VP of Process Technology

Kunin Technologies•Chattanooga, TN

21d

About The Position

Kunin Technologies is developing advanced separation technologies to recover critical minerals from overlooked resources and support domestic production. The VP of Process Technology will own the selection, development, and validation of process technologies that anchor the company’s separation flowsheets. The role will determine which unit operations, vendors, and configurations progress from evaluation to deployment, supported by laboratory data, pilot results, and process models. Year-one goals include establishing a vetted process technology portfolio with selected vendors and configurations for core unit operations; completing bench and pilot validation campaigns for priority flowsheets and documenting performance against design targets; integrating mass balance, equilibria, and kinetics into process models that inform cost and design choices; and establishing joint-research collaborations with National Laboratories, universities, and corporate R&D teams. This is a hands-on technical leadership role in an early-stage startup. The position requires willingness to work directly on bench- and pilot-scale operations, relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and travel to customers in the United States, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia for installation and commissioning. Extended hours and weekends are frequently required to support critical project milestones. Kunin will make efforts to secure work authorization for the right candidate.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Extractive Metallurgy, or Hydrometallurgy.
At least 7 years of experience in hydrometallurgical process development and technology evaluation.
Experience conducting bench- and pilot-scale campaigns across leaching, solid-liquid separation, ion-exchange, solvent extraction, and precipitation.
Proficiency in process simulation using MetSim, HSC Chemistry, SysCAD, or Aspen Plus.
Comfort with precipitate and electrolyte modeling tools such as PHREEQC or OLI Studio.
Experience in vendor evaluation, technology due diligence, and structuring external research collaborations.
Willingness to work directly on bench- and pilot-scale operations.
Ability to communicate experimental and modeling results as clear technology decisions for engineering and executive audiences.
Willingness to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Availability to travel to customers across the United States, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia.
Availability for frequently required extended hours and weekends to support critical project milestones.

Nice To Haves

Experience with electrowinning and crystallization.
Interest in an early-stage startup environment with high autonomy, opportunity, and expectations.

Responsibilities

Evaluate, vet, and down-select process technology vendors and unit-operation configurations from pilot through commercialization.
Conduct hands-on laboratory experiments to optimize kinetics, selectivity, throughput, purity, and regeneration chemistry for Kunin's separation systems and integrated flowsheets.
Lead pilot testing of hydrometallurgical unit operations to validate bench-scale results against commercial design targets.
Develop process models integrating mass balance, equilibria, and kinetics to inform cost and design decisions.
Create technology roadmaps across leaching, ion-exchange, solvent extraction, precipitation, crystallization, electrowinning, and effluent management.
Engage in and establish joint-research collaborations with National Laboratories, universities, and corporate R&D teams.
Align cross-functionally with the ion-exchange media team on resin and reagent choices and with process engineering on scale-up readiness.
Support process technology installation and commissioning at customer locations through travel.