Lead Engineer – Recovery Boilers

Driving lifecycle performance and customer success in recovery boiler engineering.

Join our Recovery Process & Applications team as a Lead Engineer and play a key role in delivering technically strong and lifecycle‑optimized recovery boiler solutions to our global customer base. This is a permanent position located in Chennai, offering excellent opportunities to deepen your expertise and advance your career within recovery boiler technology.

In this role, your primary technical focus will be on recovery boiler engineering, while working within a broader recovery context that includes mill‑wide NCG systems, burners and combustion solutions. You will contribute to customer success by supporting recovery solutions across their full lifecycle – from capital project design and execution to service, upgrades, modernization and long‑term operational performance.

You will be part of a globally distributed Recovery Process & Applications organization, with colleagues working mainly in Chennai, Tampere and Sweden. This role plays a key part in global deliveries through strong engineering execution and close cooperation between the Chennai, Tampere and Sweden.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Lead Engineer – Recovery Process & Applications, your responsibilities will primarily focus on recovery boilers, while considering the wider recovery process and lifecycle:

• Lead and perform process and boiler engineering in recovery boiler projects within capital deliveries and service scopes

• Act as a Lead Engineer with technical responsibility, working in close collaboration with product management located in Tampere and Sweden

• Develop process concepts, engineering solutions and technical configurations based on customer needs and lifecycle requirements

• Perform dimensioning, calculations and technical evaluations related to recovery boiler systems and interfaces to evaporation, NCG and burner solutions

• Prepare, review and coordinate technical documentation, specifications and engineering deliverables

• Support service, upgrade, troubleshooting and modernization projects, ensuring optimal lifecycle performance

• Participate in customer meetings, technical discussions and problem solving together with global stakeholders

• Contribute to commissioning activities, performance evaluations, HAZOPs and guarantee‑related tasks as required

The exact focus and technical scope of the role will be defined based on business needs, resource requirements and the selected candidate’s background, experience and strengths.

Required Experience and Qualification:

We are looking for a strong recovery boiler or power boiler professional with a lifecycle‑oriented mindset. To succeed in this role, you will have the following profile:

• B.Sc. or M.Sc. degree in Thermal, Energy, Chemical or Process Engineering

• Either proven experience in recovery boiler or power boiler engineering and design within capital projects and/or service deliveries

• Or strong operational and process background of pulp mill recovery processes, gained through operational or process roles, with

• 5–10 years of experience in pulp mill operations, recovery boiler process engineering or similar positions

• Ability to translate operational insight into technically sound engineering solutions across the recovery boiler lifecycle

In addition, we appreciate:

• Experience in service, upgrades, modernization or troubleshooting activities

• A customer‑focused and collaborative way of working

• Ability to work independently and take ownership as a Lead Engineer

• Strong analytical and structured problem‑solving skills

• Good communication skills and fluency in English, written and spoken

• Motivation to work in a global, multicultural engineering environment

What we offer             

• A permanent Lead Engineer role within a growing and developing Valmet’s Recovery Process & Applications Team

• Close cooperation with global technology engineering colleagues

• Active role in recovery boiler capital projects and service deliveries

• A lifecycle‑focused role with real impact on customer performance, safety and asset value

• Strong opportunities for professional development, learning and career growth within Valmet’s Recovery technologies