Principal Design Engineer
About The Position
ZwitterCo is seeking a senior technical leader responsible for the design, development, and optimization of membrane elements used in separation processes. This role provides technical ownership of membrane element architecture, materials selection, performance optimization, and manufacturability, while serving as a subject matter expert across the organization. The Principal Design Engineer plays a strategic role in advancing membrane technology, supporting new product development, improving existing products, and mentoring operations. ZwitterCo has developed a breakthrough in materials science - a new class of zwitterionic membranes with unprecedented fouling resistance. Our membrane solutions perform beyond the limits of conventional filtration, making it practical to treat complex wastewater, purify water for reuse, and maximize efficiency in food processing applications. ZwitterCo serves customers in more than 20 countries across food and beverage, agricultural, and industrial sectors. We are rapidly investing in our technology, equipment, and global services platform to help our industrial customers achieve their most ambitious sustainability and growth targets. We are grateful to have been named as Fast Company’s Top Innovators of 2024 and featured on the 2025 & 2026 Global Cleantech 100.
Requirements
- Candidates must hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline (mechanical, chemical, materials sciences or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in membrane technology, separation processes, or advanced materials design
- Proven experience designing and commercializing membrane elements or closely related products
- Demonstrated leadership on complex, cross-functional development programs
Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of membrane elements (e.g., spiral-wound, hollow fiber, flat-sheet, or tubular configurations)
- Own element-level architecture including membrane chemistry integration, spacers, permeate carriers, adhesives, end caps, and housings
- Drive performance improvements related to product performance (flux, rejection, fouling resistance) and element durability
- Translate customer and application requirements into robust membrane element designs
- Serve as the technical authority for membrane element design decisions and tradeoff analyses
- Select and qualify membrane materials, backing materials, and ancillary components
- Partner with chemistry and materials teams to integrate membrane formulations into scalable element designs
- Optimize manufacturing processes such as rolling, potting, gluing, curing, and element assembly
- Support process validation, yield improvements, and cost-reduction initiatives
- Define and oversee element-level testing protocols (performance testing, pressure testing, fouling studies, lifetime testing)
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for field and manufacturing issues
- Support pilot studies, customer trials, and application-specific testing
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and internal qualification requirements
- Work closely with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Management
- Support scale-up from lab to pilot to full production
- Engage with suppliers and contract manufacturers on technical specifications and quality requirements
- Provide technical support to Sales, Applications Engineering, and key customers when needed
- Mentor operations team members in membrane design, materials, and manufacturing best practices
- Lead design reviews, failure reviews, and technical knowledge-sharing sessions
- Establish design standards, FMEAs, and documentation for membrane element platforms
Benefits
- Compensation will be commensurate with experience and include a benefits package and company equity.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Number of Employees
11-50 employees
