Vice President of Operations

We are conducting a search for a Senior Process Engineer to join an established engineered-equipment manufacturer. This position offers the opportunity to work closely with the current Director of Engineering, learn the company's technology and applications, and gradually assume broader technical and engineering leadership responsibilities.

The ideal candidate will have a strong chemical or process engineering background combined with practical experience designing and supporting engineered industrial equipment involving pressure, temperature, steam, gases, process liquids, heat transfer, process controls, instrumentation, and pressure vessels.

This is a hands-on engineering position requiring direct customer interaction, process development, cross-functional collaboration, equipment troubleshooting, and technical leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Director of Engineering to develop a comprehensive understanding of the company's products, technologies, equipment, and customer applications.
• Consult with customers to understand their manufacturing processes, technical requirements, production challenges, and performance expectations.
• Translate customer and process requirements into practical, safe, and reliable equipment solutions.
• Develop process concepts, technical specifications, operating requirements, and system-design criteria for custom-engineered equipment.
• Perform engineering calculations related to pressure, temperature, flow, heat transfer, steam, gases, liquids, and process performance.
• Review process-flow diagrams, P&IDs, instrumentation requirements, equipment layouts, and control-system strategies.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers throughout the equipment-design and project-execution process.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, equipment testing, commissioning, installation, and startup activities.
• Troubleshoot equipment, process, instrumentation, and control-system issues.
• Provide technical support to customers, manufacturing teams, field-service personnel, suppliers, and internal project teams.
• Ensure equipment designs meet applicable performance, quality, safety, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Improve engineering standards, technical documentation, design practices, and project-execution processes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineering team members.
• Assume progressively greater responsibility for engineering projects, technical decision-making, team development, and departmental leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Senior-level experience in process engineering, applications engineering, equipment engineering, or a related technical role.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid flow, heat transfer, pressure systems, and process controls.
• Hands-on experience with engineered industrial equipment involving pressure, temperature, steam, gases, process liquids, or similar process conditions.
• Experience reviewing and interpreting P&IDs, process-flow diagrams, instrumentation specifications, and control-system requirements.
• Experience developing technical solutions based on customer processes and operating requirements.
• Ability to work effectively with mechanical, electrical, controls, manufacturing, and field-service teams.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, organizational, and technical decision-making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to customers, engineers, suppliers, and senior leadership.
• Interest in developing into a broader engineering leadership role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within aerospace, defense, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience with superalloys, composite materials, heat treatment, thermal processing, or chemical processing.
• Experience designing or supporting autoclaves, pressure vessels, ovens, furnaces, or high-pressure and high-temperature processing systems.
• Experience with engineered-to-order machinery or custom capital equipment.
• Familiarity with pressure-vessel codes, equipment-safety requirements, and applicable engineering standards.
• Previous experience leading engineering projects, mentoring engineers, or managing multidisciplinary technical teams.

Skills and Competencies

• Customer-focused technical problem-solving
• Process and equipment design
• Heat-transfer and fluid-flow analysis
• P&ID and instrumentation review
• Process-control knowledge
• Equipment commissioning and troubleshooting
• Cross-functional project leadership
• Clear technical documentation
• Sound engineering judgment
• Team development and mentorship

Position Requirements

• Ability to work in an engineering and manufacturing environment.
• Ability to participate in equipment testing, installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities.
• Ability to travel to customer or supplier locations as required.