Staff Process Modeling Engineer (Mineral Refining)

Location: Houston, Texas, United States; on-site

Salary: $100,000–$160,000 annual base salary, plus equity; final compensation depends on experience, location, and other factors.

Company

hirify.global is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company developing responsible critical-mineral refining solutions for energy, AI, and defense technologies.

What you will do

• Develop steady-state and dynamic heat and material balance models for integrated mineral refinery systems.
• Automate equipment and process sizing for reactors, heat exchangers, filters, crystallizers, evaporators, and separators.
• Calibrate and reconcile models using laboratory, pilot, and plant operating data.
• Optimize energy recovery, recycle strategies, material efficiency, and buffer sizing.
• Validate PLC and DCS programming through dynamic process models and connect model outputs to CAPEX and OPEX estimation tools.
• Document modeling methodologies and provide technical input for design reviews, techno-economic assessments, and regulatory submissions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, Metallurgical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience applying process simulation to chemical processing, hydrometallurgy, mining, refining, or related industrial systems.
• Proficiency with one or more of ASPEN Plus/HYSYS, SysCAD, OLI Studio/OLI Flowsheet, or METSIM.
• Strong knowledge of mass and heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid flow, reaction engineering, chemical equilibria, and phase behavior.
• Experience developing integrated material and energy balances, performing data reconciliation, parameter fitting, and model validation.
• Experience integrating process modeling outputs into EPC deliverables such as PFDs, P&IDs, equipment datasheets, and control narratives.

Nice to have

• Python or MATLAB experience for model automation, data processing, and custom calculations.

Culture & Benefits

• Equity participation is offered.
• Safety is prioritized over speed or cost.
• Ownership, accountability, and solution-oriented execution are valued.
• Processes are simplified, optimized, and automated for scale.
• Knowledge sharing and open collaboration are encouraged.