be delegated to with confidence: establishing the basis, setting the pace, and escalating with solutions rather than problems.
• Proven ability to build standards, processes, and teams in a fast-scaling environment, including hiring and developing engineers.
• Industry standing (code committee participation, technical society leadership, or equivalent) is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Civil Engineering or a related field; PE license preferred.
• Willing and able to travel to project sites, vendor facilities, and construction spreads regularly (typically 25%, higher during construction and commissioning campaigns).

What We Can Offer You

At Nscale, you'll find a collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment where your contributions spark real impact. We're building something extraordinary, and our people are driving it.

• Highly competitive US compensation package (base + bonus + equity), with performance reviews every 12 months
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Generous PTO plus US federal holidays
• A career-defining opportunity to be an early member of one of the fastest growing AI infrastructure companies in the world
• A human-first approach: We treat you as humans first. Our flexible workplace trusts Nscalers to deliver, giving you the autonomy needed to get the job done.

Equal Opportunities Statement

At Nscale, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace. We believe that a variety of perspectives enriches our work environment, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If there's anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role.

For information on how Nscale handles candidate personal data, please see our Employee & Candidate Privacy Notice.

The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.

Salary Range

$170,000—$290,000 USD

Nscale does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions from recruitment agencies.