Gradiant is a Different Kind of Water Company. With a full suite of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions for advanced water and wastewater treatment powered by the top minds in water, the company serves its clients mission-critical operations in the world's essential industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, lithium and critical minerals, and renewable energy. Gradiant's innovative solutions reduce water used and wastewater discharged, reclaim valuable resources, and renew wastewater into freshwater. The Boston-headquartered company was founded at MIT and has over 1,400 employees worldwide. Discover us at www.gradiant.com.
About the Role
The Senior Process Engineer will lead process design, pilot-scale system development, and commissioning for PFAS-related water treatment technologies — translating process engineering fundamentals (PFDs, P&IDs, HAZOP, equipment sizing) into scalable, manufacturable designs. This is a hands-on engineering role spanning bench and pilot testing through full-scale commercial deployment, with project coordination across internal teams, vendors, and customers.
Key Responsibilities
Process Design & Engineering
- Develop process design basis, technical specifications, operating windows, and performance assumptions/claims
- Prepare Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), equipment lists, instrument lists, and General Arrangement (GA) drawings
- Perform mass balance calculations, equipment sizing, and cost estimation
- Maintain and standardize process design templates, calculation methods, and engineering tools
Pilot & Bench-Scale Execution
- Design and execute experiments, including building and operating bench-scale and pilot-scale systems for proof-of-concept (POC), design verification, and validation
- Lead pilot system design, setup, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities
- Support on-site commissioning and pilot studies as required
Risk & Controls
- Conduct technical risk assessments (e.g., HAZOP), including identification of failure modes, mitigations, and control strategies
- Develop control philosophy and functional narratives in collaboration with PLC programmers to ensure robust system automation
Cross-Functional Delivery
- Coordinate engineering inputs required for GA drawings, 2D layouts, and 3D models
- Work closely with Engineering and Manufacturing teams to translate outputs into standardized, repeatable, manufacturable design packages
- Establish commissioning and acceptance protocols, troubleshooting playbooks, and field readiness standards
- Capture field learnings and translate them into design improvements and updated engineering standards
- Execute NPI plans, including scope definition, milestones, and resource planning
- Support proposal and regional manufacturing teams with costing exercises and technical proposals
Qualifications / Requirements
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related discipline
- 3–7 years in the water industry (EPC, OEM, or water technology/solution companies preferred)
- Hands-on experience leading or supporting bench-scale or pilot-scale systems, commissioning, and troubleshooting
- Experience preparing PFDs, P&IDs, equipment lists, instrument lists, and GA drawings
- Experience with process modelling/design software (Aspen, WAVE, IMS Design, OLI, or equivalent) is an advantage
- Exposure to scale-up or commercialization of new technologies from lab/pilot to industrial scale preferred
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project coordination skills across cross-functional teams
- Excellent written and verbal communication with technical stakeholders
Note: this role involves applied process engineering with a strong hands-on pilot/lab component — not a laboratory research or materials R&D position.
