Senior Process Engineer

GEA•Columbia, SC

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Process Engineer supports the sales and execution of GEA process systems, focusing on evaporation and crystallization technologies for the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical markets. Based in Columbia, Maryland, the role is part of the North American Technical Offer Management team. The engineer works closely with customers and regional sales managers to understand technical needs and serves as a primary technical contact. The position develops engineering documents and technical proposal content, reviews orders, and collaborates with Procurement, Contract Management, Sales, Project Management, and Engineering. The expected workload is approximately 30–40% oversight responsibilities and 60–70% individual sales and project execution assignments. The role contributes across the project lifecycle, from customer meetings and pre-award sales support through engineering, commissioning, troubleshooting, and optimization. It develops and reviews process designs and technical documentation, supports proposals and cost estimation, and provides customer-facing technical support, training, and process improvement recommendations. The position may work from home periodically under the stated current policy of two days in the office and three days at home, and normally involves 10–20% travel. GEA offers medical, dental, and vision coverage beginning on the first day; 12 paid holidays, including a flexible floating holiday; 136 hours of PTO; a 7% 401(k) employer match; tuition reimbursement; a wellness incentive program; a confidential Employee Assistance Program; and Flexible Health Savings and Spending Accounts. A discretionary bonus and/or equity awards may also be available based on eligibility. The listed base pay range is TBA, and the posting notes that compensation varies by work location and depends on several job-related factors. The position is based in the United States and does not offer visa or work sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future sponsorship. GEA states that it is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive work environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering.
At least 15 years of experience.
Proficiency in fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics.
Experience with process design, equipment sizing, and component selection.
Ability to read and interpret technical specifications and drawings.
Willingness and ability to travel, normally 10–20% of the time.
Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
Effective interpersonal skills and ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
Self-motivated, with ability to work from home periodically; the current policy is two days in the office and three days at home.
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office products.

Nice To Haves

At least 2–3 years of hands-on chemical industry process engineering experience.
At least 5 years of process equipment industry engineering or sales experience.
Strong knowledge of ASME Section VIII, Division 1, and B31.3.
Knowledge of shop and/or field fabrication practices, including fit-up techniques and types and quality of welding.
Experience selecting construction materials, including corrosion testing techniques.
Ability to interpret CFD modeling results.

Responsibilities

Participate in project phases from initial customer meetings and pre-award sales support through cost estimation, proposal generation, engineering, commissioning, and optimization.
Own specific technical areas of projects, ensuring design standards are followed and designs meet customer specifications within time, budget, and contract constraints.
Collaborate with project teams to achieve milestones and goals.
Identify and justify scope changes affecting process design throughout the project lifecycle.
Develop technical solutions that meet customer expectations and requirements.
Maintain accurate records of meetings, discussions, correspondence, and technical documents.
Develop Block Flow Diagrams (BFDs), Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Process and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), and heat and mass balances.
Develop process equipment specifications and specify or design utility consumption.
Contribute to general arrangement, plot plan, and elevation view drawings.
Evaluate and approve design changes, specifications, and drawing releases.
Develop process and functional descriptions of operation.
Lead and facilitate software factory acceptance testing (FAT).
Confirm operation according to the process description or functional description (FDS).
Plan and implement test procedures and commissioning plans.
Provide troubleshooting support to resolve customer concerns about equipment or system performance.
Complete plant audits.
Ensure compliance with government regulations, safety and environmental requirements, industry standards, and sanitary requirements.
Support safety evaluations, including HAZOP meetings.
Collaborate with team members, technology centers, and GEA European Centers of Competence on technology improvements and project execution.
Coordinate with other disciplines to minimize deficiencies, errors, and omissions in project technical documents and specifications.
Develop relationships with technical stakeholders regarding process design and operation.
Provide pre-sale and post-sale support, including site evaluations, pilot trials, presentations, and training.
Technically evaluate third-party supplier proposals and equipment selections.
Work with customers in support of sales managers and build and maintain customer relationships.
Lead or support commissioning activities on site and train customer personnel on GEA process systems during commissioning.
Provide ongoing troubleshooting support, train customer personnel, and report process improvement initiatives.