What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Assistant position at Oxylus Energy?
About the Company
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.
About the Role
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.
Responsibilities
- 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
Qualifications
Education details
Required Skills
- 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