Process Engineer

EnergyX; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Paid time-off

401(k) with employer match

Medical, dental and vision benefits

Company-sponsored events

Job summary

EnergyX is seeking a Process Engineer to lead the scale-up of innovative lithium extraction technologies. In this role, you will manage a team focused on process development and optimization, working closely with engineers to deliver on-site and commercial engineering solutions.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in Engineering, with at least 5 years of relevant experience in piloting and scaling operations. Competitive salary and benefits include equity packages and health coverage.

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in process development and operations.
• Hands-on experience with pilot and demo plants.
• Knowledge of lithium extraction and hydrometallurgical processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead scale-up of lithium extraction technologies.
• Manage process development and engineering teams.
• Interface with equipment vendors and oversee plant construction.

Skills

Process development

Scale-up operations

Hands-on testing

Project management

Hydrometallurgical processes

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

PFD

P&ID

Job description

Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (EnergyX) has a mission to become a worldwide leader in the global transition to sustainable energy. Founded in 2018, the company is fundamentally changing the way humanity is powering our world and storing clean energy with breakthrough lithium-ion technology and energy storage solutions.

The Process Engineer will translate EnergyX’s separation advances into technologies such as electrodialysis, solvent extraction, brine pretreatment, adsorption, and ion exchange scaling from bench to pilot and demonstration scale leading to commercialization. The role will lead a team responsible for process development, flowsheet design, simulations, equipment sizing, and specifications, piping, and developing PFDs, PIDs, HAZID, and HAZOPs for various scales of plants. The position will be responsible for optimizing and operating demonstration plants and play a lead role in technology transfer to commercialization.

Responsibilities

Work on a team of experienced EnergyX scientists in research and development focused on disruptive materials and engineering systems to fundamentally transform scientific aspects of the energy industry including:

• Lead EnergyX novel lithium extraction materials and technologies scale-up to commercial scale.
• Engage with EPC contractors to deliver demonstration and commercial plants.
• Optimize the existing demonstration plants for the process and equipment, translate pilot and demo results to process and equipment design criteria, and deliver the engineering concepts to the commercial engineering.
• Manage and mentor engineering staff in materials production and process development in areas of membrane production and separation, electrodialysis, ion exchange/adsorption and solvent extraction.
• Track and communicate the results of laboratory and pilot projects to design, production, and materials engineers.
• Evaluate the state of the industry techniques and equipment for future lab and pilot testing capabilities.
• Translate process concepts to tangible process engineering design and equipment design criteria to detailed equipment sizing.
• Convert technical information from laboratory and pilot to demo and commercial process systems.
• Coordinate testing and piloting with contract laboratories.
• Interface with equipment vendors to procure equipment to specifications.
• Oversee development and implementation process plants at all scales.
• Assess competitive technologies and their applications and collaborate with R&D team to design experiments to evaluate technologies.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering (Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or Minerals Engineering)
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in process development, piloting, scale-up, and operations.
• Hands‑on experience working in the pilot and demo plants, running tests, process trouble‑shooting and process equipment
• Understands integrating technology into overall process design.
• Experience with typical hydrometallurgical unit operations, specifically membrane separation, ion exchange, evaporation, crystallization, and solvent extraction technologies.
• Experienced with project development, management, and delivery.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work in a fast‑paced, changing priorities, fuzzy scopes startup environment.
• Understanding of techniques applicable for lithium extraction, separation, recovery, and refining.
• General knowledge of the water/brine treatment, water desalination, membrane, energy storage, and lithium industries.
• Strong knowledge of unit operation functionality including understanding the strengths and weaknesses of various unit operations and their limitations.
• Conducting engineering calculations, mass and energy balances, process modeling, and process equipment design.
• Experienced in drafting process engineering documents, such as PFD, P&ID, control philosophy, process design criteria.
• Strong capital cost and operating cost knowledge of relevant processes, equipment, and unit operations.
• Integrating safety in design, Process Safety, HAZOP, and HAZID.
• Effective communication skills as related to the board, partners, and investors including presentation skills at meetings and conferences.
• Capable of producing technical reports, engineering drawings, slides, summary reports
• Competitive pay
• Paid time‑off, holidays, and sick time
• 401(k) with employer match
• Equity Package
• Medical, dental and vision benefits with employer contribution; voluntary benefits available
• Company-sponsored events

EnergyX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with EnergyX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.