Senior Process Engineer

Commonwealth Fusion Systems•Devens, MA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) is seeking a Senior Process Engineer with deep chemical engineering fundamentals and experience in designing, scaling up, commissioning, and operating process systems in large industrial facilities. The ideal candidate will come from industries such as power generation, petrochemical processing, liquefied natural gas (LNG), industrial gases, chemicals, air separation, cryogenic refrigeration, pulp & paper, or another large-scale process industry. At CFS, you will work across various process technologies including cryogenic systems (helium and nitrogen), power generation and steam systems, molten salt systems, fueling and gas processing, vacuum systems, and process utilities. You should be comfortable with developing process design basis, heat and material balances, equipment sizing, P&ID development, HAZOP leadership, field walkdowns, start-up support, and troubleshooting operating systems.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering (or closely related discipline)
7+ years of relevant industrial process engineering experience, or equivalent demonstrated depth of experience
Strong command of chemical engineering fundamentals including mass and energy balances, thermodynamics, phase equilibrium, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, transport phenomena, unit operations, and process dynamics and control
Experience designing process systems for large-scale industrial facilities
Demonstrated experience taking process systems through a structured FEL or equivalent stage-gated project development process, from concept and process definition through detailed engineering and execution
Experience with process scale-up, technology scale-up, or translating process requirements into commercial-scale equipment and facilities
Demonstrated experience developing core process engineering deliverables including process design bases, heat and material balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment specifications, datasheets, and process calculations
Experience sizing, specifying, and selecting industrial process equipment
Hands-on experience operating, commissioning, starting up, performance testing, and troubleshooting industrial process systems and physical equipment
Experience working directly with operators and technicians and using operating data and field observations to diagnose process performance
Experience with process simulation and analysis tools such as EcoSim, Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, AVEVA Process Simulation, or equivalent
Experience with process safety and hazard analysis, including HAZOP or equivalent methodologies
Experience with relief system design and overpressure protection
Experience working with and integrating other engineering disciplines including mechanical, piping, instrumentation and controls, electrical, safety, operations, and construction
Experience working directly with equipment vendors, fabricators, EPC organizations, or construction contractors
Familiarity with applicable process industry codes and standards, including ASME B31.3 and ASME BPVC Section VIII
Ability to clearly express and critique technical ideas, assumptions, risks, and tradeoffs
Strong engineering judgment and the ability to recognize when analytical or simulation results do not make physical sense
Attention to detail with an emphasis on practical, elegant, and commercially viable engineering solutions
Values that align with our company’s values of integrity, execution, impact, and self-critique
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally
Perform activities such as stooping, climbing, typing, standing, and sitting for extended periods of time
Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call, including occasional travel to suppliers, contractors, or operating facilities
Willingness and ability to work hands-on in industrial, construction, commissioning, and operating environments
Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, vacuum systems, hazardous materials, and cryogenics

Nice To Haves

Experience designing, commissioning, or operating large-scale cryogenic systems, particularly helium systems
Experience in power generation, petrochemical, LNG, industrial gases, chemical processing, nuclear, or other large-scale process facilities
Experience with steam systems, particularly steam generation, steam distribution, condensate, and balance-of-plant systems
Experience designing, commissioning, or operating molten salt systems
Experience designing, commissioning, or operating industrial vacuum or high-vacuum systems
Experience with industrial gas processing, purification, separation, or fueling systems
Experience with large-scale process utilities including cooling water, chilled water, compressed or instrument air, nitrogen, and other plant utility systems
Experience scaling first-of-a-kind technologies from pilot or demonstration scale to commercial operation
Experience with dynamic process simulation and control-system development
Experience with industrial automation
Licensed as a Professional Engineer

Responsibilities

Own process engineering scope for complex systems from early concept through design, construction, commissioning, start-up, and operation
Develop process concepts and translate fundamental engineering requirements into practical, commercially viable industrial systems
Develop process design bases, operating envelopes, design cases, process flow diagrams (PFDs), heat and material balances, utility balances, P&IDs, equipment lists, line lists, and process datasheets
Apply chemical engineering fundamentals including thermodynamics, phase equilibrium, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, transport phenomena, reaction engineering, separations, process dynamics, and process control
Develop steady-state and dynamic process models and use engineering analysis to guide system architecture, equipment selection, and operating strategy
Size and specify process equipment including pumps, compressors, blowers, heat exchangers, vessels, columns, piping systems, control valves, relief devices, and other unit operations
Lead process engineering through Front-End Loading (FEL) and progressively mature systems from conceptual design through process definition and engineering definition
Evaluate process alternatives and technical tradeoffs considering performance, safety, reliability, operability, maintainability, capital cost, and lifecycle cost
Develop equipment and package specifications, technically evaluate vendor proposals, and work directly with equipment suppliers and fabricators
Lead or contribute to process safety activities including HAZOPs, design reviews, relief and depressurization studies, consequence evaluations, and development of safeguards
Develop process control philosophies, operating sequences, alarm requirements, permissives, interlocks, and operating limits in collaboration with controls engineers and operators
Perform multidisciplinary technical reviews to ensure that systems are safe, operable, maintainable, and capable of achieving their intended process function
Support procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, inspection, and field engineering, including field walkdowns and resolution of design and construction issues
Develop commissioning plans, test procedures, operating procedures, and start-up strategies and participate directly in commissioning, start-up, performance testing, and operation of process systems
Troubleshoot operating equipment and processes using first-principles engineering, process data, field observations, and structured process investigations
Capture lessons learned from construction, commissioning, and operation and translate them into improvements in process safety, reliability, operability, maintainability, performance, engineering standards, and future designs
Provide technical leadership and mentor less-experienced engineers on complex process engineering problems