Process Engineer
Wilmington, NC
Full-Time | On-Site
Q-Clearance Required or Eligible
Reporting to the Mechanical Engineering Manager, the Process Engineer supports the development, design, testing, and commissioning of process systems for Global Laser Enrichment’s enrichment technology. This role helps translate process science, system performance needs, and operating requirements into practical engineering inputs for first-of-a-kind equipment.
The Process Engineer will support separator/cascade systems, UF₆ feed/product/tails systems, gas handling skids, enrichment performance, and Test Loop operations. The role requires strong chemical/process engineering fundamentals, hands-on problem solving, and the ability to work closely with mechanical design, systems engineering, test engineering, and process scientists.
NOTE: This role is subject to the incumbent’s ability to hold and maintain an NRC Q-clearance and nuclear site access.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Support development of process requirements, operating envelopes, and process design inputs for enrichment-related systems.
- Prepare and review mass balances, energy balances, P&IDs, process flow diagrams, system descriptions, and design basis inputs.
- Complete calculations and analyses to support component sizing for pumps, compressors, valves, flow meters, pressure relief devices, piping, and other components typically found within a chemical processing facility.
- Help define normal operating conditions, off-normal conditions, process limits, and key performance parameters.
- Build and model process simulations using platforms such as ChemCAD, Comsol, Microsoft Excel, and MATLAB/Simulink.
- Work with mechanical design and systems engineering to ensure process requirements are incorporated into equipment and system designs.
- Provide process engineering input to design reviews, hazard reviews, readiness reviews, and configuration-controlled documentation.
- Support development of test plans, test objectives, acceptance criteria, commissioning plans, and system readiness documentation.
- Analyze test data to evaluate enrichment performance, system behavior, process stability, and operating limits.
- Use test results to recommend updates to process requirements, operating parameters, system designs, or future test plans.
- Support Test Loop operations during planning, startup, testing, troubleshooting, and commissioning.
- Assist with identification of instrumentation needs, control points, alarm limits, and data collection requirements.
- Provide process engineering input to hazard analyses, safety basis development, and licensing-related documentation.
- Document technical findings, assumptions, conclusions, and recommendations clearly and consistently.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Experience with chemical process systems, gas handling systems, vacuum systems, or similar industrial process equipment.
- Experience supporting process requirements, mass/energy balances, P&IDs, operating envelopes, or process system documentation.
- Experience supporting test planning, commissioning, troubleshooting, startup, or operation of complex process systems.
- Strong technical problem-solving skills and ability to connect process behavior with equipment design and operating performance.
- Ability to work effectively with mechanical design, systems engineering, test engineering, operations, and process science teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Desired Qualifications:
- Advanced degree (Masters or Ph.D.) in Chemical Engineering or related scientific discipline
- Experience with UF₆, uranium processing, nuclear fuel cycle systems, or other hazardous chemical process systems.
- Experience with enrichment, isotope separation, cascade systems, or related process technologies.
- Experience supporting R&D test systems, pilot plants, prototype equipment, or technology maturation programs.
- Familiarity with regulated environments, safety basis documentation, licensing support, or process hazard analysis.
- Experience with instrumentation, data analysis, controls interfaces, and process performance evaluation.
- Experience working with first-of-a-kind equipment in an iterative design, test, and commissioning environment.
