Process Scale-Up Engineer (Chemical Manufacturing)

Role details

Description of Position:

Nelumbo is a science and technology company focused on generating advanced materials through surface modification. Nelumbo’s IceNein® product family is an anti-ice coating to increase the efficiency of heat transfer surfaces in HVAC-R systems. IceNein® is applied to the heat exchanger’s surface for applications including refrigerated transportation, stationary heat pumps, industrial refrigeration, and others.

Kuraray, a Japanese manufacturer of chemicals, resins, and other functional materials, recently acquired Nelumbo to accelerate the deployment of the technology.

We are seeking an experienced Process Scale-Up Engineer to lead the transition of our novel metal finishing process from R&D and pilot stages to full-scale commercial manufacturing. Our specialized process utilizes batch style multi-tank wet chemical lines functionally similar to industrial anodizing systems.

In this role, you will bridge the gap between experimental data and high-volume production. You will design, specify, and validate chemical processing equipment to transition R&D scale proof of concept to pilot scale equipment, and ensure seamless technology transfer to our contract manufacturing partners.

Key Responsibilities

Process Scale-Up & Technology Transfer

• Bridge R&D to Production: Drive the scaling and implementation of proprietary chemical processes using experimental, benchtop, and pilot-scale data.
• Contract Manufacturing Support: Lead the physical and operational transfer of manufacturing processes to external contract manufacturers (CMs).
• Commercial Readiness: Optimize newly scaled lines for maximum repeatability, throughput, and long-term manufacturability. Observe and collect feedback from CM operators and quality control teams to improve standard operating procedures.

Equipment & Infrastructure Engineering

• Capital Equipment Sourcing: Specify, source, install, and validate (IQ/OQ/PQ) industrial wet chemical processing equipment and supporting infrastructure.
• Facility Layout: Collaborate with the Lead Project Engineer and equipment vendors to develop process flow concepts, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and plant equipment layouts.
• Vendor Management: Coordinate directly with chemical equipment vendors, mechanical contractors, and internal stakeholders during installation and commissioning.

Operational Support & Troubleshooting

• Production Line Triaging: Oversee early stage commercial production at CM’s site, providing hands on support and troubleshooting while acting as the company’s primary point of contact at the facility. Act as the technical expert to lead troubleshooting in production, chemical process deviation, or product quality issues.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with the core R&D and process engineering teams to rapidly resolve floor bottlenecks and implement design changes.

EH&S, Standards & Documentation

• Process Safety: Contribute to rigorous safety and design reviews, including Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies for wet chemical lines.
• SOP & Work Instructions: Author, validate, and maintain comprehensive engineering documentation, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and quality control standards for internal and external use.

Qualifications & Skills

Required Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Industry Experience: 3–6\+ years of hands-on experience in chemical manufacturing scale-up, pilot plant operations, or chemical process engineering.
• Chemical System Expertise: Proven experience working with industrial wet chemical processing systems, multi-tank lines, chemical delivery/filtration, or industrial surface finishing (e.g., anodizing, electroplating, etching, or pickling).
• Equipment Validation: Direct experience specifying capital equipment, interpreting P&IDs, and executing equipment commissioning (IQ/OQ/PQ).

Preferred Attributes

• Experience managing technology transfers to external contract manufacturers.
• Strong grasp of process safety management (PSM), chemical compatibility, and industrial ventilation standards.
• Familiarity with statistical process control (SPC) and design of experiments (DOE).

Position Details

• Location: Mansfield, TX
• 50% travel in the first 4 months for extensive training at our Hayward, CA HQ
• \~10% travel after initial training