Senior Process Engineer

8rivers; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

8 Rivers in Durham, NC is seeking a Senior Process Engineer to design, optimize and commercialize a portfolio of innovative energy technologies. The role sits at the intersection of technology development, commercialization, and sustainability, with emphasis on scalable process designs and techno-economic analysis.

You will build and refine Aspen Plus/HYSYS models, perform mass and energy balances, and scale prototypes to full-scale deployment while working with business development to assess

Qualifications

• Engineering degree: Bachelor’s in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or closely related field.
• Proficiency building and refining steady-state/dynamic models in Aspen Plus or HYSYS.
• Deep understanding of advanced thermodynamic cycles and mass/energy balances.
• 3+ years in processes like power, syngas, hydrogen/ammonia, or related clean energy technologies.
• Experience creating BEP, PFDs, HMB and equipment specifications.
• Ability to translate technical data into clear business insights for non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Build simulation models to evaluate system performance using Aspen Plus/HYSYS.
• Optimize thermodynamic cycles to reduce levelized cost.
• Perform mass and energy balances across operating conditions.
• Scale up designs to infrastructure-scale deployment.
• Advance commercialization by aligning tech with market needs and capital decisions.
• Draft technical docs, white papers, and IP disclosures.
• Collaborate with business development to identify opportunities and engage clients.

Skills

Process modeling

Thermodynamics

Mass & energy balances

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Aspen Plus

Aspen HYSYS

Job description

Company

8 Rivers is a Durham, NC firm focused on the invention, development, and commercialization of sustainable, infrastructure-scale solutions to global problems through impactful technologies. The company maintains the agility, creativity, and fast-paced environment of a start-up, while partnering with large, industry-leading companies to develop and deploy those technologies. Our process enables us to innovate in industrial fields that are lacking in creative disruption. 8 Rivers has demonstrated expertise in generating and commercializing large-scale, meaningful solutions to some of the most challenging problems facing the world today and across a variety of industries in the clean energy, carbon capture, and clean fuels sectors.

The company innovates widely in adjacent markets in the clean energy technology space. Some of our marquee technologies include the Allam-Fetvedt Cycle - a zero-emission power production system that enables low-cost power production with inherent carbon capture, 8RH2 - our innovative clean hydrogen technology utilizing CO2 convective reforming to achieve > 99% carbon capture.

Opportunity

8 Rivers is seeking a Senior Process Engineer to design, optimize and commercialize a portfolio of innovative energy technologies and project development opportunities. This role is ideal for an entrepreneurial engineer who is excited to work at the intersection of technology development, commercialization, and sustainability, and who wants to contribute to the deployment of transformative energy solutions.

This role involves building and refining process models to support high-impact decisions and advance the company’s and client’s growth, commercialization, and decarbonization objectives.

This role is ideal for entrepreneurial engineers with technology incubation and commercialization background, or technical candidates with desire to engage in business development activities.

Responsibilities

Process Modeling & Optimization

• Build simulation models using software like Aspen Plus to evaluate system performance.
• Optimize process thermodynamic cycles to achieve lowest levelized cost.
• Conduct mass and energy balances to validate performance across various operating conditions.
• Scale up designs to full infrastructure-scale deployment.

Technology Commercialization & Strategy

• Advance commercialization efforts by bridging the gap between technical concepts and market-ready infrastructure solutions.
• Evaluate market viability of new clean energy technologies alongside business development teams.
• Inform capital decisions by translating complex technical process data into clear financial metrics.
• Conduct techno-economic assessments to compare novel system costs against traditional energy baselines.
• Partner with business development to evaluate market viability, identify project opportunities, and engage prospective clients.
• De-risk technology portfolios by identifying critical technical bottlenecks prior to commercial rollout.
• Draft technical documentation including white papers, patents, and specifications to protect intellectual property.

Project Development & Engineering

• Partner with industry leaders and global vendors to seamlessly integrate proprietary 8 Rivers systems.
• Develop engineering packages including Basic Engineering Package (BEP) and Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs)
• Support client engagement by tailoring core technologies to unique customer site needs.
• Maintain startup agility by rapidly pivoting designs based on commercial feedback.

Required Qualifications

• Engineering degree: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Process simulation expertise: Strong proficiency building and refining steady-state and dynamic models in Aspen Plus, Aspen Hysys, or similar software.
• Thermodynamic proficiency: Deep understanding of advanced thermodynamic cycles, heat integration, and mass/energy balances.
• Core chemical process knowledge: minimum of 3 years working in industries such as power production from fossil fuels, syngas generation/processing/ cleanup, hydrogen /ammonia, and/or with exposure to point source capture, and/or clean energy technologies
• Design package creation: Experience developing Basic Engineering Packages (BEP) and Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Heat and Material Balance (HMB) and equipment specifications.
• Scale-up experience: Experience moving complex industrial chemical processes from conceptual or pilot scale to commercial deployment.
• Cross-functional communication: Ability to translate highly technical process data into clear, actionable business insights for non-technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Commercialization background: Demonstrated experience working directly with business development teams to evaluate market viability and pitch technologies.
• Techno-economic modeling: Experience conducting techno-economic assessments (TEAs) and capital cost estimation for novel energy technologies.
• Advanced power cycle experience: Specific familiarity with the Allam-Fetvedt Cycle, supercritical CO2 (sCO₂) systems, or advanced hydrogen production.
• Startup agility: Background working in fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments or technology incubators.
• Intellectual property involvement: Experience collaborating on patent applications, drafting technical white papers, or securing technology IP.