Senior Process Engineer - NOT PUBLISHED

Posted May 10, 2010 12:00 AM    

Department: Development

Location: San Diego, CA / Las Cruces, NM

Sapphire Energy is a venture capital backed company developing next generation biofuels based on recent advances in metabolic engineering. The company’s focus is the commercialization of high performance, low cost, and low carbon footprint biofuels that are direct replacements for conventional gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

We are seeking a Process Engineer to join our Development Group.

Requirements:

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering or related field; advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) is desirable.
• Minimum 10 years of direct industrial process engineering experience in one of more of the following fields: oil and gas, bioprocessing (e.g. vegetable oil extraction), biofuels (e.g., ethanol, biodiesel production, and/or other fermentation process), other advanced fuel production (e.g., hydrotreating, pyrolysis, hydrothermal upgrading, and/or Fischer Tropes processes).
• Experience with piloting activities including operations, process optimization, and scale up.
• Experience performing process studies, conceptual design, front-end engineering, and applying detailed chemical engineering principles to the work process.
• Due to the highly collaborative nature of this position, interpersonal and communications skills will be extremely important.
• Proficiency in writing and oral presentations.
• The ability to work in a project-oriented environment and interface effectively with the biotechnology R&D team is essential.
• Demonstrated management and leadership skills.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage piloting of algae biomass processes, including scale up and optimization, and daily piloting operations.
• Contribute to process design.
• Support future commercial demonstration scale operations.
• Support other R&D activities at the field test site.
• Recruit and train process engineers and technicians.

Sapphire offers very competitive compensation packages including bonuses and equity, as well as full benefit packages which include health, dental, vision insurance, 401k, and paid time off. To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to human.resources@sapphireenergy.com with “Process Engineer” in the subject line.