Research And Development Engineer

Job Summary

Tereform’s mission is to create a circular economy for textiles by recycling clothing, carpet, and other materials using a chemical recycling strategy the founders developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. There is an enormous amount of pollution being created by a linear textile economy, generating over 100 million tons of waste a year. Our platform recycles these materials using a cost-competitive and environmentally beneficial strategy that operates even in the presence of challenging additives and contaminants that typically prevents them from being processed.

We are looking for a creative and driven Research & Development Engineer who is passionate about addressing this challenge. As a member of our team, you will have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in designing, scaling, and optimizing chemical processes for depolymerizing blends of textiles into monomers. You will lead the construction, operation, and maintenance of batch and flow reactors (from the 20 L to 100 L scale in-house, and design for subsequent continuous pilot plants of 1000 L) with significant regard to safety, modelling, and planning for operational scale-up. A central focus will be on progressing from lab- to pilot-scale operations as we grow our capabilities, so special consideration will be given to candidates with prior scale-up and manufacturing experience.

Tereform aims to offer career fulfillment today and into the future. Employment at Tereform will be valuable to a candidate that seeks to expand their engineering expertise and operational skills. It will also be an opportunity to develop professionally in other aspects critical to a startup environment, such as business development, partnership relations, and project management.

A successful candidate will be able to:

● Work both independently and part of a growing team in a laboratory setting

● Design, procure, and commission chemical manufacturing equipment

● Operate and maintain high pressure and high temperature reactors

● Design experiments and communicate results effectively

● Create standard operating procedures and promote a safe working environment

● Optimize processing parameters based on experimental data

● Exhibit troubleshooting, failure analysis, and problem-solving skills

● Help build and lead an R&D team

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Polymer, Material, Process, or Industrial Engineering or a closely related field with 2-5 years of experience. Relevant experience in lieu of degree will be considered.

Required Experience

● Experience setting up and operating high pressure and high temperature reactor systems

● Experience with standard unit operations in chemical laboratory settings

● Expertise interpreting, designing, and adapting PFDs and P&IDs into tangible unit operations

● Ability to execute experimental plans and deliver thorough and high-quality results

● Exceptional safety record in creating and following standard operating procedures

● Experience with scale-up of chemical processes from batch to semicontinuous operations

● Experience with chemical and materials handling

Preferred Qualifications

● Experience in polymerization and characterization of condensation polymers

● Analytical measurement technique experience (GPC, TGA, DSC, UV-Vis, etc.)

● Expertise using chemical process simulation software (ASPEN, etc.)

● An entrepreneurial mindset, including adaptability and awareness of economic drivers

● Interest in collaborating on economic modelling and lifecycle assessment

Benefits & Compensation

● Full-time in-person position, some remote flexibility possible

● $85,000 - $125,000 annual salary, based on experience

● Flexible PTO

● Retirement contributions with company match

● Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage

● Opportunity to attend conferences, pitch events, and other professional development