Job Description / Role - Engineering Director

Company Overview

Looking to have a meaningful impact on the world through cutting-edge cleantech on a global scale? Join LanzaJet, Inc., one of the world’s leading clean energy technology companies focused on decarbonizing the transportation sector. LanzaJet produces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and sustainable diesel fuel through its patented technology and process. LanzaJet’s unique and innovative pathway has been approved by ASTM to produce certified, drop-in jet and diesel fuels using sustainably certified ethanol as the feedstock.

LanzaJet’s history started 15 years ago in New Zealand when LanzaTech was founded to develop carbon recycling technology. Over that period of time and by working with the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Lab, an innovative approach was developed, approved, and scaled to produce low-carbon jet and diesel fuels from ethanol feedstock. This creates localized feedstock solutions across the globe by leveraging waste sources as the commodity for ethanol production.

The launch of LanzaJet, with investment from Suncor Energy, Mitsui, and LanzaTech, and financial support from ANA and the US Department of Energy, has set the stage for the accelerated commercialization of LanzaJet proprietary sustainable fuels technology. LanzaJet’s first commercial-scale refinery in Georgia is in final design with production planned to start in 2023. Three additional commercial-scale low-carbon fuel refineries are planned by 2025 creating a cumulative production of 100 million gallons of low-carbon jet and diesel fuels – a nearly 10x increase to the amount of sustainable aviation fuel available in the market today. LanzaJet is partnering with companies around the world to strategically advance the deployment of its technology in Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.

Join a fast-growing, innovative company with a global and long-lasting impact by sustainably fueling the future!

Job Description

LanzaJet has an immediate need for an Engineering Director to join the growing technology team in our Deerfield, IL location to assist our upcoming alcohol to jet production plants. The Engineering Director will lead the corporate engineering team and collaborate closely with site engineering, business development, sales, and the executive leadership team. The person in this role will enable the coordination of business drivers into new technology design elements while aligning communication with executive management, board of directors, government funding agencies, and investors. This position is also responsible for all phases of process design work for commercial projects supporting our global customers, support for infrastructure design and engineering needs at the production sites as well as integration of LanzaJet designs in LanzaTech projects utilizing gas fermentation and gasification technology to produce ethanol. Phases of projects include basic and detailed design aspects such as heat and material balances, equipment sizing and specification, safety and reliability systems, PFDs and P&IDs, and developing and executing project plans for delivery of engineering packages and coordination with a cross-functional global team. Coordination is essential to ensure that a robust process is followed, resulting in timely and accurate project execution. The person in this position will serve as a mentor all engineering disciplines assigned to projects.

Currently, there is the need to drive the integration of plant designs with existing infrastructure and utilities on two projects; one in the US and one in Europe with the first start-up in 2022. In addition, there are basic engineering packages, feasibility studies, and techno-economic analyses that need resource, timing alignment, and updated technology transfer coordination. Another key goal for the director of engineering is to lead the incorporation of reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) into all design aspects of the projects, support the operations aspects and ensure best-in-class standards with safety and sustainability as top priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide the technical leadership and coaching, as well as a strategic vision for the group accountable for the preparation of engineering process design packages for LanzaJet commercial-scale production facilities
• Lead a team of engineers whose accountabilities include:
  • Developing a preliminary scope and project plans for new projects including estimates for preliminary project costs and benefits
  • Feasibility studies
  • Process Flow Diagrams (PFD’s)
  • Detailed Heat and Material balances for new or modified processes
  • Process and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID’s)
  • Equipment lists and specifications
  • Modular equipment
• Drive ongoing integration of LanzaJet ATJ processes with third-party technologies to develop complete technology packages
• Validate calculations, utilization of heat and material balance data, equipment sizing, and specifications developed at all stages of basic and detailed engineering, in-house and by third parties
• Participate in HAZOPs and risk identification and mitigation activities globally.
• Lead the team in continuous improvement of LanzaJet’s design methodologies and tools to address customers’ needs and productivity improvements
• Drive process efficiencies and value engineering while ensuring best practices, safety considerations standards are captured within the engineering teams and implemented globally throughout the company
• Lead technical interactions with clients, equipment vendors, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors, and industry consultants
• Work with plant operating personnel to troubleshoot operational issues in real-time
• Support the implementation of real-time monitoring for mission-critical technical equipment at the operating sites
• Collaborate with the site infrastructure and engineering teams to improve the maintenance and operation of existing installations
• Provide ongoing technical support for business development and sales
• Create the engineering infrastructure needed to deliver projects on time, within budget, and meeting quality standards
• Drive reliability, availability, and maintenance standards globally in line with company goals for operational safety
• Support technical assessment of existing installations and give input to long-term investment strategy
• Support technical elements of global and local sustainability initiatives
• Lead improvement of engineering project management competencies across the global organization

Experience:

• 15-20 years of experience composed of leading refining or chemical plant design engineering projects, operations, infrastructure, and capital project development and management.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing groups accountable for delivering engineering design packages in an international context.
• Prior refinery or chemical commercial-scale plant commissioning experience with thermochemical reactions and heterogeneous catalysts. R&D experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in developing HMB’s, PFDs, P&ID’s, and process equipment specification sheets
• Ability to translate engineering concepts into functional process designs, as well as troubleshoot operating units and develop sound engineering solutions
• Hands-on experience with specification and operation of commercial-scale equipment such as reactors, tanks, rotating equipment, heat exchangers, vessels, boilers, wastewater treatment, cooling towers, flare systems as well as process simulation tools
• Working knowledge of process instrumentation, control valves, and control loops
• Dedicated experience with AutoCAD and Aspen/HYSYS
• Experience with client/EPC documentation review
• Excellent written, oral and project management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and team player mentality
• Familiarity with FMEA reliability and RAMS a plus
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative, work independently and in a team environment
• The ability to operate in a fast paced, global, entrepreneurial environment.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, advanced degree a plus
• Will consider other disciplines with strong background in operations and project management
• Certifications such as PE, PMP and Six Sigma a plus

This position is open to candidates authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer. LanzaJet is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

iyo556kDim