Position Purpose
Owns everything after the fermenter, including broth clarification, purification, the catalytic conversion step and final product purification to specification.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the downstream process description covering separation, filtration, ion exchange or chromatography, crystallization, drying and solvent recovery.
- Own the catalytic conversion step, including fixed bed reactor operation, catalyst loading and unloading, activity monitoring and regeneration or replacement planning.
- Own distillation and purification operations and the product specification control strategy.
- Translate the process into operating procedures, control narratives and operator training content.
- Track yield, recovery, purity and solvent losses at each step and drive improvement.
- Manage polymerization risk, including inhibitor dosing, oxygen requirement and temperature limits, alongside the process safety engineer.
- Support commissioning of downstream and reaction systems, including catalyst first load and performance verification.
- Interface with the technology partner and catalyst supplier on performance questions.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or master's degree in chemical engineering or organic chemistry with process experience.
- Five or more years in downstream purification or organic chemical synthesis at production scale.
- Direct experience with separation, crystallization or distillation unit operations.
- Solvent handling and recovery experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Fixed bed catalytic reactor operating experience.
- Reactive monomer experience.
- Chromatography or ion exchange purification at scale.