Research Assistant

Are you ready to join Connecticut Innovation’s vibrant community of innovators? Connecticut Innovations (“CI”) is Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm, and we are passionate about serving our portfolio of 220 companies across various industries, with strengths in life sciences, technology, and climate tech.

Come join Oxylus Energy - A circular economy for a zero-emission Earth as a Research Assistant!

About Oxylus Energy

Oxylus Energy is a novel climatetech company focused on providing real solutions that can scale. Oxylus Energy is a public benefit corporation founded in 2023 with a mission to displace fossil fuels through the direct conversion of CO2 into carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals. Oxylus is developing cutting edge CO2 electrolysis technology for the direct production of green methanol, reducing the energy requirement and enabling both onsite fuel production and carbon conversion. This solution has the potential to provide an economic pathway to decarbonization for the hard-to-abate sectors of aviation, shipping, and petrochemicals which are responsible for ~11% of global GHG emissions.

Oxylus Energy is located in New Haven, CT and is supported by top climate technology funders including Toyota Ventures, Azolla Ventures, Earth Foundry, and Connecticut Innovations. Joining us now is an opportunity to play a fundamental role in the development of our team and technology so that we can bring our transformative solution to market.

Research Assistant | Job Description

The Research Assistant will be a key member of the R&D team to help scale lab operations and capabilities as we develop our electrochemical technology and grow our team of scientists and engineers. We are seeking a positive, hard-working, and organized individual who is excited about making our lab clean, safe, productive, and fun.

This person will be responsible for providing hands-on support in managing chemical supplies, compressed gas systems, specialized lab equipment, and ensuring safety protocols are in place. We will provide you with on-the-job training in areas specific to our equipment including the operation of gas chromatographs, electrolyzer test stands, and spray deposition techniques. This is an incredible opportunity to oversee laboratory maintenance and get hands-on experience working in the research laboratory of a fast-paced climatetech startup. This role will work closely with senior scientists in supporting day-to-day laboratory tasks such as fabricating electrodes, preparing ion-exchange membranes, and assembling and testing membrane electrode assembly electrolyzers. Your work will directly make an impact on the advancement of Oxylus’ climate technology.

The ideal candidate has experience working in a wet chemistry laboratory and has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline.

What You Will Do

• Perform preventative maintenance, calibration, and inspection of lab equipment (prepare
• SOPs when needed)
• Ensure cleanliness of our work spaces
• Record keeping and handling of hazardous waste
• Inventory management for all consumables and lab supplies
• Manage deliveries and deal with suppliers
• Ensure safety rules are followed and assist in risk assessments
• Manage collaborations with external laboratories
• Fabricate electrodes and carry out lab operations (e.g. optimizing procedures, quality control, and testing)
• Supporting technical teams with experiments
• Collaborate on the creation and set up of new lab systems and spaces
• Analyze experimental data
• Work with scientists to design and implement new experimental protocols

Who You Are

We recognize that experience comes in different forms, many skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of skill, dedication, and ability to learn. A stand-out candidate would show broad technical abilities, including but not limited to the following areas:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field (or Associate’s Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field 2 years relevant experience)
• Strong computer skills (web apps, file management, excel)
• Strong desire and curiosity to learn new things
• Comfortable working with minimal supervision
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Proficient in using laboratory instruments and software for data analysis

Salary

• $60,000 - $65,000, commensurate on experience, education, and skills.

Oxylus Energy Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Paid sick days and vacation
• Competitive salary
• Diverse and inclusive work environment

We are convinced that the distinct contributions of each person fuel our success. To ensure our products and culture remain inclusive of all viewpoints and experiences, we uphold a policy of non-discrimination regarding race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, as well as marital, veteran, or disability status.