Full Time
Maine
Posted 2 years ago

Director, Commercial Engineering & Technical Services

We seek a highly motivated Director, Commercial Engineering & Technical Services to lead commercial plant design and engineering activities and provide technical licensing support in the field of biobased chemical processes. Successful candidates will be able to leverage their experience and expertise to build and lead a team consisting of internal process technology and engineering experts, external engineering contractors, and consultants to develop technical proposals and Process Design Packages (PDPs) for company’s licensed processes, and project leadership for capital projects. The role will also coordinate and deliver ongoing Technical Services to existing licensee’s plants. Strong project management and communication skills are a must as this position will interact internally with multiple functions and externally with engineering contractors as well as current and prospective business partners and licensees. Candidates who can demonstrate previous high performance contributing to and leading the development of Process Design Packages (FEL-2) and new capital construction projects for both petrochemical and industrial fermentation processes are desired.

This position is located in San Diego, CA. Remote work arrangements could be considered for outstanding candidates (requiring regular travel to San Diego).

Essential Functions and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Lead activities and project execution at 3rd party engineering contractors to develop Process Design Packages. Guide and mentor diverse project teams consisting of process development engineers, engineering contractors, and consultants. Serve as company’s process engineering lead in the contractor’s office.
Define and coordinate workflows to review and approve engineering documents in a timely manner. Implement best practices for document versioning and cataloging of companies inbound and outbound engineering files.
Provide ongoing technical support to the commercial licensing team, including technical proposals, to secure new licenses.
Manage existing licensee relationships and coordinate follow-on Technical Services.
Participate with process development team in the analysis and interpretation of experimental data, technical literature, and process simulations. Translate this information into equipment and process specifications and provide recommendations for further development, intellectual property opportunities, and cost minimization projects.
Provide commercial and operational perspective to projects in the process development phase. Ensure that early-stage process technologies are being developed with the commercial end in mind (constructability, safety, capital cost, etc).
Mentor, coach, and manage junior level personnel.

Qualifications & Experience

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required in order satisfactorily perform in this role.

Education & Experience

Degree in Chemical Engineering, or related field, and a minimum of 10 years of relevant industry experience. Candidates with Master’s or PhD degrees and similar relevant industry experience will be viewed favorably.

Knowledge Requirements

Expert knowledge and understanding of chemical engineering principles and their application to chemical plant design, knowledgeable in several areas outside of immediate area of expertise.
A demonstrated track record of managing project teams to deliver technology proposals and the engineering deliverables of a Process Design Package (FEL-2 package). In addition to leading these activities, must also have the ability to perform as an individual contributor for developing these engineering deliverables.
Formal project management training and demonstrated success leading engineering design and new capital projects for petrochemical and/or industrial fermentation processes.
Demonstrated plant operations and petrochemical or bioprocess EPC experience preferred.
Proven ability to communicate the technical requirements of equipment and processes.
Strong knowledge in the field of environmental, health and safety (EH&S) regulations, standards, and practices and their impact on chemical process design and operations.

Competencies

Ability to elicit cooperation from, and influence a wide variety of individuals, including upper management, internal department heads, and third-party contractors/plant personnel.
Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and strong computer skills (Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, etc).
Team player committed to success and getting the job done well
Desire to learn new things, positive attitude and enthusiasm

Work Environment/ Physical Demands

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work conditions are primarily desk/office environment.
Ability to travel to current and prospective partner sites, engineering contractor offices, and manufacturing facilities (typically less than 25%, with periods of higher frequency).

To apply for this job please visit orbiterrecruiting.com.