Chemical Engineer - Downstream Processing

Chemical Engineer – Downstream Processing

Viridos is a privately held biotechnology company mitigating climate change through low-carbon algae biofuels. Our unparalleled understanding of algal genetics and ability to translate innovation from lab to field underpins our initial deployment: a scalable platform to produce low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD) based on hyper-productive Viridos algae. We are currently seeking an experienced Chemical Engineer to join our fast-growing, dynamic, and collaborative team in La Jolla, CA.

The Chemical Engineer will be responsible for process development programs aimed at harvesting, extraction, and processing algal biomass to produce a drop-in renewable fuel feedstock, enabling our core algal engineering efforts to advance toward biofuel commercial production.

The role is responsible for carrying out laboratory and pilot-scale experimentation to generate basic data supporting the development of a sustainable, low carbon intensity process. The Chemical Engineer will develop and work through collaborative relationships with external partners including government laboratories, university partnerships, and process equipment suppliers to optimize our downstream process technology. Within Viridos, under the direction of our Chief Engineer, they will work closely with diverse, cross-functional teams across the R&D organization and the business development team to provide renewable fuel technoeconomic assessment (TEA) support to guide process technology decisions.

Key responsibilities

• Drives the establishment and continual refinement of a downstream process strategy for Viridos’ algal oil commercialization.
• Defines and carries out innovative experimental programs to support our downstream process focused on biomass harvesting and oil extraction and conversion process technology development and commercialization.
• Anticipates and recognizes process technology challenges and makes recommendations for solutions and allocation of resources needed to meet company goals.
• Provides practical, data-driven technology direction and support to company leadership. Regularly interacts with executives and/or external influencers on matters affecting the company’s work to commercialize algal oil as a renewable fuel feedstock.
• Champions approaches driving towards optimized product quality, process performance and economics relying on scientific, sustainability, and quality principles.
• End-to-end analysis of project data that includes quality control, data qualification, hypothesis testing, interpretation, and subsequent presentation of results.
• Working with our Analytical Chemistry team, characterizes biomass samples at various stages of processing and presents data reports that translate complex ideas into relevant and intuitive explanations.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of process technology commonly used in edible oil refining, renewably sourced fuels, and petrochemical refining. Especially relevant experience may include but not be limited to biomass dewatering and pretreatment, solvent extraction, oil purification, and petrochemical processes.
• Proven track record of achievement in synthesis and advancement of new process technology towards commercialization using disciplined project execution and technoeconomic assessment to guide process technology selection.
• Familiarity and experience with accepted TEA and Sustainability/LCA process modeling.
• Familiarity and experience with common process hardware such as pumps, heat-exchangers, mixing technology, storage tanks, filtration, and other separation technologies.
• Experience with modern process control strategies, data acquisition, data analysis software, and statistics.
• Able to work independently and within a team setting, possessing the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities across multiple interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience working with external contractors, such as partner industrial companies, government labs, or external laboratories involved in chemical analysis.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to collaborate, seek constructive feedback, build relationships, promote teamwork, and remain flexible and open-minded. Able to quickly adapt to change.

Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of experience working in the renewable fuel, edible oil processing, or petrochemical sector.
• Requires a MS or Ph.D. in Chemical, Biochemical, or Mechanical Engineering.
• Organized, highly motivated, innovative professional with critical thinking and problem-solving skills to independently design, execute, trouble-shoot and analyze experiments.
• A track record of productivity with peer-reviewed publications and patents.
• Prior experience in project management in a research or industry setting.
• Proven leader of technical teams and subordinates.

Estimated base salary range for a Chemical Engineer is $120,000 - $160,000. Should the level of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable salary range may be updated as well.