Pilot Engineer

An Ecovative Pilot Engineer (Grow Chamber Group) is responsible for the controls, reliability, improvements, and operator-usability of our core technology; our mushroom mycelium grow chambers and their environmental conditions control systems. A hybrid role including aspects of Process Engineering, Equipment & Controls Engineering, and Operations Engineering, this role encompasses the full range of equipment and process control from systems performance analysis, to customer service, to external vendor management.  Pilot Engineers’ time is split between responding to emergent equipment and process issues, including hands-on troubleshooting, repairs, and emergent needs, and technical engineering and systems improvements (including design, analysis, planning, and procurement work for large projects). As such, the role can be fast paced and requires exceptional time management, situational awareness, and communication skills to ensure continuous alignment with both engineering leadership and the operations customer base.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Grow Chamber Mechanical HVAC Equipment Performance and Reliability: responsible (with team) for reliable performance of 10+ grow chambers over 2 co-located facilities, including achievement of uptime requirements and chamber environmental conditions as specified by Operations and Research SMEs. Tracks equipment performance and health, recommends maintenance, replacements, and upgrades as needed to maintain uptime and process control. Manages novel preventative and corrective improvements to equipment through all phases including definition of need, design, specification, procurement, installation, commissioning, and formal turnover to Operator and end users. 
• Grow Chamber Environmental Conditions Control Systems Ownership and Management: responsible (with team) for reliable control of grow chamber environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, and other specific thermodynamic and atmospheric conditions though ownership of sensors, controls logic (PLC and SCADA), control devices, and data collection and analysis of conditions and equipment performance. Uses lean and practical analytical tools such as graphical analysis, and basic statistical analyses to identify patterns and characteristics of system performance. Designs, manages, and interprets results of experiments and trials to obtain and improve system performance.
• Thermal and Fluids Engineering Training and Intuition: Apply knowledge of thermal and fluids engineering to optimize grow chamber control systems in a challenging and not-yet-fully-understood agricultural field.
• Operational Practices and Workflow Development: Develops, maintains, and implements systematic practices and workflows for the proactive monitoring and maintenance of equipment and grow chambers, ensuring efficient and frictionless methods of information processing, reporting, action, and follow-up which best suit a production environment. 
• Triage and Rapid Response; Quickly diagnose and resolve equipment and grow chamber malfunctions in real-time to minimize downtime and ensure continuous operation. Perform succinct RCAs and establish CAPAs to ensure issues do not repeat. Track failure modes and observations to obtain a high level understanding of system vulnerabilities. 
• Customer-service mindset and communications skills, with customers in varying business sectors throughout the company including Operations / End Users, Engineering Management, external partners. Specific communications and documentation skills are required to negotiate project scopes, costs, timelines, and technical risk.
• Project Management & Organization Competency:  use of document standards, templates, file folders, budgets, schedules, stakeholder alignment tools, project information sharing tools (lists, drawings, specifications, etc) to organize project work for ease of access and readability by various stakeholders. 
• External Vendors and Suppliers Management; including procurement, equipment and component specification, onsite management as needed for specialty repairs, installations, or commissioning of new equipment.
• Partner Tech Transfer Support: Support growers around the world with engineering support to improve their own commercial grow systems, including availability for some travel.
• Continuous Improvement and Project Support: Lead continuous improvement initiatives and support engineering projects on new processes and equipment aimed at enhancing plant operations or exploring and incorporating new technologies. 
• This role requires approximately 50% of working hours in a responsive mode, responding to emergent needs which can be reprioritized on a weekly or daily basis, and 50% working on planned and deep work, towards large projects and in developing a specialized field of expertise within the group. Based on the needs of operations, any given week could include up to 100% of hours in a responsive mode.
• As this role supports commercial production grow rooms which run 24/7, on-call hours and occasional weekend or evening work is required to respond to emergent issues.

Minimum Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies: 

• Bachelor’ s of Engineering degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or related engineering field
• 4 years experience working in an engineering role adjacent to a production, operations, or manufacturing environment
• Experience with electronics and power distribution systems: control panels, VFDs, PLC Logic, SCADA Controls, industrial sensors and signals. 
• Experience with Mechanical systems: HVAC, AHUs, pumps,, temperature and humidity control, fluid dynamics and thermodynamics in relation to HVAC type systems. 
• Experience working directly with vendors and contractors, experienced and comfortable calling vendors and meeting contractors and suppliers to review scopes of work and then managing that work
• Exceptionally adept at multitasking and pivoting focus in response to emergent needs. Experienced and practiced with methods of analyzing and communicating task urgency, importance, cost, benefit, and ultimate priority. Patient and thoughtful in response to changing needs, sometimes daily.
• Project Management and Documentation Control experience is beneficial and preferred 

The salary range for this role is based on the candidate's skills and experience. Starts at  $70,000 - $90,000.