Optimization Engineer

Trafigura; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Trafigura in Houston is seeking an Optimization Engineer to join the Refining Technical team. The role blends day-to-day splitter asset optimization with commercial support for M&A, especially in the Power business.

This early-career position suits engineers with downstream/refining exposure and a desire to move toward more commercial responsibilities, working with trading, development, and external counterparties in a fast-paced, multinational environment.

Qualifications

• Combined exposure to power and oil/refining assets with early-career project experience.
• Early-career project engineering or project management on plant capital projects.
• Experience with M&A processes, technical due diligence, or transaction support.
• HSEC due diligence experience or familiarity with risk assessment frameworks.
• Experience working directly with trading or business development teams.

Responsibilities

• Splitter asset optimization using LP-based models to maximize margins.
• Assess feedstock flexibility and configuration changes for value.
• Coordinate with Refining Technical Manager to translate constraints into inputs.
• Provide margin, yield, and sensitivity analyses to support decisions.
• Identify capital or operational improvements to enhance asset value.
• Support M&A activity focusing on Oil & Power assets including diligence.
• Lead or contribute to technical due diligence on assets.
• Conduct HSEC due diligence with internal and external teams.
• Build commercial and technical value cases for transactions.
• Interface with asset owners, advisors, and counterparties.
• Support post-acquisition integration and optimization planning.

Skills

Power engineering

Oil refining exposure

M&A experience

HSEC risk assessment

Trading interface

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Aspen PIMS

Honeywell RPMS

Haverly GRTMPS

Job description

At the heart of global supply, Trafigura connects vital resources to power and build the world. Through our Oil & Petroleum Products, Gas and Power, and Metals and Minerals, commercial divisions, we use infrastructure, logistics and financing to connect producers and consumers, using our deep understanding of the markets we serve to make supply more efficient, secure and sustainable. We are committed to responsible business practices and believe that the supply of energy and raw materials is essential for growth, development and prosperity. We are accelerating our investments in renewable energy, including hydrogen, ammonia and other low-carbon energy technologies required for the transition to a low carbon future. And we work with our stakeholders to improve environmental and social standards, bringing greater trust and transparency to global supply chains. A career at Trafigura offers a gateway to working on some of the most exciting challenges of a rapidly changing world – from helping to optimise supply chains to developing infrastructure and new markets. In a culture that is founded on openness and energy, our people work as part of a multinational, globally connected team and thrive in a fast-paced environment where they can nurture and commercialise bold ideas. Everyone has a voice and is empowered to collaborate across geographies and disciplines to help shape our business and the wider world. We know the importance and value of diversity in our business and we invest in attracting, developing and retaining talent from all backgrounds. Founded in 1993, Trafigura is one of the largest independent employee-owned commodities groups in the world with over 13,000 people working in 48 countries. The Trafigura Group owns global multi-metals producer Nyrstar; fuel storage and distribution company Puma Energy; and joint ventures Impala Terminals, a port and logistics provider, and Nala Renewables, investing in wind, solar and battery storage projects.

Main Purpose

Trafigura is seeking an Optimization Engineer to join its Refining Technical team in Houston, reporting to the Refining Technical Manager. This is a hybrid technical-commercial role split roughly evenly between (i) day-to-day optimization and optionality analysis on Trafigura's splitter asset, and (ii) commercial support to M&A activity, with a particular focus on the Power business — including technical due diligence, HSEC assessment, and commercial evaluation of prospective asset acquisitions. This role is well suited to a process/project engineer with early-career power and/or oil asset experience, looking to transition into a more commercially oriented career path, working closely with trading, business development, and third-party counterparties.

Key Responsibilities

• Splitter Asset Optimization (approx. 50%)
  • Run and maintain LP-based optimization models for the splitter asset to identify margin-maximizing feed selection, product yields, and operating configurations.
  • Evaluate operational and structural optionality on the asset — including feedstock flexibility, product placement, and configuration changes — and quantify the associated commercial value.
  • Work closely with the Refining Technical Manager and plant operations to translate technical constraints (unit capacity, feed quality, operating limits) into actionable optimization inputs.
  • Provide regular margin capture, yield, and sensitivity analysis to support trading and planning decisions on the asset.
  • Identify and evaluate capital or operational improvement opportunities that enhance asset value.
• Commercial / M&A and Power Business Support (approx. 50%)
  • Support M&A activity across the business, with a focus on both the Oil & Power business, including screening, evaluating, and progressing prospective asset acquisitions.
  • Lead or contribute to technical due diligence on power and other prospective assets — assessing technical condition, operating performance, and integration/optionality potential.
  • Conduct HSEC due diligence on prospective acquisitions, working with internal HSEC teams and external advisors to identify risks and liabilities.
  • Build commercial and technical value cases for prospective transactions, working alongside deal teams, commercial leads, and external advisors.
  • Interface directly with third parties — including asset owners, technical advisors, consultants, and counterparties — representing Trafigura credibly in diligence and negotiation settings.
  • Support post-acquisition integration and asset optimization planning where relevant.

Required Qualifications

• Combined exposure to both power and oil/refining assets — e.g. a power engineer with early project delivery experience (outage support, capital project scoping, maintenance/reliability programs) who also has some downstream/refining exposure, or vice versa.
• Early-career project engineering or project management experience on plant capital projects, even at modest scale.
• Prior exposure to M&A processes, technical due diligence, or transaction support (in-house or via consulting).
• HSEC due diligence experience or familiarity with HSEC risk assessment frameworks.
• Experience working directly with trading or business development teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Approximately 3 years' experience as a process, plant, or project engineer within a power generation asset (fossil, nuclear, or renewables) or a refining/petrochemical facility — with direct exposure to plant operations, outage/turnaround support, or capital project execution.
• Approximately 3 years' experience in LP-based optimization (e.g. Aspen PIMS/PIMS-AO, Honeywell RPMS/GRTMPS, Haverly GRTMPS, or equivalent) within a power, refining, or trading environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or Power Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical/engineering analysis into commercial value and decision-support material.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to interface confidently and credibly with third parties, including external counterparties, advisors, and acquisition targets.
• Clear intent and aptitude to transition from a technical engineering career path toward a more commercial role.

Attributes for Success

• Comfortable operating across both deep technical analysis and commercial/deal-oriented work.
• Strong communicator, able to distill technical findings into clear commercial implications for non-technical stakeholders.
• Confident and professional when representing Trafigura externally with third parties, advisors, and counterparties.
• Self-motivated and able to manage competing priorities across asset optimization and deal-driven M&A timelines.
• Genuine curiosity about how technical assets create commercial value, with ambition to grow into broader commercial responsibility over time.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse workforce! We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or handicap, disability, or any other legally protected status.

At the heart of global supply, Trafigura connects vital resources to power and build the world. Through our Metals and Minerals, Oil & Petroleum Products and Gas, Power and Renewables, commercial divisions, we use infrastructure, logistics and financing to connect producers and consumers, using our deep understanding of the markets we serve to make supply more efficient, secure and sustainable. We are accelerating our investments in renewable energy, including hydrogen, ammonia and other low-carbon energy technologies required for the transition to a low carbon future. We are committed to responsible business practices and we work with our stakeholders to improve environmental and social standards, bringing greater trust and transparency to global supply chains. A career at Trafigura offers a gateway to working on some of the most exciting challenges of a rapidly changing world – from helping to optimise supply chains to developing infrastructure and new markets. In a culture that is founded on openness and energy, our people work as part of a multinational, globally connected team and thrive in a fast-paced environment where they can nurture and commercialise bold ideas. Everyone has a voice and is empowered to collaborate across geographies and disciplines to help shape our business and the wider world. We know the importance and value of diversity in our business and we invest in attracting, developing and retaining talent from all backgrounds. Founded in 1993, Trafigura is one of the largest independent employee-owned commodities groups in the world with over 12,000 people working across more than 60 offices. The Trafigura Group owns global multi-metals producer Nyrstar; fuel storage and distribution company Puma Energy; and joint ventures Impala Terminals, a port and logistics provider, and Nalo Renewables, investing in wind, solar and battery storage projects.