Senior Process Engineer

Polymer; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity options

Health, dental, vision, and life insur

401(k) with company matching

Flexible PTO and holidays

Health/fitness stipend

Diverse and supportive team

Job summary

ChemFinity Technologies in New York seeks a scale-up engineer to lead the design, build, and integration of pilot-scale mineral recovery systems. You’ll collaborate with engineers, chemists, co-founders, and external partners to move from lab to industrial scale, delivering high-purity products and reliable pilot units.

Responsibilities include unit design, commissioning, automation oversight, process modeling support, documentation, and on-site work at the Brooklyn facility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical/ mining/ mechanical engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in building deployable pilot systems or industrial chemical separations technologies.
• Experience scaling up mineral recovery or sorbent technologies is a strong plus.
• Experience programming systems automation and process controls.
• Experience in project management and interfacing with external partners.
• Hands-on experience building, operating, and troubleshooting equipment.
• Commitment to high safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, commission, and validate pilot-scale process units of mineral recovery systems.
• Integrate process units for continuous processing and recovery of critical minerals with high-purity products.
• Oversee the automation and controls of recovery system prototypes.
• Support the modeling of recovery systems to determine process variable sensitivities for pilot- and demo-scale systems.
• Work with external partners to determine design requirements and sources for pilot plant operations.
• Prepare and manage documentation including flowsheets, equipment and process design criteria, technical reports, and SOPs.
• Perform full-time hands-on work on-site at our Brooklyn facility.

Skills

Pilot systems

Process controls programming

Project management

Scale-up planning

Equipment troubleshooting

Safety compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemical/related field

Tools

AutoCAD

Aspen

Job description

About us:

ChemFinity Technologies is building critical mineral recovery systems to produce over 30 minerals from waste and mining feedstocks at low cost, using our proprietary, high-performance, high-durability sorbent filters. Up to a 6x increase in critical mineral demand may be expected by 2040, to meet the supplies needed for clean energy, defense, manufacturing, and other technology sectors. However, 80% of U.S. critical minerals already come from foreign sources, and 7% of greenhouse gas emissions come from mining. Our team’s mission is to produce these minerals in ways that are cheaper, cleaner, and more accessible than existing methods such as high-temperature smelting.

Spun out of UC Berkeley in late 2022 and based in New York City, ChemFinity is backed by top-tier investor firms and over 10 top government and grant agencies, such as Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Fellows, the U.S. Department of Energy, ARPA‑E, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ChemFinity has been recognized as top innovators in the critical minerals sector by the World Economic Forum, Forbes, Cleantech, and Conservation X Labs.

What you will do:

ChemFinity seeks a scale-up engineer with experience in building pilots and controls to lead key aspects of the scale-up, design, and integration of our sorbent and critical mineral refining systems. In this role you will work creatively and hands‑on with our team of engineers and chemists, co‑founders, and external partners as we build pilots and grow from the lab to industrial scale. Key responsibilities include:

• Design, build, commission, and validate pilot‑scale process units of mineral recovery systems.

• Integrate process units together for continuous processing and recovery of critical minerals, ensuring high‑purity products.

• Oversee the automation and controls of recovery system prototypes.

• Support the modeling of our recovery systems to determine process variable sensitivities for pilot‑ and demo‑scale systems.

• Work with external partners (e.g., suppliers, contractors, EPCs) to determine design requirements for various unit operations, help source materials and supplies for pilot plant operations, and identify design needs at larger scales.

• Prepare and manage comprehensive documentation, including flowsheets, equipment and process design criteria, technical reports, and standard operating procedures.

• Perform full‑time hands‑on work on‑site at our Brooklyn facility.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in chemical engineering, mining engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or other closely related field.

• 5+ years of experience in building deployable pilot systems and/or industrial chemical separations technologies. Prior experience in scaling up critical mineral recovery systems and/or sorbent technologies is a strong plus. (Note: We are considering a range of experience levels for this role.)

• Experience in programming systems automation and process controls.

• Experience in project management and successfully interfacing with external partners.

• Experience in planning scale‑up processes based on materials, designs, and flowsheets.

• Hands‑on experience in building, operating, and troubleshooting equipment.

• An unwavering commitment to high safety standards and supportive work behavior.

Other preferred qualifications:

• Experience in scaling technologies in startups and/or from the lab to full‑scale commercialization.

• Proficiency in process modeling software (e.g., AutoCAD, Aspen).

• The desire to be in a dynamic startup environment and proactively use critical thinking to solve difficult but impactful challenges.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range for this position is expected to be $100K–$150K. Compensation will be commensurate with experience level. For this role, we are considering candidates from a range of experience levels and highly value fit with our team.

• Competitive compensation including equity options

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits

• 401(k) benefits with company matching

• Flexible paid time off and holidays

• Health/fitness stipend

• Open, supportive, and diverse team focused on creating major impact

ChemFinity Technologies is an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace as a core value. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, nationality, color, sexual orientation, ancestry, religion, gender identity, age, marital status, disability status, or veteran status.