Principle Process Engineer Gevo

Gevo, Inc. is an exciting, team-oriented company that is pioneering the advanced green energy industry. We are looking for a Principle Process Engineer, based in Englewood, Colorado. The Principle Process Engineer will be responsible for envisioning the technology and process concepts necessary to keep Gevo cost competitive in the production of fermentation based fuels and chemicals. This person will ensure that the lowest cost technologies are discovered and appropriately evaluated with the best selected for implementation. Technology areas include, but are not limited to, all feed-stock processing, fermentation, recovery, purification and downstream conversion into derivative fuels and chemicals. The Principle Process Engineer will create process concepts and lead the development of flow diagrams, process material and energy balances, process capital and operating cost studies to understand commercial feasibility and plant design. This position will consult on the design, installation, operation and data collection in pilot plant and commercial facilities to support the appropriate technology demonstration and product development. This position will work with business development, and all other groups at Gevo, to ensure appropriate technologies are being developed.
Requirements include:
? M.S. or PhD in Chemical Engineering or Biochemical Engineering or related field, or equivalent education and experience;
? Requires a minimum of 10 years of increasingly responsible professional, not academic, experience solving industrial problems;
? Strong capital cost and operating cost knowledge for renewable resource conversion via fermentation products;
? Strong knowledge of unit operation functionality including the strengths and weaknesses of various unit operations and their limitations;
? Experience in collecting and analyzing data for laboratory and pilot operations to provide direction for optimal process development;
? Experience in developing mass and energy balances using an array of analytical techniques and calculation methods;
? Broad overall background in chemical engineering sciences (e.g. biology, chemistry, analytical chemistry, process engineering);
? Candidate must exercise a high level of independent decision-making. Must be able to research, identify and plan projects and make recommendations to VP, EVP, COO, President and CEO levels.
? Preparing and delivering information in a concise and professionally written format;
? Preparing and presenting information to staff in formal and informal settings;
? Ability to work in teams;
? Directing and coordinating work among teams and groups;
? Developing and/or creating new or more effective ideas, approaches, etc;
? Developing and/or creating methods, procedures, training, etc;
? Developing and formulating short-range plans and decisions;
? Analyzing and developing solutions to problems;
? Providing technical support;
? Developing and maintaining a positive customer rapport;
? Excellent interpersonal skills;
? Ability to travel as needed.
Responsibilities include:
? Integrate safety into process evaluation and work practices;
? Envisioning cutting edge commercial process concepts and designs of biofuels and chemicals production facilities to enable Gevo to remain competitive;
? Leads the conceptualization, evaluation and design of industrial scale fermentation and recovery systems;
? Builds a portfolio of cutting edge technologies appropriate to Gevo business;
? Creates and leads others in the creation of and review of process models, block flow diagrams, process flow diagrams and cost estimations;
? Completes and/or oversees engineering calculations, mass and energy balances, and process equipment design;
? Ensures that the appropriate technical information is measured in the laboratory and pilot research and that the information is appropriately interpreted;
? Participates in the process qualification, start-up and troubleshooting to achieve plant performance targets;
? Makes recommendations to senior and executive management regarding the feasibility and cost competitiveness of processes and options, and which should be pursued;
? Interpersonal effectiveness and teamwork: interacts well in a team environment (clients, peers, vendors, contractors) and has good communication at all levels in the organization. Open and flexible to changes in priorities and timelines, good listening skills;
? Work with peers and management to support engineering scale-up efforts. Identify outside technology vendors, lead evaluations of equipment performance, process trials, and make recommendations to management concerning technical feasibility;
? Contribute to focused and productive engineering as a member of an interdisciplinary development team including Engineers, Chemists, Technicians, Microbiologists and Biochemists;
? Participate with legal counsel to protect and enrich the intellectual property portfolio of the project. Identify through careful, thoughtful and thorough research, ways to increase value to the portfolio;
? Independently apply a wide variety of scientific principles and concepts to potential inventions, products and problems. Maintain a broad knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories. Serves as in-house and outside representative;
? Travel is required for portions of job duties.

Location:	Englewood, CO United States