Director, Pipeline Engineering

Nscale • Houston, TX

17h • $170,000 - $290,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Nscale is building the infrastructure for the AI revolution, developing sovereign generative AI solutions powered by high-performance, sustainable data centers and GPUs. The company is seeking a Director, Pipeline Engineering to own the engineering of natural gas transmission pipelines that fuel Nscale's generation campuses. This role involves establishing the design basis, driving engineering through hydraulic design, controls philosophy, and construction, and technically managing third-party engineering firms and contractors. The position is hands-on, requiring technical leadership and full ownership of the pipeline scope, from upstream interconnect to plant fence. The Director will ensure pipeline designs comply with regulations, establish integrity management foundations, and support commissioning and first gas. They will also manage third-party technical interfaces, develop Nscale's engineering standards, and coordinate with various internal teams. This role is crucial for enabling Nscale's rapid scaling across North America and beyond.

Requirements

• 15+ years of natural gas pipeline engineering experience across design, construction, and operations.
• Significant time in a lead or owner's engineer role on transmission systems, with senior accountability for major transmission projects.
• Deep hydraulic engineering capability, including transient modeling of gas transmission systems.
• Strong process engineering instincts, including comfort with inventory-based system behavior, regulation and overpressure protection design, control philosophy development, and process safety methods like HAZOP.
• Working fluency with 49 CFR Part 192 and ASME B31.8, including MAOP determination, class location, and code interfaces with plant piping.
• Hands-on experience with measurement and regulation stations, interconnects with major interstate pipelines, and commercial mechanics of nominations and transportation.
• Experience taking pipeline scopes through construction, hydrotest, and first gas on major projects.
• Proven ability to direct engineering consultants and construction contractors.
• Demonstrated ability to own a scope independently, establish the basis, set the pace, and escalate with solutions.
• Proven ability to build standards, processes, and teams in a fast-scaling environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Civil Engineering or a related field.
• Willing and able to travel to project sites, vendor facilities, and construction spreads regularly (typically 25%, higher during construction and commissioning campaigns).

Nice To Haves

• PE license preferred.
• Industry standing (code committee participation, technical society leadership, or equivalent) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the design basis for Nscale's gas transmission pipelines, including hydraulic design, MAOP and pressure regime, line pack and inventory strategy, routing and sizing philosophy, and expansion provisions.
• Perform and direct steady-state and transient hydraulic modeling of pipeline systems, treating models as living assets for operational analysis.
• Demonstrate how the pipeline design basis supports downstream commitments such as engine fleet demand, campus availability, and nominations-versus-consumption balance.
• Evaluate gas storage and supply resilience options, analyzing the risks associated with each.
• Own the overpressure protection philosophy, including regulation, monitor, slam-shut, and relief selection, justified against reliability requirements and industry practice.
• Define the control philosophy at interconnects, letdown stations, and plant interfaces, including measurement and SCADA provisions.
• Apply process safety discipline, leading and supporting HAZOPs and design reviews, and managing change.
• Engineer the interface into plant fuel gas systems, coordinating conditioning, letdown, and protection philosophies.
• Own compliance of pipeline designs with 49 CFR Part 192 and applicable ASME B31 codes.
• Establish material, welding, and construction specifications, class location and MAOP documentation, and records discipline.
• Lay the foundation for integrity management, including baseline assessment planning, pigging and inspection provisions, and mainline valve philosophy.
• Support commissioning and first gas activities, including purge and pack planning and energization of systems.
• Technically manage engineering consultants, reviewing deliverables and integrating their output.
• Direct pipeline construction contractors on technical matters, including specification compliance and field queries.
• Own the technical interface with upstream pipeline operators and interconnect counterparties.
• Hold third parties accountable for disciplined engineering, testing, and documentation.
• Own the scope, schedule, and budget of third-party pipeline engineering.
• Develop Nscale's engineering standards, specifications, and reference designs for gas pipelines.
• Coordinate with generation engineering, permitting and land teams, and commercial teams.
• Build and lead the internal pipeline engineering function, directing consultants and hiring/developing a team.
• Communicate complex pipeline and process issues clearly to project leadership and executives.
• Represent Nscale's pipeline scope in design basis alignment with EPC partners, upstream operators, and customers.

Benefits

• Highly competitive US compensation package (base + bonus + equity)
• Performance reviews every 12 months
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Generous PTO plus US federal holidays
• A career-defining opportunity to be an early member of one of the fastest growing AI infrastructure companies in the world
• Flexible workplace with autonomy

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director