Process Engineering Technician

About Duranium

We’re working to produce the most profitable light-weight metals in the world, here in the US, and carbon neutrally. We’re doing this by leveraging existing chlorination and electrolytic technology, while designing a novel molten materials process that takes byproducts from the metal production process and creates critical feedstock and high value coproducts. We are currently building out our pilot plant in Oakland.

What’s in it for you?

You’ll be working with a small team of smart, creative people who are looking to change how the US produces industrial materials and to eventually decarbonize these industries. You will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact on day one. If you are driven by impact and eager to build real world solutions, we encourage you to connect with us.

Role Overview

We're hiring for a Process Engineering Technician position. In a typical day, you might the spend morning troubleshooting a pressure leak and welding a pipe fitting to replace a faulty connection. In the afternoon you might be staffing the controls station and transferring molten metal. As we grow, the role will transition from novel assembly toward optimizing operation. We want people who are comfortable switching hats.

What you'd do

• Chemical systems: assembling and operating a wet & dry scrubbers, calibrating instruments (e.g. ORP sensors), swaging tubing runs, installing compressed gas cylinder infrastructure.
• Mechanical build-out: welding steel fittings, bending and laying pipe, building ceramic assemblies, pouring castable ceramics for in-house molds, assembling t-slot enclosures.
• Controls & monitoring: staffing the controls station, responding to alarms, troubleshooting anomalous readings and equipment, routing wiring.
• Operations: transferring molten materials, routine safety tasks, general troubleshooting & maintenance.

Skills we're looking for

We are not expecting any one person to check every box. We're looking for people who are strong in some of these and willing to learn the rest on the job:

• General troubleshooting & maintenance instincts
• Low voltage electrical and controls work/wiring
• Instrumentation and calibration
• Pipefitting, tube swaging, and plumbing
• Gas cylinder handling and compressed-gas infrastructure
• Chemical handling and process operations
• Controls-room operation and alarm response
• Mechanical assembly (80-20, fasteners, drilling, concrete anchors)
• Masonry / refractory work (bricklaying, pouring castable)
• Welding & metal fabrication
• Maintaining an orderly work environment

Nice to have skills

• Prior experience in a chemical plant, foundry, refinery, semiconductor fab, or similar industrial environment
• Experience working around hazardous materials or compressed gases
• Comfort reading P&IDs, electrical schematics, or mechanical drawings
• A trade school background or equivalent hands-on experience

More important than any specific skill: you're diligent on small details, a fast learner, good with your hands, and a flexible team member.

Note that diligence is particularly important, as our industrial processes include extreme heat (Ex: molten metals), corrosive chemicals, and powerful electrical connections.

Compensation

• Salary range: $105,000 - $130,000 annually
• Stock package
• Health, dental, & vision insurance