Process Engineer I

Affiliated Engineers, Inc.; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

Retirement plan

Year-end bonus

Flexible work environment

Wellness resources

Job summary

Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) invites a Process Engineer I to join our Chapel Hill team. You will contribute to energy-efficient building solutions, support client needs, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary group to deliver innovative engineering outcomes.

In this role, you’ll engage in design development, field surveys, and data analysis while growing through mentorship and exposure to high-impact projects across healthcare, science, and technology sectors.

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum GPA of 2.5.
• Non-academic internship or co-op in process engineering.
• Leadership involvement in extracurricular activities preferred.
• EIT certification (FE exam) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop P&IDs and equipment/piping specifications.
• Perform hydraulic sizing and heat transfer calculations.
• Attend design meetings and conduct field surveys.
• Analyze process data and propose engineering solutions.
• Facilitate Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) and review vendor submittals.

Skills

Process engineering

Leadership experience

Communication skills

Time management

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering (ABET accredited)

Job description

Join a Team Where Engineering Excellence Drives Opportunity

At Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI), we bring together expertise and innovation to solve the most complex challenges. Since 1978, we’ve supported mission-driven organizations in designing systems and environments that advance society and improve lives. Today, with more than 1000 professionals across 23 offices, we help shape the future of healthcare, science and technology, energy, education, and other vital sectors.

From elevating patient care in Mayo Clinic’s world‑class hospitals to enabling discovery in high‑containment laboratories for U.S. agencies and driving environmental progress with Microsoft’s renowned Thermal Energy Center, our work enriches the human experience, safeguards the environment, and pushes the boundaries of possibility.

AEI consistently earns national recognition from leading industry publications, including Building Design+Construction, Engineering News-Record, and Consulting-Specifying Engineer, with distinctions such as being named the #1 Laboratory Engineering Firm in the nation and receiving multiple Best of the Best Project awards, underscoring the lasting legacy of our work.

At AEI, you’ll join a collaborative community where your expertise fuels innovation, your ideas drive progress, and your work helps shape a brighter future.

As a Process Engineer I in our Chapel Hill office, you will help us empower our clients to achieve energy‑efficient building solutions, save global environments, and create a better, greener future for all.

Here’s Why We Need You

In this role, you will use your combination of people and technical skills to provide engineering solutions to various clients. You will get a unique opportunity to work at different facilities and at different companies in your first couple of years on the job. Companies will likely be in the biotechnology, food, pharmaceutical, and chemical markets. You will functionally become an extension of the client company’s staff and become the liaison between the client company and the depth of technical support at AEI.

You will work to develop P&ID’s, create equipment and piping specifications, complete hydraulic sizing and heat transfer calculations, among many other design exercises. Other responsibilities will include attending design meetings, performing field surveys, analyzing process data and proposing solutions, facilitating Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), fielding vendor quotations and reviewing vendor submittals. Project roles will vary from pure consulting, design development, and commissioning and startup services based on project requirements.

Expertise Of Our Most Successful Process Engineer

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from ABET accredited school.
• Minimum GPA of 2.5.
• Non-academic internship or co‑op in process engineering.
• Leadership involvement in extracurricular activities/student organizations preferred.
• EIT certification (passed the FE exam) a plus.

Effective Skills To Help You Flourish

• Knowledge and experience with piping systems and a variety of unit operations as applied to pharmaceutical, food, and chemical processing.
• Understanding of applicable design codes, standards and specification requirements, and ability to interpret them.
• Ability to complete mass and energy balances.
• Strong spoken and written communications skills.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Quick technical comprehension and motivation focused on client outcomes.
• Able to effectively prioritize multiple tasks.
• Effective working individually and within team environments.

When You Work Here, You Can Expect

• A flexible, collaborative environment where your well‑being matters—because your best work happens when you’re supported.
• Real opportunities to grow—through mentorship, professional development programs, and exposure to high‑impact projects across disciplines.
• To collaborate with inspiring teammates who challenge the status quo, foster innovation, and pave the way for future leaders.
• A benefits package that offers health, dental, vision, and retirement, a performance‑based year‑end bonus, and thoughtful perks tailored to your needs—whether that's a flexible work environment, wellness resources, or community‑focused initiatives, we’ll continue to invest.

If this dynamic environment and the chance to contribute to transformative projects resonate with your ambitions, we would love to connect with you. Join us and make an impact!

AEI is proud to be an EEO/AA Employer/Vet/Disabled.