Head of Solutions Engineering - EPC Management

We are Skytree

Skytree enables a transition to a world with cleaner Air for everyone. We do this by developing and deploying smart technology that captures atmospheric carbon dioxide, enabling its use or storage to combat climate change and aid society and businesses around the world.

Born out of the European Space Agency (ESA), we are a global team of highly talented scientists, engineers and business professionals, supported by an experienced management team. Our working culture is based on a dynamic and smart approach to business with an open and understanding attitude to others and a desire to expand the boundaries of what is possible.

Your mission

Skytree’s core technology is proven; the challenge now is radical simplification for scale. We are not building a business model reliant on external EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) firms. Our goal is to eliminate the "EPC tax" by making carbon removal as easy to deploy as a modular data center. Your mission is to architect standardized, modular, and "plug-and-play" Balance of Plant (BoP) solutions that prioritize Customer Delight.

We don't just deliver a machine; we deliver a world-class "out-of-box" experience for industrial customers. You will innovate at the system-integration level to ensure that every project is so elegantly engineered that it is a joy to install, operate, and finance. You are the architect of a "Bankable Product-System" that designs out site-side complexity and designs in customer success.

While Skytree’s Technology organization drives the R&D and production of our core DAC units, your Solutions team bridges the gap to the customer site. Your mission is to:

• Own the Engineering Authority: Provide deep domain expertise on site integration, process safety, and cost estimation (Class 5 to Class 3), transitioning us from an external-EPC dependency to an "Owner’s Engineer" model.

• Deliver Bankability: Execute FEL studies (FEL-1 through FEL-3) that de-risk projects and secure Final Investment Decision (FID), drawing on matrixed resources from Skytree’s R&D and external partners.

• Drive Standardization: Source and standardize smart Balance of Plant solutions that reduce deployment costs and protect the core product roadmap from unnecessary customization.

Your role

This is a Player-Coach role. You will build the department and define the EPC strategy, but you will also act as the Lead Process Engineer on critical early projects—opening the P&IDs, validating the mass balances, and ensuring technical integrity yourself. You will partner closely with a centralized PMO (who manage customer timelines and budgets), allowing you to focus purely on Technical Integrity, Scope Definition, and Engineering Quality.

Core functional responsibilities

1. BoP Innovation & Productization

• Eliminate Complexity: Lead the R&D of standardized BoP skids (thermal management, CO2 compression, buffer storage) that replace the need for custom site engineering.

• Design for Deployment: Innovate on how our units interface with "Outside Battery Limits" (OSBL) infrastructure—such as waste heat or geothermal—turning complex integrations into standard configuration options.

• Protect the Roadmap: Act as the gatekeeper against "customization creep." If a customer requires a feature, you find a way to make it a standard modular option or design it out entirely.

2. Strategic Leadership & EPC Execution

• Define the "FID Package": Determine the engineering documentation required by financiers to greenlight customer projects. You define what "Bankable" looks like for Skytree.

• EPC Strategy: Decide when to execute engineering in-house vs. when to outsource. You will build the "Owner’s Engineer" capability to oversee external partners effectively.

• Matrix Leadership: Chair the "EPC Focus Group." You hold the authority to allocate specific technical resources (Process, Mechanical, Electrical, Certification) from the Technology organization to deliver customer projects.

• Commercial Interface: Partner with Commercial Leaders to develop winning proposals, ensuring technical scope is accurate and risks are priced in.

3. Engineering Execution (The "Player" Aspect)

• Technical Authority: Serve as the final signatory on Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), P&IDs, and Heat & Mass Balance calculations for customer sites.

• Integration Engineering: Solve complex integration challenges (OSBL) where our DAC "Core Module" meets client infrastructure (Waste Heat integration, Geothermal coupling, Downstream CO2 utilization).

• Quality Control: Ensure all deliverables (FEL-1/2/3) meet industrial standards (e.g., ASME, PED, ISO) before they leave the building.

4. Standardization & Mentorship

• Protect the Roadmap: Together with the Product Management team act as the gatekeeper between "Custom Project Needs" and “Standard Product Specifications”. Ensure site-specific engineering does not break the standard product architecture.

• Team Development: Mentor junior Systems Engineers and matrixed R&D staff, elevating the company’s internal capability in industrial process design and project execution.

Qualification and Technical Competencies

1. Engineering & Financial Authority

• Proven experience overseeing project portfolios ranging from CAPEX-light integrations (€500K) to large-scale industrial assets (€40M)

• Engineering Authority: M.Sc. in Chemical or Process Engineering. Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Professional Engineer (PE) status is highly preferred.

• The "FID" Track Record: 10+ years of experience in Energy, Oil & Gas, or Renewables. You have personally managed projects from Feasibility (FEL-1) through to Final Investment Decision (FID) and Execution.

2. Technical Mastery & EPC Fluency

• EPC Fluency: You have worked at or closely with major EPC contractors. You understand how to draft an engineering scope of work, how to build Class 3/4 cost estimates, and how to manage and negotiate with external partners. Experience in contracting such work packages is a plus.

• Hands-on Design: Ability to spot flaws in a P&ID, calculate pressure drops, and review mass balances without junior assistance.

• Estimation Rigor: Expert understanding of how to draft engineering scopes of work and build Class 3/4 cost estimates.

• Standards Expertise: Practical application of industrial standards including ASME, PED, and ISO.

• Technical Chops: You are a builder. You can spot a flaw in a P&ID, calculate a pressure drop, or review a heat and mass balance sheet without needing a junior engineer to explain it to you.

3. Leadership & Commercial Acumen

• Matrix Management: Experience negotiating resources in a matrix organization. You know how to drive delivery from people who don't report to you directly by building professional respect.

• Strategic Balance and Commercial Acumen: You understand that engineering is a tool to unlock revenue. You can balance "perfect engineering" with "commercial speed" and "cost viability."

4. Regional experience and Project Exposure

• Demonstrated experience working within the European market, including hands-on involvement in regional projects, collaboration with cross-functional teams across Europe, and familiarity with local business practices, regulatory considerations, and stakeholder expectations.

Why Skytree?

• Define the Standard: We are not just building a plant; we are defining the integration standard for a new industry (Direct Air Capture).

• High Impact: You are the bridge between a Billion-Dollar market potential and the physical reality of steel and pipework. Your work directly enables our customers to secure funding.

• Autonomy: You are building this function. You will shape the tools, the team structure, and the execution strategy.

What you can expect

Apart from working with great colleagues and a competitive package, you can also expect:

• Market-competitive compensation paired with exceptional career growth potential.

• A unique start-up environment offering organic professional and personal growth at one of the most innovative cleantech companies in Amsterdam!

• A diverse (38+ nationalities) and fun team to work with.

• Travel cost reimbursement (choose from an NS business card, lease bike, or 23ct p/km travel allowance).

• Recharge with 25 vacation days, plus a little extra when life throws something special your way.

• Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid work, with the option to work from home once a week.

• A vibrant office close to the Science Park train station (5 minute walk!), as well as close to the highway.

• Access to the Science Park and Amsterdam University cafeterias (and all the great and healthy meal options).

• Fun activities, organised by our very own Champagne Committee (e.g. a cooking class or Canal Adventures at the heart of the city centre).

• Stay fueled with tasty fruits and snacks - because work should be enjoyable too!

Questions?

Need some more info, or simply have a question for us? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Talent Partner, April Ozen ( april.ozen@skytree.tech )