Chemical Engineer (Senior/Staff/Principal)

Found Energy is building clean energy delivery platforms capable of replacing fossil fuels for heavy industries ranging from aluminum production (4% of global CO2 emissions) to fertilizer production (2% of global CO2 emissions) to maritime shipping (3% of global CO2 emissions). Building off technology developed at MIT that enables metallic aluminum to split water, our energy delivery systems safely generate hydrogen and industrial heat on-site at >5x the volumetric energy density of liquid hydrogen and >3x that of methanol and ammonia. By integrating storage, transport, and generation into a single package, our technology solves some of the biggest pain points in renewable energy transportation and storage.

At Found Energy, we believe in securing a livable and equitable future for our planet, and we are looking for partners who are motivated by this goal to join us. For more information, visit https://found.energy.

Benefits Overview

Health, dental, 20 days PTO, 11 holidays, unlimited sick days, 12 weeks parental leave, stock options, professional development budget, and more.

Job Overview

Found Energy is looking for chemical or process engineers with 5+ years of industry experience. Applicants should have prior experience building and designing chemical reactors, plants, power generation, or similar systems. Candidates should have significant prior experience working with gasses at moderate or high temperatures and elevated pressures, including steam, hydrogen, natural gas, or other flammable gasses.

Found Energy has demonstrated its core hydrogen generation technologies, including a system capable of powering a full-sized electric vehicle. We are now working to scale up the reactor system for both our minimum viable product (MVP) and commercial pilot demonstrations. The completion of the MVP and commercial pilots requires designing and testing numerous sub-processes and sub-systems at the targeted industrial scale, as well as at various intermediate scales along the way.

Chemical engineers in this role will be responsible for directly translating previous and ongoing R&D work into prototypes and production units, while measuring and tracking performance metrics, and solving key technical issues as they arise. You will interface with our customer and pilot partners to develop solutions and customize our technology to meet their technical requirements.

Good chemical hygiene and safety practices are paramount. You will be expected to participate, lead, and improve upon our chemical hygiene and safety protocols.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Plan and manage reactor design, assembly and testing for internal or external use
• Design, build, and test reactor prototypes in support of reactor scale-up and pilot projects
• Design and build test platforms for rapidly iterating and validating subsystems
• Perform data analysis on reactor test results to identify improved operating conditions
• Create process flow diagrams, models, and simulations of prototype and production units
• Produce and maintain P&ID and other documentation
• Specify, downselect, and modify COTS components for integration into subsystems
• Participate in and lead design reviews of chemical process subsystems
• Develop safety systems and protocols for the prototype and production systems
• Develop and maintain SOP documentation for prototype and production systems
• Translate R&D work into prototype functional requirements and specifications
• Translate partnership specifications into design requirements
• Opportunities to travel domestically and internationally
• Participate in building and growing company culture and values

Preferred Qualifications

• Deeply motivated by the climate crisis and its downstream impacts
• 5+ years of work experience in chemical engineering, process engineering, or related fields;
• Note: Role designation will be commensurate with experience and candidates with additional experience will be considered for advanced individual contributor roles
• Exceptional communication and documentation skills

Experience in one or multiple of the following:

• Project management and planning experience
• Factory Acceptance Testing and product validation/qualification
• Chemical reactor design, assembly, and validation
• Familiarity with process control systems, PID controllers, and PLC controllers
• Chemical separation and purification processes
• Solid-liquid separation and filtration
• Sourcing and integrating pumps, valves, and other essential equipment for fluid control and transport within the process system
• Creating process flow diagrams and chemical system simulations/models
• Hydrogen handling and safety equipment, including fuel cells
• Sensor integration and data acquisition
• Familiarity with Linux/Unix-based operating systems via command line
• Familiarity with one or more software languages (Python, C++, MATLAB, etc.)
• Familiarity with process or fluids modeling software such as Aspen, CHEMCAD, COMSOL, or ANSYS
• Experience with 5S or similar methodologies

Research suggests that qualified people from historically marginalized groups may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who might not meet the exact requirements, but who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

Found Energy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.