Optimization Engineer

trafigura; United States; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Trafigura in Houston seeks an Optimization Engineer to join its Refining Technical team on a hybrid technical-commercial track. The role splits duties between day-to-day LP-based optimization of the splitter asset and commercial support for M&A activity in the Power business, interfacing with trading, business development, and external advisors.

You will translate technical constraints into actionable inputs, deliver margin and yield analyses, and contribute to due diligence and post-acquisition

Qualifications

• Experience with power and oil/refining assets.
• Early-career project engineering or management on plant capital projects.
• Exposure to M&A processes.

Responsibilities

• Run and maintain LP-based optimization models for the splitter asset to maximize margin.
• Evaluate operational and structural optionality and quantify commercial value.
• Translate technical constraints into actionable optimization inputs with plant operations.
• Provide margin, yield, and sensitivity analyses to support trading and planning decisions.
• Support M&A activity and technical due diligence for power assets and prospective acquisitions.
• Interface with third parties and assist post-acquisition integration and optimization.

Skills

Optimization modeling

Finance/margin analysis

Power sector knowledge

Oil/refining familiarity

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Python

Excel

GAMS

Job description

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,