Scale Up Engineer

Reporting to: CEO

Salary:           To be negotiated, based on experience

Location:       Nottingham, UK

About Nova Biochem

Nova Biochem is a climate-tech company developing breakthrough technology to transform pulping and agricultural side streams into high-value, bio-based chemicals. Our proprietary hydrothermal depolymerisation process converts lignin-rich side streams like black liquor into sustainable aromatic building blocks for coatings, plastics, and resins — replacing fossil-based inputs and reducing carbon emissions.

Following successful TRL5 and TRL6 prototypes, we are now getting ready to design a TRL8 demonstration plant with an annual throughput of 5,000 tonnes. This will be a modular, containerised facility integrated into an existing pulp and paper site. We are working closely with an external engineering firm to deliver the concept study and detailed design. We are now hiring a dedicated Scaling Engineer to lead internal delivery.

You will be Nova’s internal technical lead for the TRL8 scale-up project, coordinating between Nova's internal team, the external engineering contractor ensuring a successful transition from lab to commercial scale.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing Nova’s internal technical delivery for the TRL8 demonstration plant project. You will manage the interface with our external engineering partner and ensure Nova delivers all internal inputs, reviews, and actions in a timely and structured way; whilst ensuring that external engineering partner understands our requirements and produces relevant and required outputs.

• Act as Nova’s point of contact for the external engineering contractor
• Review and provide feedback on engineering deliverables (PFDs, P&IDs, layout drawings, equipment specs)
• Consolidate and communicate empirical data from TRL5/6 to inform design assumptions
• Track, document, and coordinate Nova’s internal deliverables (test data, design choices, configuration feedback)
• Liaise with vendors for component specifications, pricing, and timelines
• Work closely with pulp and paper partners to ensure their requirements are met

Candidate Requirements

We are seeking a sharp, technically fluent engineer with direct experience scaling up chemical or industrial systems. The ideal candidate will have done similar scaling projects in the past or will have previously worked at an EPC(M) or design engineering firm.

Essential Skills

• Willing to work in a fast-paced and quickly changing environment of a start-up
• 3-5 years of experience in process or scale-up engineering, ideally in chemicals, bio-based, or clean-tech sectors
• Experience working at or with an EPC(M) firm or process design consultancy
• Track record scaling systems from pilot/lab to commercial or demo scale (e.g. from kg to tons per hour)
• Strong working knowledge of PFDs, P&IDs, mass and energy balances, and equipment layouts
• Familiarity with modular or containerised design approaches
• Comfortable working both independently and within a collaborative team
• High level of integrity and personal accountability

Desirable Skills

• Experience working with high-temperature or high-pressure processes (especially with high pressure team, supercritical water)
• Experience working with pulp & paper and/or nuclear industry
• Prior involvement in commissioning chemical plants

Why Join Us?

At Nova Biochem, you’ll join a small, ambitious team translating breakthrough science into tangible impact.

If you’re motivated by purpose and excited to turn scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact, we’d love to hear from you.