Technology Development Lead
Drive the technical development of our AQP (Aquaprocessing) renewable-fuels platform, which converts pyrolysis oils, HTL bio-oils, and related water-rich feedstocks into refinery-ready, low-carbon fuels, with opportunities to support adjacent programs (such as Carbon Management and RWGS chemistries) as the portfolio evolves. This is a senior technical leadership role for a hands-on individual contributor who will serve as the technical owner of the AQP platform: defining technical priorities, directing experimental programs, interpreting results, identifying technical risks and knowledge gaps, and determining the most effective path forward to reduce uncertainty and support scale-up.
What you'll own +
- Technical leadership and technology development. Serve as the technical owner of the AQP platform. Define technical priorities and development plans to advance the technology from its current bench and pilot status toward demonstration readiness, and provide technical direction to the scientists, engineers, and technicians executing the work.
- Reaction engineering and kinetic development. Lead the kinetic characterization of multi-phase, multi-reaction networks, including bio-oil hydroconversion, residue cracking, hydrogenation, water-mediated upgrading, and reforming chemistries, from experimental design through mechanism discrimination, parameter estimation, and validation against bench, pilot, and commercial data.
- Technical collaboration. Work directly with process engineering, catalyst development, characterization, and operations teams, providing clear technical direction and helping ensure the work answers the most important technical questions.
- Process development and scale-up. Develop and evaluate preliminary process schemes, mass and energy balances, operating envelopes, reactor concepts, and scale-up approaches, translating lab and pilot-scale data into practical engineering decisions.
- Technical support to commercial activities. Support customer, partner, funding, licensing, and commercialization activities when technical expertise is required, including technical due diligence and proposal input.
- IP and knowledge capture. Identify patentable inventions, draft invention disclosures, work with patent counsel through filing, and ensure key know-how and development history are documented and protected.
What we're looking for +
- A PhD (preferred) or MSc in chemical engineering or a closely related discipline, with a research focus in heterogeneous catalysis, hydroprocessing, reforming, or related reacting systems.
- 10+ years of hands-on R&D and technology development experience, including experience advancing a technology from laboratory or pilot scale toward demonstration or commercial deployment. Experience at an established technology developer, licensor, refinery, chemical producer, or industrial R&D organization is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrable expertise in the kinetic study of complex, multi-phase reacting systems, including experimental campaign design, mechanism discrimination, parameter estimation and identifiability, and model validation against bench, pilot, and (where available) commercial data.
- Strong reactor modeling skills, with fluency in coupling kinetics and transport phenomena in fixed-bed, slurry, or related contexts, and working knowledge of at least one of gPROMS, Aspen or Aspen Custom Modeler, MATLAB, or Python.
- Hands-on experience operating or supervising bench and pilot units, planning campaigns, interpreting non-ideal experimental data, and converting that data into design decisions.
- Practical command of preliminary process design: PFDs, mass and energy balances, equipment sizing, operating envelopes, process integration, and the technical inputs required for scale-up and techno-economic evaluation.
- Experience supporting customer, partner, or industrial stakeholder discussions, including explaining technical results, technical due diligence, and contributing technical content to proposals or evaluations.
- Comfort working in a small, hands-on technology company alongside scientists, engineers, technicians, catalyst specialists, process engineers, characterization personnel, and commercial leadership. Sound judgment on lab and pilot safety, excellent written and spoken English, and willingness to travel to customer sites, pilot campaigns, and partner facilities.
- Domain experience in biocrude upgrading, residue conversion, hydroprocessing, desulfurization, or steam or dry reforming is a significant advantage.
Ready to apply?
Send your CV and a short cover letter using the button below. Include the role title and your name in the subject line, and tell us about a technology, process, or development program you helped advance, and how you identified the most important technical questions to answer.
NanosTech is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Competitive compensation, including base salary, performance-based incentives, and benefits, is offered, and relocation support is available. Specific terms will be discussed with shortlisted candidates.