Technology Development Director
- Employer
- Nova Pangaea
- Location
- Northeast UK – Teesside
- Salary
- Competitive – reporting to CEO
- Closing date
- 1 Nov 2019
View more
- Sector
- Chemistry, Management, Development
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Job Details
Nova Pangaea Technologies Limited 1st October 2019
Technology Development Director
Location: Northeast UK – Teeside
Salary: Competitive – reporting to CEO
Key words: Chemistry; PhD; development management; biomass; biofuels; bio-based chemicals; pyrolysis; process experience; patents; grants; commercial; teamwork
Contract type: Permanent; full-time
Company website: www.novapangaea.com
Address: Lealholme Building, Wilton International, Middlesbrough, Teesside TS10 4RG
Application: cover eMail application plus CV to b.hedley@novapangaea.com
Overview
This growth phase SME with a revolutionary biomass waste-to-sugars technology, is looking for a Technology Development Director to drive its future scientific development.
With experimental, pilot and demonstration plant facilities located primarily at Wilton International, Teesside. NPT is developing a revolutionary fractionation technology Refnova® for conversion of waste biomass into valuable 2nd Generation sugars. Continuous and based solely on thermo-chemical principles, the process uses no enzymes or bacteria to obtain monomeric C5- and C6-sugars and a lignin char. These can be further processed into base-chemicals to replace conventional fossil derived counterparts.
With the completion of its Wilton demonstration plant imminent, the company is seeking a Technology Development Director (TDD) who will lead all aspects of the technology development activities within NPT. Reporting to the CEO, the TDD will be responsible for the continuing fundamental development of the technology at laboratory and pilot scale and support implementation of the technology at demonstration and commercial level. The successful applicant will be able to conceive, plan and test process improvements and prioritise development objectives. A hands-on approach is expected thus leading the development effort by example. On a day-to-day basis the TDD will conduct and supervise experimental trials at laboratory and pilot level and feed experimental results into the techno-economic model of the process. The role will require knowledge of the fundamental chemistry and engineering principles at the heart of the Refnova® biomass fractionation process. The TDD will develop and manage a diverse team of research chemists and engineers within the interdisciplinary area of organic chemistry and process engineering. As an integral member of the Executive team, the TDD is expected to contribute within business development, customer and investment pitches, budgeting, staff management and evaluation and to lead research-based collaborations with external partners.
Specific Responsibilities
- Provide and progress the process definition of the novel physical and chemical systems which underpin the Refnova® technology
- Head the technical development team for the continuing improvement of the process technology to enhance yields, economics and operability of the Refnova® technology
- Technical leadership of design, commissioning and operational activities for the Refnova® pilot and laboratory plants; provide technical support as required for the operation of the demonstration and commercial plants
- Identify, co-author and manage new grant projects to support the ongoing technology development, with assistance from the Commercial Director when required
- Develop and maintain up-to-date information about related and competing technologies
- Protect new innovations and the existing company know-how by filing and maintaining patents
- Management of partners for research and development activities
- Explore opportunities within downstream products
- Provide regular reports to the Board on Technology matters affecting the company externally and internally
- Development of accurate mass and energy balances; support techno-economic process modelling
- Support other Directors with collaboration and presentations to third parties including external research, governmental or industry organisations, funding organisations and potential process adopters
- Attendance at conferences and provision of presentations and technical papers
- Provide regular reports to the Board on technology matters affecting the company externally and internally
- Participate with the CEO and Executive Team in the development of overall business plans
Ideal key skills/experience/specifics:
- PhD within the area of chemistry, chemical engineering, process engineering or similar preferably related to biomass utilisation or sustainable chemistry
- Hands-on experience with pyrolysis technology would be a considerable advantage
- First degree in chemistry
- A self motivated individual keen to work in a start-up developing transformational green technology
- Commercially orientated with experience in recruitment, team building and management in an R&D organisation
- Experience in patenting of R&D results and managing a patent portfolio
- Ability to coordinate and closely liaise with external organisations, especially research institutions, including in grant applications and management
- Willingness to travel internationally
- Based in the Northeast UK -site location Teesside
Reporting & Remuneration
- An attractive benefits package enabling participation in company results as NPT enters a commercialisation and growth phase of development. In addition to a competitive salary this includes a bonus scheme, contributory pension, and a performance based share option scheme
- Reporting to the Chief Executive, this position also carries the potential for appointment to the board based on performance.
Company
One of the major challenges facing the energy and petrochemical sectors is the quest to develop a technology that will guarantee, at oil industry scale, the effective, efficient and profitable conversion of non-food biomass into liquid fuels and a range of useful chemicals.
Nova Pangaea Technologies (NPT) has developed a staged, progressive, physical and thermochemical process – Refnova – which enables a complete fractionation of lignocellulosic materials into their constituent parts. Covered by patents in the USA and many other countries, the NPT process takes green feedstock as cut and uses no bioactives such as enzymes or bacteria. Internally catalysed it is continuous (“tubular”), fast (minutes), simple and clean.
Each fraction of the full slate of fuel precursors and platform chemicals produced is at a high level of purity, suitable for onward processing. Beginning with physical separations and progressively moving to more aggressive thermochemical hydrolysis and steam thermolysis operations, NPT’s staged process incorporates certain enhancing technologies which improve yields through avoiding premature cell degradation.
Independent technical and commercial due diligences confirm significant advantages compared to all other known biomass conversion technologies in terms of product range and quality *Those due diligences also foresee commercial superiority driven by the lower operating and capital costs *Potential implementers have estimated IRRs of over 40% will be achievable at the medium term target scale of 200 tonnes (green) biomass per hour (roughly equivalent to 5,000 bbl/day oil equivalent). Good returns can also be achieved at smaller scale around 50 tonnes/hour. Generally competitive without subsidy but has the advantage of Cellulosic Biofuel support in the USA and and Europe bolstering returns in the event of low oil prices. *Green house gas savings have been estimated by E4Tech at 97.6% when Refnova-based fuel substitutes for fossil fuel
A 20 kilo/hour pilot plant was commissioned in 2016 and has delivered exciting results in line with expectations. This enabled the design of a large pre-commercial demonstration plant Construction of this demonstration plant, taking feedstock at 2 tonne/hour (green) and partly funded by the UK Department for Transport’s Advanced Biofuel Demonstration Competition (ABDC) grant award, is due to be completed in early 2019 at NPT’s site on the Wilton International chemical complex on Teesside, UK. Partly commissioned in November 2018, this plant has already produced commercial grade sugars. NPT is already working with a range of potential implementers, both locally and internationally, and embracing a wide range of feedstocks, with a view to enabling implementation of commercial scale designs to begin in early
- Website
- https://www.novapangaea.com/
Get job alerts
Create a job alert and receive personalised job recommendations straight to your inbox.
Create alert