Chemical Process Engineer

Chemical Process Engineer

Calcarea is at the forefront of decarbonizing the global economy, starting with the shipping industry. Our mission is to leverage Accelerated Weathering of Limestone (AWL) to safely and permanently sequester CO2 in the ocean as bicarbonate ions. We have developed an innovative system to apply AWL technology directly on ships, and over time, we also aim to develop a new category of vessel specifically designed around large-scale onboard carbon conversion.

The Role

Calcarea is seeking a hands-on Chemical Process Engineer to play a central role in delivering our first land-based pilot and then vessel-based deployment. This individual will collaborate closely with the CTO, founders, external parties, and the rest of the technical team, supporting the transition from technical development into real-world implementation.

Responsibilities will include: (i) hands-on operation and engineering support for our shore-based and ship-board pilot plants, including several months at sea as one of the key individuals aboard our first full-scale vessel deployment; (ii) leading and supporting research and development in our lab and shore-based operations; (iii) leading and supporting design and modelling of new chemical processes; and (iv) leading and supporting setup, testing, commissioning, and running of new chemical processing operations.

This is a highly hands-on position for someone excited by first-of-a-kind hardware, dynamic operating environments, and the challenge of getting a novel physical system installed, commissioned, and operating successfully in the field, and is meant for someone who wants to grow within the organization as we scale.

This position is a full-time in-person role based in Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA with a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

• Degree in chemical or mechanical engineering or a related technical discipline with 3-5 years of experience.
• Track record of success in a hands-on (wrench turning) chemical engineering role, including new process development, commissioning, and startup, supporting plant operations, and instrumentation.
• Experience with preparation of process flow diagrams and reactor designs.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced startup environments with evolving priorities and limited structure.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Extensive travel to support ship-board and shore-based installation, commissioning, and pilot execution.
• Experience in maritime systems, ship-board integration, pilot plants, industrial equipment, process systems, or first-of-a-kind hardware deployments is highly beneficial.
• Practical, execution-oriented mindset with a strong bias toward action and problem solving.