Sr. Process Controls Engineer

Mariana Minerals; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Mariana Minerals is seeking a Process Controls Engineer to lead development and deployment of first-of-its-kind chemical refining processes and to contribute to software for capital project execution and plant optimization. You will oversee controls infrastructure from concept to handover and help build an in-house engineering team.

The role involves leading technical equipment scale-up, de-risking novel mineral refining processes, and collaborating with software and ML teams to automate

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals.
• Experience with equipment engineering and design including brownfield and greenfield projects.
• Leadership of engineers and technicians across projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop standards for controls programming.
• Lead equipment scopes from concept to ramp.
• Manage external equipment providers, licensors, and engineering firms.
• Drive cross-functional teams to de-risk scale-up and commercialization.
• Support hiring and mentorship of junior process engineers.
• Develop technoeconomic models for new opportunities and technologies.
• Prepare bankable engineering deliverables for financing.
• Identify and implement process engineering and project management software tools.
• Support automation of capital project execution workflows.

Skills

Engineering fundamentals

Equipment design

Team leadership

Capital projects

Controls programming

Job description

About Mariana Minerals

Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making.

Role Overview

Mariana Minerals is looking for a highly motivated Process Controls Engineer to work on building the critical minerals supply chain.

As a Process Controls Engineer at Mariana Minerals, you will lead the development and deployment of first-of-its-kind chemical refining processes, while also playing a critical role in the development of software for capital project execution and automated plant optimization. Responsibilities will include leading equipment and plant-wide controls infrastructure and programming scopes from concept through to design, installation, commissioning, ramp, and handover to the operations team, and supporting the buildout of an in-house engineering team.

What You’ll Do

• Develop standards for controls programming

• Lead equipment scopes from concept and modeling validation, through procurement, engineering, fabrication, installation, commissioning, and ramp

• Manage external equipment providers, technology licensors, and engineering companies to deliver fully integrated and functional mineral refining scopes

• Drive cross-functional teams of lab technicians, pilot plant engineers, process engineers, and project engineers to lead the technical equipment scale-up and de-risk the commercialization of novel mineral refining processes

• Support the hiring, mentorship, and day-to-day management of junior process engineers

• Develop technoeconomic models of new project opportunities, acquisition targets, and new technologies to inform business development

• Prepare and present bankable engineering deliverables to support project financing partners due diligence reviews

• Identify, evaluate, and implement process engineering and project management software tools

• Identify and support opportunities for the software and machine learning teams to automate capital project execution workflows and develop advanced plant control algorithms

What You’ll Bring

• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and demonstrated ability to leverage the understanding to solve challenging problems

• Experience with equipment engineering and design. Including but not limited to:

• Brownfield equipment modifications and upgrades

• Greenfield equipment design

• Evaluation and optimization of operating equipment

• Experience with the following industries and/or production environments:

• Industrial manufacturing

• Large-scale mining or mineral processing

• Large-scale chemical production processes

• Engineering, procurement, and construction firms

• Experience with direct or indirect leadership of engineers and technicians

• Experience with project management and execution of medium to large scale (>$5M) capital projects

Our culture is built on four principles:

Everyone Gets Home Safe. We never put speed or cost ahead of people.

Extreme Ownership. We take full responsibility for outcomes, relentlessly driving toward solutions.

Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate. We simplify, optimize, and then automate for scale.

Share Your Legos. We collaborate openly, share knowledge, and empower each other to build bigger, better solutions.

Join us as we build the future of responsible mineral sourcing and supply!