Senior Process Development Engineer

NES Fircroft; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Job summary

NES Fircroft is seeking a Process Engineer to support the design, scale-up, and optimization of advanced process technologies for critical minerals and industrial separation applications in Houston, TX. The role reports to the Director of Engineering & Projects and emphasizes development from concept through commercialization.

The ideal candidate has a chemical engineering degree, 5+ years in process design/scale-up, and experience with iodine extraction, lithium brine processing, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering required.
• Minimum 5 years in process engineering, design or scale-up.
• Minimum 2 years in critical minerals recovery, lithium/iodine or specialty separations.
• Experience with corrosive service, phase separation and temperature-dependent operations.
• Experience commercializing new process technologies from design to scale-up.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize chemical process systems from concept through commercial deployment.
• Develop engineering deliverables including PFDs, P&IDs, mass and energy balances, equipment specs, and process calculations.
• Develop process control philosophies and support automation strategies.
• Coordinate engineering design activities with third-party engineering firms and vendors.
• Develop commercial-scale process designs and establish scale-up methodologies.
• Lead process engineering for modular and skid-mounted systems.
• Support fabrication, installation, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Improve sizing models and cost estimation tools for proposals and projects.
• Design systems to handle variable feed chemistries and operating conditions.
• Develop pretreatment systems: filtration, chemical dosing, phase separation.
• Integrate process systems with upstream and downstream operations.
• Serve as lead Process Engineer on technology development and commercialization projects.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure scalability and reliability.
• Support business development through process design, proposals, and cost estimates.

Skills

Process design

Scale-up

Mass & energy balances

PFDs & P&IDs

Process control philosophies

Third-party coordination

Modular systems

Aspen HYSYS

Aspen Plus

UniSim

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Aspen HYSYS

Aspen Plus

UniSim

Job description

Process Engineer (Process Development / Scale-Up)

Reports to: Director of Engineering & Projects

Location: Houston, TX

Job Type: Permanent/ Full-Time

Work Schedule: In-office, 1-day WFH (work from home)

Sector: Critical Minerals/ Mining/ Energy Transition

NES Fircroft is a leading global workforce solutions provider specializing in engineering and technical talent across the energy, infrastructure, industrial, and marine sectors. We partner with organizations delivering critical projects worldwide, connecting exceptional professionals with opportunities that drive innovation and operational excellence.

Our client, a funded technology driven business, is seeking a Process Engineer (Development/ Scale-Up) to support the design, scale-up, and optimization of advanced process technologies across critical minerals, specialty chemical processing, and industrial separation applications. This is a permanent opportunity based in Houston, TX.

Job Summary

Our client is seeking a Process Engineer to support the design, scale-up, and optimization of advanced process technologies supporting critical minerals and industrial separation applications. Reporting to the Director of Engineering & Projects, this individual will lead process design, commercialization, and optimization efforts while supporting projects from concept through commissioning. The ideal candidate will have experience with iodine extraction, lithium brine processing, and complex chemical separation systems involving corrosive process streams and temperature-sensitive operations.

This opportunity is ideal for an engineer who enjoys taking emerging technologies from concept through commercialization while working on projects supporting the energy transition and critical minerals industries.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and optimize chemical process systems from concept through commercial deployment.


• Develop engineering deliverables including PFDs, P&IDs, mass and energy balances, equipment specifications, and process calculations.


• Develop process control philosophies and support automation strategies.


• Coordinate engineering design activities with third-party engineering firms and vendors.


• Develop commercial-scale process designs and establish scale-up methodologies.


• Lead process engineering for modular and skid-mounted systems.


• Support fabrication, installation, commissioning, and startup activities.


• Improve sizing models and cost estimation tools to enhance proposal and project accuracy.


• Design systems capable of handling variable feed chemistries and operating conditions.


• Develop pretreatment systems including:
  
  
  
  • Filtration
  
  
  • Chemical dosing
  
  
  • Phase separation
  
  
  
  


• Integrate process systems with upstream and downstream operations.


• Serve as the lead Process Engineer on technology development and commercialization projects.


• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering and technical teams to ensure technologies are scalable and operationally reliable.


• Support business development activities through process design, technical proposals, and cost estimates.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering.


• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in process engineering, process design, or technology scale-up.


• Minimum of two (2) years of experience with critical minerals recovery, lithium, iodine, or other specialty separations, solvent extractions and separations.


• Demonstrated experience designing or optimizing chemical processes involving complex brine systems, with strong expertise in iodine extraction and/or lithium brine processing.


• Experience designing processes involving corrosive service, phase separation, heat transfer, and temperature-dependent chemical operations.


• Previous experience supporting the commercialization of new process technologies from design phase through scale-up and pilot plant.


• Experience processing produced water or complex feed streams is a plus.


• Experience with process simulation software such as: Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, or UniSim

Why Work Here

• Join a funded growth-stage technology company backed by an established, revenue-generating industrial processing business, offering the innovation of a scaling organization with the stability of an operating platform.


• Be a Builder - play a key role, that is hands-on in commercializing innovative process technologies.


• Work on projects supporting the growing critical minerals and energy transition sectors.


• Gain exposure to a broad range of advanced separation and chemical processing technologies.


• Join a collaborative engineering environment focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.


• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package.

This is an excellent opportunity to become part of a fast-growing critical minerals technology company. The successful applicant will receive a competitive compensation package including base salary, annual bonus target, medical benefits, life insurance, PTO, holidays, and more.