Lead Process Engineer

Role: Sustaera has an immediate opening for a Process Engineer. This position plays a key role in supporting the development of current and future work. This role will primarily focus on process design, simulation, and scale-up of our air contactor system.

Requirements: BS or MS in Chemical Engineering preferably with 3+ years of industrial experience. Work on-site at Cary, North Carolina Headquarters required.

Company: Sustaera is a carbon removal startup in Research Triangle Park (Raleigh-Durham area), North Carolina, developing and deploying a novel solution for Direct Air Capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide from the air. Sustaera is a spin-out of Susteon, a climate tech company focused on H₂, carbon capture, and carbon utilization, with Series A venture capital funding from Breakthrough Energy and Grantham Foundation.

Desired Technical Skills:

• Experience with process design and/or operation of cyclic absorption or adsorption systems (PSA, TSA, VSA)
• Experience with creating and optimizing process simulations using modeling software such as AspenPlus, Aspen HYSYS, or similar
• Experience with system scale-up from pilot to industrial scale
• Experience with equipment design, selection, and costing (desired background in carbon capture, oil and gas, or clean energy)

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead development of process designs for new pilot, demonstration, and commercial units for the company
• Lead creation of process flow diagrams (PFDs), heat and material balances (H&MB), and process specifications across the company
• Perform Techno-economic analysis (TEA) on new units
• Support preparation of invention disclosures and patent applications
• Support laboratory/pilot plant testing for the ongoing projects
• Conceptualize new ideas and perform techno-economic feasibility analyses
• Support preparation of research proposals
• Collaborate with other engineers including mechanical, materials, electrical, etc

Desired Soft Skills:

• Strong aptitude for learning new skills
• Project management with multiple stakeholders and partners
• Strong technical/business writing skills
• Ability to effectively work with clients
• Strong safety focus
• Creative problem solving and lateral thinking ability
• Ability to work in a team environment with a “can-do” attitude
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• A passion for climate change!

Sustaera an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As a condition of employment, Sustaera will inquire about COVID-19 vaccination status, and if vaccinations and masking are mandated at a work location (including client locations and Sustaera locations) we expect all candidates to comply with these required safety protocols. Please note that as of January 18, 2022, Sustaera will require all staff to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work at Sustaera. Candidates or employees who cannot get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons may be eligible for an accommodation and should notify the hiring manager if they wish to request one. Requests for accommodation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.