Senior Technical Sales & Service Engineer

Topsøe - Houston, TX

Full-time - Mid Level

Houston, TX

1,001-5,000 employees

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The Senior Technical Sales & Service Engineer position at Topsoe is a full-time hybrid role based in Houston, TX, focused on providing technical sales and support for hydrocracking clients in the North American region. This role requires a strong foundational knowledge of hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts and technologies, ideally with a background in refinery operations. The engineer will be responsible for catalyst sales and technical support, engaging with clients to analyze catalyst performance, unit operations, and predict future catalyst replacements for industrial plants. The position involves preparing technical proposals to win new catalyst sales and maintaining existing client relationships, as well as participating in meetings to present technical proposals and performance evaluations. In addition to sales responsibilities, the Senior Technical Service Engineer will supervise catalyst loading, unit start-up, and spent catalyst analysis, ensuring that catalyst performance is validated through client test runs. The role also includes providing technical support to clients for optimizing the performance of their hydrocracking units, leading pilot plant activities for testing hydrocracking catalysts, and performing in-depth data analysis to improve tools used for technical proposal preparation. The engineer will need to stay informed about competitors' offerings and participate in industry seminars and conferences, contributing to the company's mission of providing sustainable solutions for clean fuel production. This position requires a self-starter who can work independently and is resourceful in problem-solving. The engineer must be committed to their work, possess strong communication skills, and thrive in cross-cultural environments. The role also involves travel, with expectations of up to 30% of the time for on-site jobs and client visits, making flexibility and adaptability key attributes for success in this position.

Responsibilities

• Prepare technical proposals for refinery clients to win new HC catalyst sales and maintain existing HC unit references.
• Participate in client's meetings to engage in Topsoe's Hydrocracking catalyst value proposition, technical proposal presentations, performance evaluations, and troubleshooting discussions.
• Supervise catalyst loading, unit start-up, spent catalyst analysis, and client test runs to validate catalyst performance.
• Participate in internal training, knowledge sharing, and technical meetings.
• Provide technical support and advise clients for performance optimization of their Hydrocracking units' catalysts and operation for overall unit profitability.
• Lead and support the pilot plant activities at corporate R&D facilities and third parties for testing of hydrocracking catalysts, experimental planning, data analysis, and presentation and recommendation to support the hydrocracking sales activities.
• Perform in-depth hydrocracking catalyst performance data analysis, model development, and engage in activities to improve various tools used for data analytics and technical proposal preparation.
• Keep a good overview of competitor's offerings, products, and market landscape.
• Participate in client seminars, industrial conferences, writing trade articles, and refinery visits.
• Travel up to 30% of the time per year which includes on-site jobs and client visits with Account Manager.

Requirements

• Legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Refinery experience, preferably in hydroprocessing applications.
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering with at least three years of experience.
• Demonstrate data analytics, independence, and willingness to take initiatives, troubleshooting skillsets, and a solution-oriented approach.
• Good proficiency in Microsoft Office tools with special emphasis on Excel.
• Flexibility to travel within North America and occasionally outside North America up to 30-45 days per year.
• Commitment to work, problem-solving skills, and ownership of tasks.
• Actively seek to strengthen knowledge related to the hydrocracking business.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, thriving in cross-cultural contexts.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.