Decarbonisation Model Engineer

THE ROLE

As a Decarbonisation Model Engineer, you'll sit at the forefront of industrial decarbonisation, identifying, evaluating and modelling the technologies and process changes that cut carbon emissions across complex industries. The role is defined by system-level thinking: treating a client's processes, sites, energy supply and supply chain as one connected system, then finding where a change in energy use, material use or technology delivers the greatest reduction in emissions and cost.

Working across sectors like jet engine production, electricity transmission and EV battery manufacturing, you'll sit at the intersection of engineering, sustainability, economics and data science. Your models become part of the product, putting a credible number on every lever: what it costs, what it returns, and what it is worth under today's and tomorrow's carbon prices.

ABOUT NEUTREENO

Climate change is the defining business challenge of our time, and we're here to solve it. Most decarbonisation solutions count emissions but do nothing to reduce them. We've changed that.

We’re Neutreeno, an emissions-to-performance platform, born out of the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering. We help companies with supply chains and production processes turn emissions data into operational insight, the kind that cuts costs, sharpens decisions, and unlocks genuine competitive advantage. For operations and finance, it's margin they can measure. For sustainability teams, it's progress they can prove. Same data, two audiences, one engine.

We’re a fast-moving team that values EQ just as much as IQ. Autonomy, high ownership, speed and no-ego collaboration are at our core. We seek people who care deeply and are eager to work on solving problems bigger than themselves.

THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS YOU'LL NEED

• Masters or PhD in Industrial, Chemical, Process or Mechanical Engineering.
• 3+ years of industry or research experience in techno-economic modelling, with a strong focus on energy and material efficiency and emissions reduction.
• Proven system-level thinking: able to reason about whole systems and identify where the biggest opportunity sits, rather than optimising components in isolation.
• Deep working knowledge of energy and material efficiency in industry: heat integration, electrification and fuel switching, and how material flows, yield losses and substitution drive embodied emissions.
• Strong command of carbon accounting and life cycle assessment, including Scope 1, 2 and 3 inventories, product carbon footprints and the relevant frameworks (GHG Protocol, ISO 14064 / 14067, SBTi, CBAM).
• Costing proficiency across techno-economic analysis (capex/opex, abatement cost, MACCs), project finance (NPV, IRR, payback, discount rates) and carbon pricing (ETS, carbon taxes, internal shadow prices).
• Expert Python for quantitative modelling (pandas, NumPy), with the discipline to make models reproducible, validated and version-controlled (Git/GitHub).
• Familiarity with using LLMs and agentic-AI workflows to build and enhance decarbonisation roadmaps.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with process simulation software (e.g. Aspen Plus, HYSYS).
• Experience building marginal abatement cost curves or decarbonisation roadmaps for large industrial clients.
• Knowledge of optimisation or machine learning applied to process optimisation and emissions reduction.

THE WORK YOU'LL DO

• Build bottom-up models from first principles that calculate bespoke decarbonisation levers at scale, accounting for cost, dependencies and implementation time.
• Quantify energy and material efficiency opportunities, from heat recovery, electrification and utilities to yield losses, material substitution and circular design while identifying Best Available Technologies (BAT) for technology-specific cases.
• Develop the techno-economic analysis behind each lever: CAPEX and OPEX, cost of abatement, marginal abatement cost curves, and sensitivity analysis that stands up to a client's finance team.
• Develop our carbon pricing engine across the current pricing landscape (compliance markets, taxation, internal shadow pricing, CBAM) and model client exposure under different price scenarios.
• Identify where decarbonisation creates value, including green premium pricing for low-carbon products and access to incentives and green finance.
• Write clear, reproducible Python behind the models and mentor junior engineers.

WHAT NEUTREENO CAN OFFER YOU

• Compensation & Benefits:
• Work Environment:
• Culture & Growth:

HOW WE HIRE

Here’s what to expect if you apply. The whole process has four steps.

• Intro call with our Operations and Finance Lead, Jobey (30 mins). A chance for us to learn about your background and what you’re looking for, and for you to ask about Neutreeno and the role.
• Technical interview with two of our engineers, Miguel and Ben (45 mins). We’ll talk through your experience with modelling and the kinds of problems you’d work on here.
• Take-home exercise. A short task based on the work we do. You’ll have 2–3 days to complete it, followed by a de-brief with Miguel and Ben (around 30 mins).
• Final interview with Spencer (CEO) and Prof. Jon Cullen (co-founder) (45 mins). A conversation about where Neutreeno is heading and how you’d fit into it.

If you need any adjustments at any stage, such as extra time on the exercise or a different interview format, just tell us. We’re happy to help.

By submitting your application, you agree that we may keep your CV in our talent pool for up to 12 months to consider you for future career opportunities; you can withdraw this consent at any time by emailing us at contact@neutreeno.com

Neutreeno is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from everyone, whatever their background, and we know a range of perspectives makes our work better.