Principal Process Engineer

Sora Fuel; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Incentive Stock Options

Medical, dental and vision benefits

401k match

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Sora Fuel seeks a Principal Process Engineer to lead the design, integration and execution of our FOAK SAF pilot plant. You will own the Balance of Plant and drive seamless coupling of DAC, water/CO2 electrolysis, FT synthesis, and refining to scale safe, efficient operation.

You will guide FEED and detailed engineering, ensure process safety leadership (HAZOP/LOPA), collaborate with EPCs, vendors and R&D, and support commissioning and startup in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment to

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Chemical Engineering; Ph.D. preferred.
• 15+ years of process engineering experience in energy, petrochemicals, or industrial gas/hydrogen.
• Experience taking complex processes from pilot to first-of-a-kind commercial facility (FOAK).

Responsibilities

• Lead FEED and detailed engineering for SAF facility Balance of Plant.
• Design and optimize water treatment, utilities, gas storage.
• Coordinate with EPCs and internal R&D for system integration.
• Ensure safety and regulatory compliance, including HAZOP/LOPA reviews.
• Support commissioning and initial startup on site.

Skills

15+ years process engineering

FOAK/scale-up experience

HAZOP/HAZID/LOPA experience

Communication

Team collaboration

Core values alignment

Education

Master's degree in Chemical Engineering

Ph.D. preferred

Tools

Process simulation software

Job description

Sora Fuel aims to decarbonize aviation by converting air into affordable, carbon-neutral jet fuel at scale with no feedstock constraints or adverse impacts on agriculture. Our novel electrolysis technology directly converts captured carbon into syngas without regenerating gaseous CO2, reducing the energy required to utilize DAC-sourced CO2 by up to 90%. This provides an economical pathway to carbon-neutral flight, potentially addressing >2% of challenging-to-abate global emissions.

The company was founded in early 2024 and has closed over $20M of funding from renowned toughtech investors including Engine Ventures, Spero Ventures, and Inspired Capital. Since founding, the team has grown to include scientists and engineers with a broad range of skill sets from electrochemistry and catalysis to polymer science and mechanical engineering. Together, this team has scaled our technology >800-fold, demonstrated a true prototype employing commercial-scale cells, and developed scalable manufacturing processes for key materials. We seek to continue building a diverse, collaborative team that shares our enthusiasm and drive to meaningfully address climate change.

Role

The Principal Process Engineer will be responsible for leading the process design, integration and execution of our First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) pilot plant. In this role, you will own the Balance of Plant (BOP) engineering and drive the seamless integration of upstream Direct Air Capture (DAC) and water/CO2 electrolyzer systems with downstream Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis and refining processes. You will serve as the technical authority ensuring process intensification, thermal efficiency, safety compliance, and successful scale-up from a demonstration to pilot deployment.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Master's degree in Chemical Engineering; Ph.D. preferred
• Experience: 15+ years process engineering experience in oil & gas, petrochemicals, refining, or industrial syngas/hydrogen production.
• FOAK/Scale-up: Proven track record of taking complex chemical processes from pilot/demonstration scale to a First-of-a-Kind commercial facility.
• Process Safety: Extensive, hands-on experience participating in and leading HAZOP, HAZID and LOPA studies for chemical systems.
• Software: Proficiency in process simulation software.
• EPC Collaboration: Ability to collaborate with EPCs to ensure successful pilot system integration into existing infrastructure.
• Communication: Ability to communicate effectively and work in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.
• Core Values: Alignment with our core values of transparency, diversity, collaboration, valuing people and development, and work ethic.

Preferred Skills

• Direct experience with hydrogen electrolyzers, carbon capture technology, or Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactors.
• Strong understanding of dynamic simulation to model transient start-up, shut-down and upset conditions.
• Excellent cross-functional communication skills to bridge the gap between early-stage technology development and commercial EPC execution.

Key Responsibilities

Process Design & Balance of Plant (BOP)

• Lead the front-end engineering design (FEED) and detailed engineering for the SAF facility's Balance of Plant.
• Design and optimize auxiliary systems, including water treatment, utility gas and product storage.
• Develop, review and approve critical engineering documents, including PFDs, P&IDs, heat and mass balances (HMB) and control narratives.
• Optimize complex thermal integration networks to maximize energy efficiency across DAC, electrolysis and exothermic FT synthesis loops.

System Integration

• Own the technical interfaces between the DAC unit, electrolyzer stacks and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis island.
• Resolve integration challenges related to transient operations, gas compositions, pressure matching and recycling loops.
• Collaborate closely with technology vendors, EPC partners and internal R&D teams to ensure equipment specifications align with system requirements.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Management

• Serve as the lead technical authority and facilitator for process safety management, including HAZOP, HAZID and LOPA reviews.
• Ensure all designs strictly comply with relevant industrial codes, environmental regulations and aviation fuel standards (e.g., ASTM D7566).

Execution & Commissioning

• Provide on-site engineering support during construction, mechanical completion, commissioning and initial startup.
• Troubleshoot operational bottlenecks and establish process monitoring frameworks for early-stage production data.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Incentive Stock Options
• Medical, dental and vision benefits
• 401k match
• Commuter benefits