Sr. Project Engineer - Process

LJA; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Health and dental plans

Maternity and parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Referral bonuses

Volunteer days

Professional development memberships

Internal career mobility

Fun culture

Job summary

LJA Energy seeks a Senior Project Engineer to support the design and execution of oil and gas midstream projects in Dallas, including natural gas processing, compression, and pipelines. The role balances technical requirements with schedule and cost, with potential as discipline lead or Engineer of Record for assigned work.

You will develop process deliverables, review P&IDs and heat/material balances, and perform simulations using ProMax, HYSYS, or VMGSim.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Mechanical Engineering degree may be considered where candidate has substantial process engineering/oil & gas facilities experience.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas or eligible to obtain Texas registration within an agreed period.
• Ability to take professional responsibility for engineering work per regulations and practice requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop process engineering deliverables for feasibility, FEED, front-end to detailed engineering, and brownfield projects.
• Prepare and review PFDs, P&IDs, utility flow diagrams and related drawings.
• Develop design bases, operating philosophies, control philosophies, shutdown philosophies, and process narratives.
• Create heat and material balances and establish operating cases (normal, min, max, start-up, shutdown, upset).
• Run process simulations using ProMax, Aspen HYSYS, VMGSim or equivalent.
• Equipment sizing for separators, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, vessels, dehydration, amine treating, refrigeration, relief systems.
• Perform piping/hydraulic calculations, line sizing, pump system calculations, valve sizing.
• Coordinate with PMs, clients, operations, vendors, and other disciplines; participate in reviews and risk assessments.
• Conduct site visits and data gathering; provide mentoring and technical review for junior staff.

Skills

Process engineering

Oil & gas midstream

Leadership/Mentoring

Client coordination

Education

B.S. Chemical Engineering

B.S./B.E. Mechanical Engineering considered

Texas PE license or eligible

Tools

ProMax

Aspen HYSYS

VMGSim

Job description

What Lja Has To Offer

LJA is offering an exciting opportunity that will allow you to reach your full career potential. The structure of our organization is designed to amplify your capabilities while gaining the benefits of being an employee-owner. What truly sets this opportunity apart is the chance to collaborate every day with dedicated, skilled, and supportive leaders. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or behind the scenes, working at LJA gives you the chance to grow through hands-on experience and exposure to a broad range of clients and services.

What Lja Has To Offer

LJA is offering an exciting opportunity that will allow you to reach your full career potential. The structure of our organization is designed to amplify your capabilities while gaining the benefits of being an employee-owner. What truly sets this opportunity apart is the chance to collaborate every day with dedicated, skilled, and supportive leaders. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or behind the scenes, working at LJA gives you the chance to grow through hands-on experience and exposure to a broad range of clients and services.

What Makes Lja Different

At LJA, our employee-owners take pride in their work and their workplace. We’re guided by leaders who foster a culture of respect, collaboration and a shared vision of success. Our difference is evident in the experiences and opportunities we provide:

• Employee-owned. Client-focused
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Consistently ranked as a Top Workplace
• Internal recruitment team, in-house training, and a marketing department specific to our industry
• We celebrate flexibility, allowing every team and office to lead with their proven approach
• Our culture champions continuous learning and personal growth
• We believe success comes through constant evolution and communication
• We are passionate about having fun and making money, all while creating impact

POSITION OVERVIEW:

As a Sr. Project Engineer at LJA Energy, you will support the design and execution of oil and gas midstream projects involving natural gas processing, compression, liquids handling, pipelines, terminals, metering facilities, and associated utility systems. This role requires a technically capable and accountable engineer who can balance technical requirements, project objectives, constructability, operability, safety, schedule, and cost. Depending on experience, this position may act as a discipline lead, technical authority, project engineer, or Engineer of Record for assigned work.

A TYPICAL DAY MIGHT INCLUDE:

• Developing, reviewing, and maintaining process engineering deliverables for feasibility studies, concept selection, front-end engineering design, detailed engineering, facility modifications, debottlenecking, and brownfield projects.
• Preparing and reviewing process flow diagrams, piping and instrumentation diagrams, utility flow diagrams, and other process-related drawings.
• Developing design bases, process descriptions, operating philosophies, control philosophies, shutdown philosophies, and process narratives.
• Preparing heat and material balances and establishing normal, minimum, maximum, start-up, shutdown, and upset operating cases.
• Developing and validating process simulations using ProMax, Aspen HYSYS, VMGSim, or equivalent applications.
• Performing equipment selection, specification, and sizing for separators, scrubbers, treaters, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, storage vessels, tanks, dehydration systems, amine treating systems, refrigeration systems, relief systems, and related process equipment.
• Performing piping and pipeline hydraulic calculations, pressure-drop evaluations, line sizing, pump-system calculations, control-valve sizing inputs, and facility hydraulic profiles.
• Performing pressure-relief device sizing and relief-system evaluations in accordance with applicable codes and standards.
• Coordinating process engineering activities with project managers, clients, operations representatives, vendors, and other engineering disciplines.
• Participating in design reviews, model reviews, HAZOPs, What-If reviews, LOPAs, design safety reviews, and other formal risk-assessment activities.
• Conducting site visits, field investigations, facility walkdowns, and data-gathering activities as required.
• Providing technical guidance, mentorship, checking, and review for junior engineers, designers, and other team members.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Mechanical Engineering degree may be considered where the candidate has substantial process engineering and oil and gas facilities experience.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas through the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, or eligible to obtain Texas registration within an agreed period.
• Ability to take professional responsibility for engineering work in accordance with applicable legislation, regulations, and professional practice requirements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Five to ten years of relevant process engineering experience for Intermediate-level consideration, primarily within oil and gas, natural gas processing, pipeline, terminal, or midstream sectors.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible process engineering experience for Senior-level consideration, with substantial experience in oil and gas midstream facility design.
• Demonstrated ability to independently complete process calculations, simulations, equipment sizing, hydraulic evaluations, and engineering deliverables.
• Experience coordinating with other engineering disciplines and communicating directly with clients and operations personnel.
• Strong knowledge of process engineering fundamentals, including thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer, phase behavior, and process control.
• Demonstrated experience with oil, gas, water, and multiphase separation; oil treating and stabilization; gas dehydration; amine treating; refrigeration; hydrocarbon dew-point control; compression and pumping systems; pressure relief and flare systems; and facility utility systems.
• Proficiency with one or more process simulation packages such as ProMax, Aspen HYSYS, or VMGSim.
• Proficiency with piping and pipeline hydraulic calculation methods and software.
• Experience with pressure-relief sizing software or recognized calculation methods.
• Working knowledge of applicable engineering codes, standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.

IDEALLY, YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE:

• Ten years of experience in an engineering consulting or EPC environment.
• Experience with both greenfield and brownfield midstream projects.
• Experience working directly with operations, maintenance, construction, and commissioning teams.
• Experience facilitating or leading HAZOP, PHA, LOPA, and design-review sessions.
• Experience preparing proposals, engineering estimates, project execution plans, and discipline schedules.
• Familiarity with three-dimensional model reviews, laser-scan information, and modern engineering document-management systems.
• Experience with facility optimization, debottlenecking, energy-efficiency improvements, and emissions-reduction projects.
• For Senior candidates, experience leading process engineering activities on multidisciplinary projects.
• Strong client-management, technical-leadership, mentoring, and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience with brownfield modifications, operating facilities, construction support, commissioning, and start-up.

LEVEL UP WITH LJA

At LJA, we’re 100% employee-owned. This drives results, rewards ambition and supports long-term success for every team member. With almost 100 locations and 3,000+ employee-owners (and growing), we’re building something big! We want you to be part of it. Your future grows here.

• Generous Time Off: PTO, paid holidays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple plan options for health, dental, and pets. Along with mental health support.
• Family Support: Paid maternity and parental leave to help you focus on what matters most.
• Education Support: Tuition reimbursement and in-house courses provided by our Learning and Development team.
• Referral Bonuses: Know great talent? Get rewarded for helping us grow.
• Community Impact: Company-sponsored volunteer days and philanthropic initiatives.
• Professional Development: Memberships to industry organizations to keep you connected and growing.
• Career Growth: Great internal mobility opportunities to advance your career.
• Fun Culture: LJA social events, employee sports teams, bring your kid to work day, etc.