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Senior Process Engineer

Fortera

San Jose, CAJob$145–170K/yrPosted 1w agoStill listed 5 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$145–170K/yr
Location
San Jose, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree

Job overview

The Senior Process Engineer will lead engineering support for the design and operation of Fortera’s processes, including mineral grinding, calcination, gas absorption, precipitation, dewatering, and drying. The hands-on role bridges R&D, internal process design, and external engineering firms or suppliers. The engineer will support plant engineering activities and make equipment design and specification decisions while helping scale new technology and manufacturing processes.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Chemical EngineeringMechanical EngineeringProcess DesignCrop ProductionProcess Hazard AnalysisProcess ControlWater TreatmentPFDs and P&IDsAspen+Process ModelingHeat and Mass BalanceSolids Material HandlingSlurry DewateringDryingExternal Vendor CoordinationRotating EquipmentMechanical SkillsPLC ControlsAllen-Bradley

Qualifications

BS in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering10+ Years Engineering ExperienceChemical or Materials Plant Design ExperiencePlant Operation Design Experience

Full job description

Fortera is transforming one of the world’s largest industries by reinventing how cement is made. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Fortera has developed next-generation cement technology that delivers high performance while reducing CO₂ emissions by up to ~70%. By mineralizing CO₂ and turning it into a productive feedstock, Fortera converts emissions into a valuable building material, creating a more sustainable path for modern construction. With our commercial ReCarb® plant operating in Redding, California, and a growing global project pipeline, Fortera is moving from first-of-a-kind deployment to scaled commercialization. Our technology is already being used in real-world infrastructure applications, bringing next-generation cement into use today while expanding toward broader adoption. At Fortera, you’ll work alongside scientists, engineers, operators, and industry experts who are turning cutting-edge materials science into real-world impact. We’re looking for curious thinkers, builders, and problem-solvers who want to help tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our planet. This is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to help shape the future of sustainable construction. Build What’s Next. Visit www.forteraglobal.com to learn more.

POSITION OVERVIEW The Senior Process Engineer will lead engineering support for successful design and operation of all Fortera processes: mineral grinding, kiln operation/calcination, mineral dissolution, gas absorption, precipitation, solids dewatering, and drying. This is a hands-on role requiring a driven, experienced mechanical or chemical engineer who would be versatile enough to bridge the gaps between R&D, internal core process design, and outside engineering firms or equipment suppliers. The position is best suited for someone with chemical production experience who understands plant operations, can effectively oversee the plant engineering activities, and own all equipment design and specifications decisions. This individual must be able to deal with the unknown challenges brought on by implementing new technology and manufacturing processes and is comfortable with not knowing all the answers but be able to make decisions and recommendations as we go.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Scale up and develop process unit operations from R&D for full scale implementation
  • Summarize process and regulatory requirements to evaluate and select plant equipment
  • Validate production equipment selection
  • Oversee plant piping material selections, line sizing, and pipe routing
  • Participate in plant instrumentation and valve selections
  • Participate in plant design Process Hazard Analysis and lead close-out resolutions
  • Execute and improve the management of change program following the Process Hazard Analysis
  • Development and implementation of process controls
  • Nominally 15% travel to plant sites and vendors during procurement, construction and commissioning phases.
  • Other related duties may be assigned to you by the Company as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Minimum B.S. in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering
  • 10+ years engineering experience designing, scaling, building, and commissioning a chemical or materials manufacturing plant or similar production plant
  • Well versed in engineering design utilizing PFDs, P&IDs, and Process Hazard Analyses (PHA)
  • Experience designing a plant through to its operation. (Direct experience in cement is not necessary, but experience producing chemicals or materials at multiple scales is a plus)
  • Proficient with the following process modeling software: Aspen+ or equivalent (Heat and Mass Balance is a plus)
  • Commanding knowledge of solids material handling, water treatment processing, slurry dewatering and drying
  • Experience interacting with external engineering firms, contractors, and equipment suppliers
  • Experience with large industrial sized rotating equipment
  • Strong mechanical skills associated with plant operations and equipment
  • Experience with process control schemes and implementation
  • Experience with PLC controls for pilot and commercial plant operations; Allen-Bradley preferred

COMPENSATION: The compensation package for this role includes a competitive base salary commensurate with experience of $145,000 - $170,000. Fortera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other status protected by applicable law. Diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

How this job compares

Set against the 3,271 open Process Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 3, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$145–170K/yr
  • California median$120–171K/yr345 salary ranges
  • US median$96–143K/yr1,670 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $158K, is 8% above the California median midpoint ($146K) — in the middle half of Process Engineer salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 428 open Process Engineer jobs in California and 3,271 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience — more than three in four Process Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 4 years, across 2,606 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 2,122 of the 3,271 open Process Engineer jobs (65%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 3, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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