Group Lead - Process Engineering

Manus works across industries and value chains to accelerate the transition to BioAlternatives – better performing and more sustainable versions of complex molecules traditionally sourced from plants, animals, or fossil fuels. Our platform is proven to work across scales, bridging the Valley of Death between lab and manufacturing more efficiently and more reliably to deliver the benefits of biotechnology today.

Manus is seeking a Group Lead — Process Engineering to lead the process engineering function across a dual mandate of portfolio management and process innovation. Reporting to the SVP, Operations & Innovation, this mid-to-senior leader balances two complementary responsibilities: governing the portfolio of process engineering projects — prioritization, resourcing, stage-gate progression, and delivery against capacity, yield, and cost targets — while advancing the company's process innovation agenda through engineering design, modeling, and scale-up of next-generation unit operations. The role pairs program leadership with deep technical direction, translating business and commercialization priorities into an executable engineering roadmap and a high-performing team.

Why work at Manus:

• Opportunity – For motivated, results-oriented team members, our growth creates opportunities for personal and professional advancement.
• Accountability – You are given the resources you need to succeed and the freedom to make it happen; in return, we hold each other accountable for our high expectations.
• Passion – We love what we do and enjoy working with others who feel the same way. We embrace the challenge and hard work that comes with working on the cutting edge.

Key Responsibilities

Pillar 1: Portfolio Management

• Portfolio ownership — Own the process engineering project portfolio: intake, prioritization, resourcing, and stage-gate governance across pilot, scale-up, and capital projects.
• Engineering roadmap — Translate operations, commercial, and innovation priorities into an integrated engineering roadmap with clear milestones, budgets, and deliverables.
• Resourcing & capacity — Manage resource allocation across engineers and projects, balancing near-term delivery against longer-term innovation.
• Performance & reporting — Establish portfolio KPIs and dashboards; report status, risks, and trade-offs to the SVP and leadership.
• CAPEX & economics — Partner with capital engineering, finance, and operations on CAPEX planning, business cases, and project economics.
• Execution standards — Drive consistent project execution, design reviews, and engineering documentation practices across the group.

Pillar 2: Process Innovation (Engineering, Design & Modeling)

• Innovation leadership — Lead process innovation across separations, concentration, crystallization, drying, and powder handling — from concept through commercial design.
• Design & modeling — Direct process design and modeling: mass and energy balances, simulation, scale-up, and techno-economic analysis to evaluate new routes and unit operations.
• Data-driven optimization — Champion modeling, simulation, and statistical methods to improve yield, throughput, reliability, and cost.
• Technical packages — Guide development of PFDs, P&IDs, design bases, and equipment specifications for new and improved processes.
• R&D-to-plant transfer — Partner with R&D to mature emerging technologies, de-risk scale-up, and support technology transfer to manufacturing.
• Technology scouting — Identify and evaluate new processing technologies and equipment that expand capability and competitiveness.

Leadership & Cross-Functional

• Team development — Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing process engineering team; set technical standards and career pathways.
• Stakeholder partnership — Partner across operations, quality, R&D, automation, maintenance, and commercial teams to align engineering with growth objectives.
• Culture — Foster a culture of safety, technical rigor, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline; M.S. preferred.
• 12 years of process engineering experience with progressive leadership, including team and/or portfolio / program management.
• Demonstrated expertise in process design, modeling / simulation, and scale-up from pilot to commercial production.
• Proven success managing a portfolio of projects — prioritization, resourcing, budgets, and stage-gate delivery.
• Strong command of unit operations across separations, drying, and dry powder handling, and adjacent processing.
• Experience translating business and commercial priorities into engineering roadmaps and CAPEX plans.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder-management skills at the senior level.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Experience in natural ingredients, food, nutraceutical, fermentation, or specialty chemicals.
• Proficiency with process simulation tools (e.g., Aspen Plus, SuperPro Designer) and DOE / statistical methods.
• Portfolio / stage-gate management experience; PMP or equivalent; Lean / Six Sigma.
• Familiarity with cGMP / FSMA and food-safety requirements, and with process automation (DeltaV)