Lead Process Modeling Engineer

Role details

EMPLOYMENT Full-time LOCATION Kenilworth, NJ REPORTS TO VP of Commercialization CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH CTO, technical team SALARY RANGE Starting at $179k Position Summary Still Bright is bringing the first viable hydrometallurgical alternative to copper smelting to market at a moment when global copper demand is outpacing supply by historic margins. Our proprietary RACER (Rapid and Complete Electrochemical Reduction) process delivers fast, complete copper extraction while recovering precious and critical co-products, and as a closed-loop system it offers precise control over outputs and radically reduces environmental impact.

Backed by top-tier investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Material Impact, our team is moving from pilot execution into the next stages of commercial deployment. As the Lead Process Modeling Engineer II, you sit at the heart of Still Bright's commercial strategy.

Reporting to the VP of Commercialization and working in close, regular collaboration with the CTO, you own the digital product of our process, comprised of the paired SysCAD process model/digital twin, our in-house techno-economic analysis (TEA), and the life-cycle assessment (LCA) that rides on it, that turns process decisions into the defensible cost, energy, and recovery numbers that prove Still Bright's value proposition. You own the modeling and TEA architecture end to end: the shared model/TEA/LCA structure, the results-cache and sensitivity/Monte-Carlo framework, and the RACER process basis the models are built on.

The lead process modeling engineer will build models to explore process optionality, feedstock variants, co-product routes, and scale-up from lab through demo to commercial.. Finding new methods to advance Still Bright's value proposition is a key expectation of this role.

Key Responsibilities

Process Model Ownership: Own and evolve the high-fidelity SysCAD digital-twin and commercial-scale process model architecture. Manage third-party consultants as needed to ensure models accurately reflect the chemistry of our closed-loop system. Predictive Capability: Work with the VP of Commercialization to craft customer-specific value propositions. You will transform raw feedstock data into detailed economic and environmental projections. TEA, LCA, and Financial Model Integration: Lead Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment work to quantify cost savings and value addition, showing customers RACER economics and environmental impact.

Ensure every process-optionality and feedstock configuration is wired into the in-house TEA and subsequent financial model so a model run flows straight through to mine-level economics. Predictive Capability & Customer Value Propositions: Work directly with the VP of Commercialization to craft customer-specific value propositions, transforming raw feedstock data into detailed economic and environmental projections for global mining companies. Feedstock-to-Process Tooling: Build and lead a proprietary model that ingests complex mineralogical data and determines the optimized process configuration for a given feedstock.

Electrochemical & Thermodynamic Modeling: Model the electrochemical unit operations (electrolyzers, electrowinning) — Faradaic/charge balance, current and power draw, cell sizing, efficiency and degradation — and integrate rigorous aqueous-speciation thermodynamics (OLI Systems or equivalent) for multi-solute electrolyte solubility, precipitation, and impurity behavior. Model–Plant Validation & Data Integration: Reconcile model outputs against lab and pilot data, close mass and energy balances, and build repeatable validation workflows. Own the accuracy standard for the model.

Software & Reproducibility: Build the model + TEA/LCA system as maintainable, documented, version-controlled tooling that survives handoffs — including automation (e.g., Python) for data ingestion, scenario runs, and reporting. R&D Feedback Loop: Collaborate with the technical team to use modeling results to guide process improvements, keeping Still Bright's technology the most economical solution for copper extraction. Grant Program Support: Own the process model and TEA work supporting Still Bright's ongoing grants, and produce the model, TEA, and LCA outputs needed for future grant applications.

Team Leadership & Documentation: Own the modeling priorities and architecture while the Process Modeling Engineer(s) determine how to build and execute each delegated model — reviewing the technical input, risks, and trade-offs they surface. Keep all modeling work transparent, well-documented, and defensible to customers, investors, and regulators.

Definition of Success In the first 12 months, success looks like: full ownership of the modeling and TEA/LCA architecture, with the SysCAD flowsheet-library build-out for multiple input feedstocks; 5+ customer-specific value proposition delivered end-to-end, from feedstock data through economic and environmental projections; the feedstock-to-process tool advanced to a usable state; new process-optionality and feedstock configurations wired through to the in-house TEA and producing decision-ready economics; models calibrated against available bench/pilot data; and clean, transparent documentation that lets customers, investors, and regulators trust the results.

Qualifications & Experience Expected Competencies Process Simulation Mastery: 8+ years of experience with process simulation software (SysCAD, or an equivalent plant-simulation tool such as METSIM or HSC) Techno-economic Modeling Mastery: demonstrated ability to project process economics from process simulation and process data. Understands that the process model is the physical basis that feeds the TEA, and that it's the TEA — not the process model alone — that produces the outputs used for decision-making. Technical Breadth: Deep understanding of industrial chemistry, mass & energy balances, unit operations, aqueous and electrochemical processing, and chemical thermodynamics.

Electrochemistry Literacy: working understanding of electrochemical unit operations (electrolysis/electrowinning) — Faradaic balances, current/voltage/power, efficiency. Commercial mindset: Ability to translate complex engineering simulations into clear, persuasive business cases for customers and investors.

Education

BS or MS in Chemical Engineering, Extractive/Process Metallurgy, or a related engineering field. Ownership: a seasoned individual contributor who owns ambiguous builds with minimal direction, ramps quickly, and works transparently in a scale-up environment. Strongly Preferred LCA Proficiency: Practical experience conducting Life Cycle Assessments to quantify environmental footprints (energy, water, co-product accounting, carbon intensity). Copper Industry Expertise: Hydrometallurgy domain experience. Thermophysical Modeling: Experience with OLI (or equivalent) thermodynamic modeling. Industry Network: experience interacting with mining majors or environmental permitting agencies.

AI-Accelerated Engineering: comfort using AI tools to accelerate data handling, model runs, and reporting automation — much of this automation can be built quickly working with AI. Pilot / Demo Commissioning: experience taking a continuous process to sustained steady-state operation with recycle loops. Nice-to-Have PhD in a relevant field, with a focus on process optimization or electrochemical systems. Proficiency in Python for automating data ingestion between mineralogical databases and process models. Project financial modeling (NPV/IRR with financing structure, tax, depreciation), to bring the TEA → site-financial-model step in-house.

Spanish or other languages relevant to customer / site work. This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of the duties and responsibilities of the position. Still Bright provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Still Bright complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Still Bright expressly prohibits and will never tolerate any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Still Bright maintains blind applicant screening processes and especially encourages applicants from historically marginalized communities to join our mission of sustainable metals extraction.