Senior Process Engineer and Office Leader

Overview

Imagine engineering the sophisticated fluid, gas, and chemical delivery systems that form the lifeblood of the world's most advanced semiconductor fabrication facilities and leading the team that makes it happen. At SSOE, you won't just be executing tasks; you'll continuously expand your expertise by confronting diverse and complex process engineering challenges unique to the semiconductor and advanced high-tech industrial sectors, while simultaneously guiding the culture, growth, and operational excellence of your office. You'll be supported by access to advanced training, leading design and analysis tools including hydraulic modeling and pipe stress software, and a collaborative multidisciplinary culture. We foster your ambition with clear pathways for career progression, whether your aspiration is technical leadership, project management, becoming a revered subject matter expert in high-purity process systems, or growing as a regional leader. This role places you at the heart of a truly integrated team environment that champions knowledge sharing, innovation, and technical excellence, backed by the stability and proven delivery of a well-established firm.

As a Senior Process Engineer and Office Leader at SSOE, you will be a pivotal force in shaping both the process utility infrastructure of advanced semiconductor fabrication facilities and the professional community within your office. Your ability to inspire teams, build enduring client partnerships, and represent SSOE to stakeholders will drive office success and market growth. You will thrive in a collaborative, design-build environment where your technical expertise, business intelligence, and strategic problem-solving skills will be highly valued. This role offers the unique opportunity to work on technically complex, large-scale projects, lead and mentor internal engineering teams, represent the firm externally, and directly contribute to the success of our leading semiconductor clients and the sustained growth of our firm in this dynamic, high-growth sector.

AI and Innovation

At SSOE, we don’t just talk about the future, we build it. As a leader in industry AI adoption, we empower our team to work smarter by providing responsible access to the industry leading AI Large Language Models, vibe-coding platforms, and securely integrating advanced tools into every role. From day one, you’ll receive the training and support needed to leverage AI as a core tool for enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and streamlining complex workflows.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Project Delivery

• Lead and drive the process engineering design and planning for a portfolio of complex, large-scale advanced high-tech industrial and semiconductor projects from conceptual design and process flow diagram (PFD) development through detailed piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and construction documentation, within an integrated design-build delivery framework.
• Provide technical leadership and day-to-day oversight to internal process engineering project teams, ensuring the creation of coordinated, high-quality design documents (PFDs, P&IDs, equipment specifications, pipe routing plans, isometrics) that meet our client’s purity, safety, and performance specifications, industry best practices, and project schedules.
• Lead and support the design of systems such as ultra-pure water (UPW) systems, specialty gas distribution systems, chemical distribution systems, etc.
• Develop and oversee detailed hydraulic calculations for piping systems, including friction loss analysis, pump and heat exchanger sizing, NPSH calculations, pressure drop across filters and point-of-use equipment, thermal expansion/contraction of double-contained piping, and surge analysis to ensure system performance under varying demand profiles.
• Guide the seamless integration of process systems with a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with all engineering disciplines to ensure coordination, constructability, and operational performance.
• Perform and oversee process system modeling using industry-standard software, including steady-state and transient hydraulic analysis, heat transfer calculations, and pipe stress analysis to validate design integrity.
• Lead peer reviews, quality assurance/quality control checks, and constructability reviews, with a particular focus on P&ID accuracy, material compatibility, piping slope and drainage for high-purity systems, pressure test strategies, and adherence to client and industry standards.
• Mentor junior and mid-level process engineers within internal project teams, fostering deep understanding of fluid mechanics, high-purity system design, gas and chemical safety, material compatibility, and semiconductor industry standards.
• Stay current with evolving codes, standards, industry practices, and emerging technologies.
• Lead the development and maintenance of process engineering standards, master specifications, P&ID symbol libraries, templates, and documentation protocols to improve efficiency, consistency, technical quality, and speed-to-market across high-tech and semiconductor projects.

Office Leadership & Culture

• Serve as a visible and approachable leader within the office, cultivating a positive, inclusive, and collaborative work environment where all employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best work.
• Act as a key representative and advocate for the office's process engineering team, aligning local goals with firm-wide strategy, values, and vision.
• Drive staff development and career pathing for process professionals at all levels, identifying high-potential talent, and championing training, licensure, and certification opportunities.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, organizing technical forums, lunch-and-learns, and office-wide innovation challenges that leverage SSOE’s AI and digital tool ecosystem.
• Serve as a bridge between senior firm leadership and local staff, communicating business updates, strategic priorities, and celebrating office wins to maintain transparency and alignment.
• Coordinate cross-discipline collaboration within the office, breaking down silos between the multidisciplinary teams to enhance integrated project delivery.
• Oversee office facilities, space planning, and infrastructure for the engineering team, ensuring a safe, functional, and inspiring workspace that supports hybrid and in-person collaboration.
• In partnership with firm leadership, develop and manage office-level budgets for training, professional development, and team-building activities.

Client, Stakeholder & Business Leadership

• Cultivate and expand trusted advisor relationships with key semiconductor and high-tech clients, understanding their long-term roadmaps, purity requirements, sustainability goals, and operational challenges to position SSOE as a partner of choice for process utility systems.
• Lead or actively participate in client pursuit and capture planning, including developing win themes around process system reliability and contamination control, crafting compelling proposals, delivering client presentations, and negotiating project scopes and fees that balance client value with firm profitability.
• Represent SSOE at industry conferences, trade shows, and technical committees, building the firm’s brand as a thought leader and preferred employer in the semiconductor and mission-critical facility sector.
• Act as the primary process engineering point of contact for local and regional stakeholders, including chemical and gas suppliers, equipment vendors, regulatory agencies, and contractor partners, navigating complex regulatory and coordination landscapes.
• Support office-level business development efforts, working with business development managers and project managers to identify new opportunities, building a healthy pipeline of projects, and converting leads into backlog.
• Foster strong, collaborative relationships with specialty equipment manufacturers, high-purity piping fabricators, and specialty consultants, ensuring project delivery success and leveraging their insights for continuous improvement.
• Support public and community relations efforts, presenting SSOE’s process safety at planning commission meetings, community open houses, and educational outreach events, demonstrating corporate citizenship and commitment to safe, sustainable manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from an accredited program.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is preferred; active PE license in good standing within the U.S. with ability to obtain reciprocity as needed is highly valued.
• 10+ years of process engineering experience, with a strong and demonstrated focus on semiconductors, advanced high-tech industrial, cleanroom, or similarly complex process utility design.
• Proven leadership in managing and guiding internal process engineering design teams through all project phases within a design-build delivery model.
• Demonstrated experience in office leadership, people management, or team development.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and client-facing skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex process engineering concepts, P&IDs, and risk assessments to diverse audiences including engineers, EHS managers, project managers, contractors, client technical leadership, and community stakeholders.
• A proven track record of building and sustaining client relationships, contributing to business development, and participating in proposal development and interviews within the semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing industry.
• Demonstrated experience fostering an inclusive team culture and a commitment to mentoring and developing technical professionals.
• Experience with projects that demonstrate thoughtful, code-compliant, and technically precise process system designs for semiconductor, high-tech, or comparable mission-critical facilities.

Compensation & Benefits:

SSOE offers a competitive total compensation package designed to support and empower our employees and their families.

• Salary: $130,000 – $200,000 per year, commensurate with location, education, and depth of experience.
• Incentives: Leadership bonus program and ownership investment opportunities. We believe the people who build SSOE should share in its success.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance; employer-paid life insurance; and wellness program support.
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with company match.
• Professional Growth: Dedicated professional development funding, PE licensure and certification exam support, conference attendance, and structured career advancement programs.
• Time Off: Generous paid time off (PTO) policy plus paid holidays.
• Work-Life Balance: SSOE actively supports flexible scheduling within project commitments and a culture that genuinely respects your time outside the office.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with semiconductor wafer fabrication facility process system design across multiple technology nodes.
• Experience with bulk gas tank farm design and knowledge of hydrogen gas safety and distribution per CGA and NFPA 55.
• Experience with solvent and acid waste segregation, collection, and treatment design, including knowledge of explosion-proof and fire-rated enclosure requirements for solvent piping systems.
• Knowledge of sustainable process design practices, including UPW reclaim/recycle strategies, waste heat recovery, and chemical minimization initiatives, and familiarity with LEED or equivalent green building frameworks.
• Demonstrated success working within an integrated design-build project delivery environment on large-scale, fast-track high-tech projects, including early contractor involvement and modular equipment procurement.
• NCEES Record and ability to obtain PE licensure in multiple states, or chartered equivalent.
• Experience leading organizational change, implementing new technologies (including AI) into process design workflows, and driving a culture of innovation and technical excellence.

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