Principal Chemical Engineer

Beyond the Dome; Petaluma (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity

Generous benefits

Job summary

A pioneering environmental startup in California is seeking a Principal Chemical Engineer to lead projects focused on innovative wastewater treatment solutions. In this role, you'll develop and troubleshoot advanced chemical processes while collaborating with engineering teams. The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in chemical engineering and process modeling, along with strong problem-solving skills. This position offers competitive compensation and a dynamic work environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in chemical engineering.
• Track record of leading successful projects.
• Hands-on operation of process equipment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical development of an industrial SCWO system.
• Develop and own entire system level P&IDs.
• Collaborate with controls and mechanical engineers.

Skills

Chemical process modeling

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering

Tools

HYSYS

CAD software

Job description

Are you a hands-on chemical engineer who is not afraid of tackling complex problems and who thrives on turning theory into reality? Beyond the Dome is hiring a Principal Chemical Engineer to lead our designs from analysis and concept development through to manufacturing and deployment. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your wide base of knowledge around chemical processes and modeling, pilot-scale systems, controls, prototyping, and custom fabrication. In this role, you will be a primary and leading force in solving the world's environmental and water quality problems.

This job is based in Petaluma CA, and will require some travel to support field deployments.

Beyond The Dome:

Beyond The Dome is developing a modular system that destroys contaminants in water in seconds. We enable industries dealing with wastewater to meet their climate commitments, produce clean water, and generate power. Our ultra-efficient, supercritical water oxidation process (ultra-SCWOTM) destroys over 99.9% of organic contaminants within seconds, including PFAS, microplastics, and pharmaceuticals. We use the energy within the waste not only to power the process but also to generate a surplus to send to the power grid. Our long-term goal is to deploy a global network of ultra-SCWOTM systems giving people access to the best possible wastewater treatment and stopping the flow of hard to remove organic pollutants into our environment.

Team:

We are a group of highly talented, collaborative, and innovative people dedicated to technical innovation. As much as we joke about the unsexiness of sludge and biosolids, we are solving a critical environmental problem with a billion-dollar plus market opportunity, where customers are urgently demanding solutions. Join Beyond the Dome and you will join our stimulating environment of creative freedom where we replace micromanagement with responsibility and opportunity to get stuff done. We are a well-funded startup pioneering a new product within a space that is ripe for innovation.

What you’ll do

• Lead the technical development of an industrial SCWO system including design, development, and troubleshooting
• Develop and own entire system level P&IDs
• Collaborate with controls and mechanical engineers to specify SCADA requirements, control systems, instrumentation, piping, components, and more
• Analyze and develop models of chemical reactions including building simulations of complex chemical and fluid reactions
• Design and run lab studies
• Provide field support to the team for pilots
• Develop strategies to continuously reduce the iteration cycle time, and accelerate improvements in performance, cost, and reliability

Your background

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience in chemical engineering, with a proven track record of leading successful projects
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a solid understanding of chemical process modeling, thermodynamics, kinetics, reaction engineering, and fluid dynamics.
• Track record of working with controls and mechanical engineers on SCADA, instrumentation, piping, and component selection
• Experience with chemical processing, power generation, combustion, multiphase fluid systems, or closely related processes
• Previous leadership of P&ID development, reactor design, and heat exchanger design or selection
• Hands‑on operation of process equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, pumps, and instrumentation
• Experience in industrial R&D, ideally at hardware startups
• Familiarity with CAD software and simulation tools for chemical process modeling (e.g., HYSYS)
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Welcome additions

• A P.E. license (any state, but ability to get license in California)
• A Master’s degree or Ph.D.
• Experience with pressurized and/or hot systems, e.g., SCWO, rockets, oil and gas, nuclear
• Experience with software CAD and simulation packages such as, Autodesk, SolidWorks, Ansys, and programming languages such as Python

Compensation and Benefits:

Beyond The Dome offers competitive salary, equity, generous benefits, and a great work environment. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.