Lead Engineer, Process Design

AIRCO; New Britain Township (Bucks County); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Disability insurance

Life insurance

HSA/FSA

Catered lunch

Job summary

AIRCO is seeking a Lead Engineer, Process Design based in New Britain, PA. This on-site role reports to the Manager of Engineering and provides technical leadership across flowsheet development, process simulation, and equipment selection for AIRCO’s carbon conversion technologies.

You will work closely with scientists, engineers, and operations to deliver robust Process Design Packages for FEL, FEED, and detailed engineering, while mentoring teams and ensuring compliance with EH&S standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10–15 years of design experience in refining, petrochemical, chemical, gas processing, or related process industry.
• Expertise in industry-standard process simulation modeling: Aspen Plus, HYSYS.
• Experience generating commercial scale heat and material balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment datasheets.
• Strong knowledge of process equipment design, development, sizing, and selection.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of Process Design Packages for new technologies developed by AIRCO; provide technical basis for FEL, FEED, and detailed engineering by EPC contractors.
• Lead process synthesis, simulation and design, generation of material & heat balance, equipment selection and design, PFD and P&ID generation, equipment data sheet generation, process hydraulics calculation, HAZOP reviews for commercial units.
• Serve as the primary process-engineering liaison among R&D, operations, EPC contractors, customers and other engineering disciplines throughout project development, construction support, commissioning, and startup.
• Support process-economic evaluations, cost estimates, project planning, and technical decision making by communicating assumptions, findings, risks, and recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable engineering standards, internal design guidelines, and EHS regulations for AIRCO technologies.
• Represent AIRCO in external meetings and present engineering solutions, technical recommendations, and process-design packages.
• Develop engineering standards and work practices, mentor internal teams, and promote a safe, collaborative, and high-quality engineering environment.

Skills

Chemical engineering

Process design leadership

Mass & heat balance

PFDs & P&IDs

Equipment design

Education

Bachelors in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Aspen Plus

HYSYS

Job description

About AIRCO
AIRCO is a world leader in carbon conversion technology, paving the way to global energy security by transforming CO² into a valuable resource. Its proprietary AIRMADE™ Technology is an adaptable platform that allows any industry to efficiently produce high-demand, fully-formulated synthetic fuels from waste CO² and hydrogen.

The company has commercial partnerships with airlines including JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic, amongst others, and has been awarded multiple government contracts, including with NASA and the United States Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit. The company has received industry recognition through awards such as Time Best Inventions, Inc. Best in Business, Fast Company World Changing Ideas, and the XPrize for Carbon Removal.

AIRCO’s many accolades include winning the prestigious Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the Environmental Protection Agency in October 2023, an award given to organizations that reinvent processes to reduce the generation of hazardous substances and byproducts. AIRCO was also declared a winner for the World Economic Forum UpLink Sustainable Aviation Challenge, which accelerates the development of promising technology pathways that enable widespread uptake of SAF.

The Position

We are seeking a Lead Engineer, Process Design to join our team. This role will report to our Manager of Engineering. This position will provide technical leadership on engineering flowsheet development, process simulation and design, process mass and heat balance generation, process equipment selection and design, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment datasheets etc. This role will be a part of our Engineering department, and will work closely with our scientists, engineers, and operations team. This role is based in New Britain, PA and works on-site three days per week

What you get to do.

• Lead the development of Process Design Packages for new technologies developed by AIRCO research and development organization. These packages will provide the technical basis for FEL, FEED, and detailed engineering performed by EPC contractors.
• Lead process synthesis, simulation and design, generation of material & heat balance, equipment selection and design, PFD and P&ID generation, equipment data sheet generation, process hydraulics calculation, HAZOP reviews for commercial units based on carbon dioxide conversion technologies developed by AIRCO
• Serve as the primary process-engineering liaison among R&D, operations, EPC contractors, customers, and other engineering disciplines throughout project development, construction support, commissioning, and startup
• Support process-economic evaluations, cost estimates, project planning, and technical decision making by clearly communicating assumptions, findings, risks, and recommendations
• Ensure compliance with applicable engineering standards, internal design guidelines, and environmental, health and safety regulations for all the AIRCO developed technologies and processes.
• Represent AIRCO in external meetings and present engineering solutions, technical recommendations, and process-design packages.
• Develop engineering standards and work practices, mentor internal teams, and promote a safe, collaborative, and high-quality engineering environment.

What you bring to AIRCO

• Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering required; advanced degree preferred
• 10-15 years of design experience in refining, petrochemical, chemical, gas processing, or a related process industry.
• Expertise in industry-standard process simulation modeling: Aspen Plus, HYSYS
• Expertise in generating commercial scale heat and material balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment specifications, datasheets, hydraulics, and Process Design Packages.
• Strong knowledge of process equipment design, development, sizing, and selection.

Working at AIRCO - In addition to standard medical and dental benefits, that kick in Day 1, AIRCO is:

• A team of engineers, scientists, operators, builders, and innovators working on hard problems with tangible impact.
• A company building and deploying real systems for fuel and chemical production in real-world conditions.
• A hands-on environment where ownership is clear, decisions stay close to the work, and teams move with trust, discipline, and speed.
• Driven by work that matters, with a culture grounded in safety, teamwork, transparency, purpose, agility, ambition, and creativity.

We also provide:

• Full coverage for employee base premiums on health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 70% coverage for spouse and dependent base premiums.
• Choose between base plans or enhanced options to fit your needs.

Health Savings & Flexibility

• Access company-sponsored HSA and FSA accounts to save on healthcare and dependent care expenses.

Income Protection & Insurance

• Company-paid Short-Term Disability insurance.
• Optional Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance plans.
• Flexible and generous paid time off, including national holidays and sick leave.
• Paid family leave to support you during important life moments.

Retirement Savings

• Tax-deferred 401(k) plan with a 3% company match to help you invest in your future.
• Pre-tax savings on transit and parking, plus monthly company contributions.
• Ancillary benefits through Sequoia, including pet insurance and financial wellness programs.
• Employee wellness program to support your well-being.Inclusive of Wellhub & One Medical.
• Company-sponsored events and programs that promote an inclusive and values-driven workplace.
• In person weekly catered lunch every Wednesday.

At AIRCO we value employees for their unique perspectives. We are an inclusive affirmative action Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, and lactation), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, present or past history of intellectual, learning, mental, or physical disability (including but not limited to blindness) unless AIRCO determines that such disability prevents performance of the work involved, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, marginalized genders and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At AIRCO we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls, security classification and/or designation as Controlled Unclassified Information. Employment in this position is conditioned on the candidate’s ability to obtain and maintain appropriate government authorization to access technology or information, to the extent required, including without limitation a security clearance, export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items technology or information.

We may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as we deem appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.