JUSTIN DANIELS
Raleigh
Summary
Senior Engineer with extensive experience in thermal process optimization and energy management. Achieved a 25% reduction in energy intensity while leading the commissioning of a biomass pellet mill facility. Implemented high-ROI efficiency upgrades, resulting in significant cost reductions and enhanced operational performance.
Overview
1
1
Certification
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Process Engineer
ENVIVA BIOMASS
Raleigh
10.2021 - Current
- Led mechanical design, commissioning, and ramp-up of the world’s largest biomass pellet mill facility in Epes, Alabama (1MM Metric Tons/Year), optimizing heavy thermal and extrusion systems.
- Spearheaded corporate Better Plants Challenge commitment, applied CEM methodologies to establish baseline for 25% reduction in enterprise energy intensity over 10 years.
- Executed fast-track temporary water treatment project in under 4 weeks, increasing quench water system uptime by 300% to stabilize critical process cooling.
- Reduced facility tooling costs by 45% through strategic vendor JVs, increasing mechanical tooling runtime and machine availability by 60%.
Process Engineer
BIOMASON
Durham
02.2021 - 09.2021
- Optimized heavy manufacturing operations, improving press cycle time by over 300% through precise thermodynamic and mechanical adjustments to equipment parameters and recipes.
- Authored process and safety documentation, ensuring zero press-related safety incidents during production throughput scaling.
- Synthesized complex process data and presented efficiency recommendations to executive operations team, influencing capital allocation and engineering decisions.
Field Process Engineer
BUHLER
Cary
07.2018 - 01.2021
- Executed wet commissioning and established performance guarantees for industrial toaster, roaster, and dryer product lines, ensuring optimal thermal efficiency and reliability.
- Identified inefficiencies in Buhler & competitor systems, providing thermal processing expertise that reduced industrial energy usage by 30% at equivalent throughput.
- Led technical customer training on industrial dryer theory and process troubleshooting, enhancing client resource conservation and operational effectiveness.
Engineer
NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, NOV
Various
01.2015 - 07.2018
- Managed complex wired drill pipe jobs across US, leveraging data-driven diagnostics to reduce drilling timelines per well by over 33%.
- Set multiple company and regional well records with H&P in Permian basin through asset optimization and operational execution.
- Analyzed real-time downhole tooling telemetry to deliver critical mechanical optimization suggestions, maximizing ROP and reducing equipment-related trips by 21%.
Education
INTERNSHIP -
Oak Ridge National Labs
Oak Ridge, TN07-2014
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA03-2014
COOP - TOOLING DESIGN ENGINEER
Siemens Energy
Monroeville, PA05-2013
Skills
- Process optimization
- Process design
- Data analysis
- Thermal efficiency
- Thermal processing
- Project management
- Energy management
- Technical writing
- Problem solving
- Effective communication
- Thermal efficiency
Certification
- CEM - Certified Energy Manager
Affiliations
- EU Citizen
Timeline
Process Engineer
ENVIVA BIOMASS
10.2021 - Current
Process Engineer
BIOMASON
02.2021 - 09.2021
Field Process Engineer
BUHLER
07.2018 - 01.2021
Engineer
NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO, NOV
01.2015 - 07.2018
INTERNSHIP -
Oak Ridge National Labs
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
University of Pittsburgh
COOP - TOOLING DESIGN ENGINEER
Siemens Energy