Senior Mechanical Engineer, Equipment Reliability and Utilities in a Brand-New, Fast-Scaling Chemica
Job Description
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝟵𝟬% 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵?
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This is the engineer who keeps the plant running. You own equipment reliability across reactors, mixing vessels, pumps, valves, and instrumentation, plus the utilities and process-support systems that keep them alive. The first plant just went live. A second, larger one is being built right now.
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𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗬
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Pave Talent is hiring on behalf of our client, a publicly traded specialty electronics materials company (NYSE-listed) that is commercializing a first-to-market copper technology used to make next-generation chips run faster and cooler. Leadership approved a major capital program to scale it across several US sites, and the build is moving fast. The first Fremont plant is operational; a second plant is under construction now.
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𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲
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- Plant engineers who like keeping a live facility healthy, not product designers who live in CAD
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- People who read a P&ID and a process flow diagram fluently and walk the floor to chase down the real problem
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- Self-sufficient operators who solve 90% of issues in-house and escalate only the hardest 10%
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- Builders who want a brand-new, fast-scaling plant, not a mature site with every system already dialed in
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- People comfortable working hands-on around industrial chemicals, with process safety first
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If you want classic mechanical product design, finite element analysis, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing all day, or a fully built-out plant where everything already works, this is not your role.
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𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗟𝗘
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You support more than one plant from day one. As the business grows, the hiring manager expects to add engineering leaders beneath them, which puts you in line to anchor or lead reliability for a multi-plant operation. The work you standardize on the first plant becomes the template for every plant after it.
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𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦
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This is the company's top priority and it is visible at the highest levels of the business. The product is a genuine first-to-market play feeding the artificial intelligence (AI) chip boom. The hiring manager calls the experience resume-changing for the right person: you get in early on something very few engineers have ever built.
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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬
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You report directly to the engineering lead and cover multiple plants. Corporate engineering installs each plant and then moves to the next build. Once they hand off, you keep the plant self-sufficient, escalating only the toughest problems back to the corporate team. You are the person the floor counts on to keep equipment healthy and batches running.
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𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗪𝗡
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- Maintain equipment health across chemical process equipment: reactors, mixing vessels, pumps, valves, and associated instrumentation
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- Support process equipment such as boilers, chillers, air handlers, and exhaust fans
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- Keep plant utilities running: deionized (DI) water systems, clean dry air compressors, and related systems
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- Read and work from P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams) and process flow diagrams to troubleshoot and improve reliability
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- Troubleshoot simple mechanical, electrical, and controls issues, including basic programmable logic controller (PLC) work, to keep the plant 90% self-sufficient
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- Support facility expansions, utility tie-ins, shutdown planning, and commissioning as new plants come online
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- Partner with the corporate engineering and capital projects teams on the hardest 10% of issues
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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞
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This is a new plant still working through startup. You will hit punch-list items, unproven equipment, and problems no manual covers. The expectation is that you handle the vast majority yourself and only pull in corporate engineering when you have genuinely exhausted your options. You will work hands-on around flammable solvents and corrosives, so process safety discipline is non-negotiable. This suits someone who wants ownership and pace, not someone who wants a quiet, fully documented site.
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𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚
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𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱:
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- Around 8+ years in plant, mechanical, or reliability engineering in an operating facility
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- Hands-on experience maintaining chemical process equipment: reactors, vessels, pumps, valves, and instrumentation
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- Strong command of P&IDs and process flow diagrams
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- Experience with plant utilities and process-support systems (HVAC, chilled water, compressed air, DI water, exhaust)
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- Comfort working hands-on around industrial chemicals (flammable solvents and corrosives) with a process-safety mindset
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- Industry background in chemical, biotech, pharmaceutical, or beverage, where the equipment is similar
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𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀:
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- Some PLC familiarity for basic mechanical, electrical, and controls troubleshooting
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- Commissioning or new-plant startup experience
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- Process Safety Management (PSM) exposure
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- Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or a related field
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𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦
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𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: $115,000 to $140,000, depending on experience
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𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀: Performance-related annual bonus on top of base
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𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲: Full-time, onsite in Fremont, CA
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𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: Medical, dental, and vision; 401(k) with company match; paid time off and holidays; paid parental leave; tuition reimbursement; professional development support
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Relocation support is available for the right candidate.
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𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬
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Apply via LinkedIn and we will reach out to schedule a conversation. Confidential search; your application is fully private and the client name is shared on our first call.
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𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱