Optimization Engineer

Trafigura is seeking an Optimization Engineer to join its Refining Technical team in Houston, reporting to the Refining Technical Manager. This is a hybrid technical-commercial role split roughly evenly between (i) day-to-day optimization and optionality analysis on Trafigura's splitter asset, and (ii) commercial support to M&A activity, with a particular focus on the Power business — including technical due diligence, HSEC assessment, and commercial evaluation of prospective asset acquisitions. This role is well suited to a process/project engineer with early-career power and/or oil asset experience, looking to transition into a more commercially oriented career path, working closely with trading, business development, and third-party counterparties.

Splitter Asset Optimization (approx. 50%)

Run and maintain LP-based optimization models for the splitter asset to identify margin-maximizing feed selection, product yields, and operating configurations.

Evaluate operational and structural optionality on the asset — including feedstock flexibility, product placement, and configuration changes — and quantify the associated commercial value.

Work closely with the Refining Technical Manager and plant operations to translate technical constraints (unit capacity, feed quality, operating limits) into actionable optimization inputs.

Provide regular margin capture, yield, and sensitivity analysis to support trading and planning decisions on the asset.

Identify and evaluate capital or operational improvement opportunities that enhance asset value.

Commercial / M&A and Power Business Support (approx. 50%)

Support M&A activity across the business, with a focus on both the Oil & Power business, including screening, evaluating, and progressing prospective asset acquisitions.

Lead or contribute to technical due diligence on power and other prospective assets — assessing technical condition, operating performance, and integration/optionality potential.

Conduct HSEC due diligence on prospective acquisitions, working with internal HSEC teams and external advisors to identify risks and liabilities.

Build commercial and technical value cases for prospective transactions, working alongside deal teams, commercial leads, and external advisors.

Interface directly with third parties — including asset owners, technical advisors, consultants, and counterparties — representing Trafigura credibly in diligence and negotiation settings.

Support post-acquisition integration and asset optimization planning where relevant.

Combined exposure to both power and oil/refining assets — e.g. a power engineer with early project delivery experience (outage support, capital project scoping, maintenance/reliability programs) who also has some downstream/refining exposure, or vice versa.

Early-career project engineering or project management experience on plant capital projects, even at modest scale.

Prior exposure to M&A processes, technical due diligence, or transaction support (in-house or via consulting).

HSEC due diligence experience or familiarity with HSEC risk assessment frameworks.

Experience working directly with trading or business development teams.

Approximately 3 years' experience as a process, plant, or project engineer within a power generation asset (fossil, nuclear, or renewables) or a refining/petrochemical facility — with direct exposure to plant operations, outage/turnaround support, or capital project execution.

Approximately 3 years' experience in LP-based optimization (e.g. Aspen PIMS/PIMS-AO, Honeywell RPMS/GRTMPS, Haverly GRTMPS, or equivalent) within a power, refining, or trading environment.

Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or Power Engineering, or a related discipline.

Demonstrated ability to translate technical/engineering analysis into commercial value and decision-support material.

Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to interface confidently and credibly with third parties, including external counterparties, advisors, and acquisition targets.

Clear intent and aptitude to transition from a technical engineering career path toward a more commercial role.

Comfortable operating across both deep technical analysis and commercial/deal-oriented work.

Strong communicator, able to distill technical findings into clear commercial implications for non-technical stakeholders.

Confident and professional when representing Trafigura externally with third parties, advisors, and counterparties.

Self-motivated and able to manage competing priorities across asset optimization and deal-driven M&A timelines.

Genuine curiosity about how technical assets create commercial value, with ambition to grow into broader commercial responsibility over time.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse workforce! We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or handicap, disability, or any other legally protected status.