Director/VP of Engineering

Lydian overview

Lydian is a technology development company focused on producing the cheapest carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals on the planet. Our process replaces oil and gas refining with fully electrified, modular, and highly efficient reactor systems that enable the upgrading of captured CO2 into a range of carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals. Our initial focus is on the production of the cheapest and most scalable CO2-derived aviation fuel.

Lydian is backed by top climate investors including Congruent Ventures, Galvanize Climate Solutions, Union Square Ventures, Voyager Ventures, Grok Ventures, and Overlap Holdings. We are building a motivated, diverse, and collaborative team that is passionate about addressing the growing climate crisis and is committed to excellence in their work. In particular, we look for tenacious people that are energized by solving the hardest, highest impact problems that come their way.

Position overview

We are looking for a Director/VP of Engineering to lead our engineering team comprised of mechanical, chemical, and process engineers as we ramp up from R&D to pilot and demonstration scale. You will work directly with the CTO to develop a clear and well-defined technical roadmap, resourcing plan, and execution strategy. You will collaborate with the our commercial development team to ensure alignment between our technical approach and our commercial needs.

The best candidates will have experience leading highly technical teams in scale-up efforts to meet commercial milestones. They will also have at least 10 years of hands-on experience and will understand the complexity of system integration in a multidisciplinary and ambitious program.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own our R&D and engineering roadmap to drive progress at a rapid pace, initially focused on successful deployment of our pilot plant

• Design, manage, and prioritize projects across various technical focus areas to advance company KPIs

• Work directly with technical leads to track progress towards key milestones and deadlines, starting with pilot plant design and deployment

• Manage integration activities required to deliver on our first pilot deployment and scale our reactors into commercially ready modules

• Build technoeconomic models for our core reactor systems and translate them into project costs that take into account process engineering, balance-of-plant, and distribution requirements

• Utilize and/or develop process modeling tools to validate and optimize our system designs for deployment at the demonstration and commercial scales

• Support product engineering and operations teams in addressing product challenges, including testing and qualifying new materials, processes, techniques, and designs

• Work closely with the CTO and the senior management team to execute on the company’s engineering vision

• Recruit, manage, mentor, and develop a talented, high-performance engineering organization (chemical, mechanical, electrical and materials scientists and engineers)

• Drive the engineering team to deliver innovative solutions to the most impactful technical engineering challenges

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or similar. Catalysis and process engineering experience is highly desired

• 10+ years of experience in research, development, or hardware product development, including at least 3-5 years in a management role

• Organized, results-focused leader with demonstrated experience in leading a complex and multidisciplinary organization of 10+ employees

• Hands-on experience with process equipment, reactor design, catalytic systems, and related technologies. Experience with high temperature and high pressure systems highly preferred

• Willingness to roll up your sleeves and engage in laboratory and testing activities in order to guide technical decision-making

• Experience in developing complex industrial products in a full-scale commercial environment (beyond the lab)

• Track record of success on aggressive timelines. Unrelenting focus on rigor and excellence in project deliverables

• Sound knowledge of engineering principles and experienced in technical analysis, technical writing, and complex problem solving

• Ability to identify critical challenges and rigorously assess the potential solution space for time, cost, difficulty, and likelihood of on-time delivery

• Ability to clearly assess, articulate, and manage risk with a sense of urgency to meet product requirements on schedule and on budget

Company culture and benefits

• Challenging, collaborative, and meaningful work and an important voice in company development

• Competitive salary and title commensurate with experience

• Meaningful equity compensation

• Flexible PTO and expectation that all employees take significant time off to rest, recharge, and enjoy life outside work

• Excellent health, vision, and dental insurance with 100% of premiums covered

• 401(k) with company match