Process Modeling Engineer (Founding Team)

Riven Systems; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Riven Systems seeks a Process Modeling Engineer to build the layer connecting the platform to operating plants. You will collaborate with experts in thermodynamics, hydrometallurgy, ML, and autonomous experimentation to model flowsheets with industry-leading rigor.

Responsibilities include developing the programmatic modeling layer, designing a composable architecture with validation, and systematizing initialization, scaling, and solving of models.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in Chemical Engineering, Operations Research, or related field.
• Experience building process models, including unit operation models and diagnosing convergence failures.
• Fluency with equation-oriented modeling and large-scale nonlinear optimization, including initialization, scaling, and degrees of freedom.
• Working knowledge of hydrometallurgical unit operations, or comparable separations experience.
• Views on how process modeling changes when the caller is an agent rather than an engineer at a terminal.
• Comfortable with the tools and processes for building large software systems.
• Clear interdisciplinary communication and the curiosity to learn quickly in new domains.

Responsibilities

• Develop Riven’s programmatic process modeling layer where models can be written by humans or agents.
• Design a composable model architecture with rigorous flowsheet validation.
• Systematize the initialization, scaling, and solving of process models.
• Connect the process layer to thermodynamic modeling.
• Build the paths that carry operational data from pilots and customer deployments back into the platform.
• Establish continuous validation and regression testing across a growing model library.

Skills

Process modeling

Nonlinear optimization

Agent-based modeling

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Large software systems

Education

PhD or equivalent in Chemical Eng./OR or related field

Tools

Aspen Plus

gPROMS

METSIM

OLI

IDAES/PrOMMiS

Job description

As a Process Modeling Engineer you will build the layer that connects Riven’s platform to operating plants. You will work closely with experts in thermodynamics, hydrometallurgy, machine learning, and autonomous experimentation to model flowsheets at a level of rigor the industry cannot currently reach.

Initial Responsibilities

• Develop Riven’s programmatic process modeling layer where models can be written by humans or agents.
• Design a composable model architecture with rigorous flowsheet validation.
• Systematize the initialization, scaling, and solving of process models.
• Connect the process layer to thermodynamic modeling.
• Build the paths that carry operational data from pilots and customer deployments back into the platform.
• Establish continuous validation and regression testing across a growing model library.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Operations Research, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience building process models, including writing unit operation models and diagnosing convergence failures.
• Fluency with equation-oriented modeling and large-scale nonlinear optimization, including initialization, scaling, and degrees of freedom.
• Working knowledge of hydrometallurgical unit operations, or comparable separations experience.
• Views on how process modeling changes when the caller is an agent rather than an engineer at a terminal.
• Comfortable with the tools and processes for building large software systems.
• Clear interdisciplinary communication and the curiosity to quickly learn and execute in new domains.
• Ability to prioritize, execute, and collaborate with a high degree of agency, a willingness to be wrong, and the ambition to build something that has never existed before.
• Trust, humor, rigor, and an excitement to work in a scrappy, interdisciplinary early-stage environment.

Bonus Points

• Deep experience with commercial or open-source simulators (Aspen Plus, gPROMS, METSIM, OLI, IDAES/PrOMMiS) and a clear view of where they fall short.
• Contributions to open-source process modeling or optimization tooling.
• Dynamic simulation, in-flowsheet parameter estimation, or surrogate modeling.
• Uncertainty propagation, or validation of models against operating plant data.
• Hands-on pilot or plant experience in mineral processing or a comparable industry.

We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds who have a keen and demonstrated interest in early stage investing. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition or disability.

Compensation decisions are made based on track-record, seniority, and skillet. Additional consideration can be given to candidates with exceptional experience.