Reports to: Director of Electrochemistry
Close collaboration with: Electrochemistry, Product Engineering, and R&D teams
Location: Kenilworth, NJ
Salary starts at: $125,000
Equity participation reflecting the scope and trust of the role
Competitive Benefits
Position Summary
The Engineer III - Electrochemistry is an experienced engineer who supports the design, development, and iterative improvement of the RACER electrochemical cell. The person in this seat sets cell test objectives, drives the build-test-learn cycles that improve performance, efficiency, and durability, and translates results into next-generation cell designs that carry RACER from pilot toward demonstration scale. Long-duration stability and durability testing are a core input to this work; the Engineer III defines what to test, interprets failure modes, and converts findings into design changes.
Work is largely self-directed with technical guidance and review from senior engineers. This is a hands-on role for someone equally comfortable at the whiteboard and at the bench, and the Engineer III is expected to set a strong standard for experimental rigor and to guide junior engineers and technicians on day-to-day execution.
Key Responsibilities
• Perform test planning, cell assembly, test setup, test execution, test data analysis, test report and test cell troubleshooting.
• Optimize operating parameters and define operating windows to improve electrochemical cell performance and durability.
• Define, plan, and drive build-test-learn campaigns-including subscale long-duration (1000-hour) stability and durability testing-and translate results into concrete design improvements.
• Own cell-level performance: voltage, current efficiency, energy consumption, and degradation over time; lead root-cause and failure-mode analysis and define mitigations.
• Develop and maintain cell test plans, performance models, mass and energy balances, and equipment and component specifications; contribute to flowsheet inputs.
• Specify, build, and commission cell test apparatus and instrumentation in collaboration with the controls and pilot teams, including data-acquisition and automation for long-duration runs.
• Translate bench- and subscale test results into scalable cell designs, identifying risks and developing mitigation strategies for demonstration scale.
• Analyze electrochemical and analytical data and deliver clear, well-documented technical reports that inform go/no-go decisions and economic models.
• Mentor junior engineers and technicians on experimental design, electrochemical testing, data analysis, and safe laboratory and pilot practice.
• Support electrode, membrane/separator, and electrolyte characterization and co-product recovery test work.
• Participating in structured problem-solving efforts during failure root causes investigations and failure mitigation activities.
• Uphold laboratory and pilot safety standards, chemical-handling discipline, and clean record-keeping.
Definition of Success
In the first 12 months, success looks like: ownership of one or more cell durability workstreams with measurable improvements in cell performance, efficiency, and durability; validated cell designs supported by reliable long-duration stability data and clear failure-mode understanding; and design outputs that directly inform the demonstration-unit roadmap and the team's scale-up and economic decisions.
Qualifications & Experience
Expected Competencies
• Master's degree in chemical engineering, electrochemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, or a related field; or bachelor's degree with commensurate experience.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in electrochemical cell or stack development, process engineering, or a related laboratory/industrial discipline.
• Strong experimental design and data-analysis skills, including time-series and long-duration test data and failure-mode analysis.
• Strong command of mass and energy balances, performance modeling, and equipment/component specification.
• Experience in design verification, DFMEA and experimental techniques (DOE, statistical analysis, Gauge R&R, etc.).
• Hands-on comfort operating laboratory and pilot electrochemical equipment.
• Strong documentation discipline, attention to detail, and clear technical communication.
• A collaborative, self-motivated approach and comfort working in an evolving startup environment.
Strongly Preferred Experience
• Direct experience developing electrochemical cells or stacks-electrowinning, electrolysis, electrolyzers, fuel cells, or batteries-including electrode and membrane/separator selection and cell architecture.
• Experience with long-duration stability or durability testing and translating durability findings into design changes.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid flow and materials.
• Fluency with potentiostats/galvanostats and electrochemical measurement techniques (CV, EIS, chronopotentiometry) and data-acquisition systems.
• Pilot-scale or continuous-process experience, including commissioning and troubleshooting at scale.
Nice-to-Have
• Experience with electrode or membrane/separator degradation and failure analysis.
• Experience with analytical characterization techniques (XRD, XRF, ICP, titration, sample digestion).
• Familiarity with process controls, instrumentation, and automated long-run monitoring.
• Experience with complex or impurity-bearing feedstocks.
• Spanish-language proficiency.
