Conceptual Design Chief Engineer

The Company

Utility Global is redefining how the world makes and uses energy. Through its breakthrough H₂Gen® technology, Utility transforms industrial off-gases and biogases into clean energy and sustainable fuels and feedstocks, helping industries decarbonize without compromise. The company’s proprietary technology delivers a scalable, economic pathway to a zero-carbon future, positioning Utility as a leader in the industrial decarbonization revolution. 

The Role

The Conceptual Design Chief Engineer leads Utility Global’s (UG) conceptual and early-stage engineering function through direct, hands-on technical work. The role has two primary responsibilities: develop commercially competitive process solutions that provide engineering inputs to proposals and FEL 1 studies, and drive continuous improvement in H2Gen system performance and market competitiveness by developing, evaluating, and implementing new process concepts.

The Chief Engineer personally develops process simulations, performs engineering calculations, conducts quantitative technical and economic trade-off analyses, and prepares process designs and engineering deliverables. The role owns concept development and selection, balancing customer requirements, performance, capital and operating costs, reliability, safety, and technology readiness.

Reporting to the Vice President, Engineering, the Chief Engineer combines personal technical delivery with functional ownership, setting priorities and directing assigned personnel, study teams, and external engineering partners as required. The role requires the ability to independently execute complex engineering work and remains accountable for the quality and timeliness of both individual contributions and overall study delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Assist the UG proposal team in preparing competitive proposals by providing relevant process concepts for specific customer needs.
 Develop and update process simulations, conduct quantitative technical and economic trade-off analyses, evaluating design options, and preparing engineering deliverables with the aim of continuous improvement of the cost of produced hydrogen.
Set the direction for conceptual, FEL 1 and technology package engineering across commercial opportunities. Work with Business Development, Proposal development and customers to define objectives, requirements, feed and product specifications, battery limits, assumptions, and acceptance criteria.
Drives continuous improvement in H2Gen process performance by developing and leading study execution plans that define evaluation cases, quantify potential benefits, and validate recommended improvements.
Owns Utility Global’s process simulation models and modelling practices. Maintains controlled, current models incorporating validated test and operating data, new technical information, and industry best practices.
Provide technical oversight of heat and material balances, process flow diagrams, utility summaries, preliminary equipment sizing, and design basis development; ensuring integration of multidisciplinary inputs and resolve significant technical issues.
Own, maintain, and improve the CAPEX model embedded within the process simulation, ensuring cost correlations, assumptions, and estimating inputs remain current and validated. Integrate operating cost inputs and partner with Commercial and Finance to assess business cases, quantify sensitivities, and rank options by customer economics and lifecycle cost.
Lead design-to-cost and value engineering studies; quantify capital cost, operating cost, and reliability tradeoffs. Incorporate lifecycle cost considerations into equipment selection, procurement, and subcontract scope recommendations.
Establish and enforce technical review requirements for Business Development proposals and supporting CAPEX estimates. Ensure proposed performance, utility consumption, scope, costs, and assumptions are supported by engineering evidence. Clearly distinguish demonstrated capability, validated model predictions, and development targets, and escalate unsubstantiated technical commitments to the Vice President Engineering before inputs are issued for proposal use.
Lead and manage assigned personnel, including recruitment, onboarding, goal setting, delegation, coaching, performance reviews, and development planning. Set clear ownership and delivery expectations, address performance gaps, and build team capability.
Establish and enforce engineering quality controls, including independent checking of critical calculations and proposal inputs. Maintain traceable assumptions, revisions, decisions, and technical review records, and drive improvements in study methods, templates, and estimating practices.
Oversee recommendations and handover packages for FEL2, or execution, including the selected concept, design basis, estimate maturity, operational readiness and maintenance requirements, exclusions, and open actions.

Key Accountabilities

Hands-on technical delivery: Personally develop simulations, perform engineering calculations and quantitative technical and economic analyses, and prepare practical process designs and engineering deliverables.
Simulation and CAPEX model ownership: Maintain current, validated company process simulation models and embedded CAPEX models, incorporating best practices, operating data, and new technical information.
Concept development and performance improvement: Develop commercially viable process concepts and quantify and validate opportunities to improve H2Gen performance, capital cost, operating cost, and reliability.
Study delivery: Deliver assigned studies and engineering inputs to proposals and FEL 1 within agreed scope, schedules, and budgets, with effective prioritization and early escalation of constraints.
Technical integrity: Ensure engineering inputs are substantiated and clearly communicate technical maturity, uncertainty, assumptions, and development requirements before commercial commitments.
Functional leadership and handover: Direct and develop assigned personnel, coordinate technical contributions across functions, and ensure complete transfer of the design basis, decisions, and outstanding risks to subsequent engineering phases.

Candidate Profile

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, or a related discipline; Chemical Engineering or equivalent process engineering expertise is preferred.
Typically 15 or more years of relevant process engineering, in industrial gases, syngas processing LNG, or process technology, including at least 5 years leading engineering teams or multidisciplinary studies.
Experience developing customer-focused process concepts and adapting technology to project requirements; hydrogen, syngas, gas production, refining and technology commercialization experience is preferred.
Strong proficiency in process simulation software such as ProMax, Aspen HYSYS, or Aspen Plus, supported by sound thermodynamic and engineering fundamentals.
Experience developing capital and operating cost models, financial assessments, and quantified tradeoffs among cost, performance, and reliability.
Demonstrated people management experience, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and team development. Ability to direct concurrent studies and lead execution when required, manage resources and budgets, oversee engineering partners, and communicate technical and commercial recommendations to customers and senior leadership.
Strong quantitative analysis, technical writing, presentation, and decision-making skills; practical knowledge of process safety and engineering quality controls.