Engineer IV - Special Projects

Kunin Technologies•Chattanooga, TN

1d•$140,000 - $225,000•Onsite

About The Position

Kunin Technologies is revolutionizing the critical mineral supply chain by implementing advanced separation technologies to capture value from overlooked resources. This Special Projects group runs externally funded research programs that sit alongside our metal recovery pipeline. The current program is a DARPA-funded effort on nanocrystalline metal catalysts for energy production: preparing and characterizing palladium and nickel nanocrystal samples, cycling them through an extensive loading and triggering test matrix, and measuring the result with calibrated detection and metrology instruments. The work is milestone-driven and reported to the government sponsor at scheduled program reviews. This is a split role. Half your time is technical lead on the DARPA program, reporting to the Principal Investigator: you design the experiments and parameter studies, build the analysis methods, interpret results against the Phase 1 and Phase 2 milestones, and direct the Engineer II. The other half is hands-on process development for Kunin's metal recovery project pipeline: expect to spend as much time at the bench as on P&IDs and commercial equipment specifications.

Requirements

Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering with 10+ years of progressively responsible R&D, plant, or engineering experience, or a Master's with 8+ years, or a PhD with 4+ years.
Deep expertise in at least one of metal hydride and deuteride systems, catalysis and surface chemistry, nanomaterials, or nuclear and radiation measurement.
Experimentalist fluent in gas handling and vacuum systems, materials synthesis and characterization (XRD, SEM/TEM, BET), or radiation and particle detection.
Practitioner of hydrometallurgical process development with a record of taking bench results into process design and equipment specification.
Modeler skilled in data analysis and reduction with Python or MATLAB; record of leading experimental programs, peer-reviewed publications preferred.
Communicator who writes the milestone report, presents it to the sponsor, and makes the Engineer II better every week.
Must be willing to relocate to Chattanooga, TN.
Must be a U.S. citizen.

Nice To Haves

peer-reviewed publications preferred

Responsibilities

Experimental design and parameter studies for the nanocrystal catalyst program, from sample preparation through loading and triggering cycling to detection and metrology.
Analysis methods and models for the program data; interpretation of results against the Phase 1 and Phase 2 milestones.
Day-to-day direction and mentoring of the Engineer II; ownership of the quality of every program deliverable.
Technical reports and presentations for government program reviews, with the Principal Investigator.
Hands-on process development for Kunin's metal recovery projects: bench and pilot campaigns, mass and energy balances, process design basis, P&IDs, and commercial equipment specification.
Laboratory safety and standard operating procedures for the Special Projects laboratory, including safety training and audits.
Cross-functional coordination with process engineering, research, and operations to hit project milestones and timelines.