Director of Process Engineering

Adiabatic Materials•Somerville, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We're looking for a Director of Process Engineering who can turn proven chemistry into a real, scalable process. You will own the biphasic reactor step at the heart of our process and the scale-up of any conventional chemistry steps needed at g to kg scale or higher, complementing our Director of Electrochemical Engineering who owns the electrochemical cell. We have a preference for pharmaceutical manufacturing experience, ideally from an environment that scaled innovative continuous-flow processes. The near-term job is to own the path from bench-scale results to early production that works, driving a 100x to 1000x capacity increase over the first 12 months.

Requirements

MS or PhD in chemical engineering or a closely related field (BS considered with additional process development experience)
At least 5 to 10 years of post-degree hands-on process development experience (not purely academic)
Direct experience scaling chemical processes from bench to pilot (10x to 100x+) and ideally beyond
Familiarity with multi-step synthesis, separation, and recycle loop design
Hands-on rig building and modification experience
Experience in reactor selection, mass/heat transfer, mixing, and separations

Nice To Haves

Pharmaceutical manufacturing experience, e.g. at a company that scaled continuous-flow processes from grams to tons, at a large pharma company, CDMO, or generics manufacturer
Direct experience with biphasic reactor systems (mixer/settler, liquid-liquid extraction, or similar) and kg-scale chemistry
Familiarity with Aspen, COMSOL, or similar modeling tools

Responsibilities

Map the full process at block-flow level, work with the CSO and the Director of Electrochemical Engineering to separate proven chemistry from engineering risk, and deliver a documented scale-up strategy for the biphasic step with clear decision criteria within the first 3 months.
Build or modify biphasic reactor setups and flow loops personally, establish SOPs, run structured DOE campaigns, and demonstrate stable operation. Run g to kg-scale chemistry steps as needed within multi-step sequences.
Select biphasic reactor and separation configurations, source equipment (off-the-shelf preferred, light fabrication when needed), and lead design and commissioning of the early production system.
Own process robustness, reproducibility, and documentation in your area. Contribute to HAZOP-style reviews and operate within Greentown Labs' safety environment.
Translate process performance into cost drivers, run TEAs, and provide defensible assumptions for investor conversations.