Materials Engineer Spring Co-op
Company Overview:
Found Energy is building clean energy delivery platforms capable of replacing fossil fuels for heavy industries ranging from aluminum production (4% of global CO2 emissions) to fertilizer production (2% of global CO2 emissions) to maritime shipping (3% of global CO2 emissions). Building off technology developed at MIT that enables metallic aluminum to split water, our energy delivery systems safely generate hydrogen and industrial heat on-site at >5x the volumetric energy density of liquid hydrogen and >3x that of methanol and ammonia. By integrating storage, transport, and generation into a single package, our technology solves some of the biggest pain points in renewable energy transportation and storage.
At Found Energy, we believe in securing a livable and equitable future for our planet, and we are looking for partners who are motivated by this goal to join us. For more information, visit https://found.energy.
Job Overview:
Found Energy has demonstrated its core hydrogen generation technologies at the kW-scale, including a system capable of powering a full-sized electric vehicle. We are now working to scale up the reactor system for both our minimum viable product (MVP) and commercial pilot demonstrations. The completion of the MVP and commercial pilots requires designing and testing numerous sub-processes and sub-systems at the targeted industrial scale, as well as at various intermediate scales along the way.
Co-ops in this role will be responsible for investigating, enhancing, and developing new materials to advance our short-term and long-term R&D goals, including validating materials from customers and partners, and improving the chemistry of our system to achieve better performance at lower cost. In this role you will be responsible for designing and executing experiments, synthesizing the data, and disseminating the results to the technical staff. You will be working with cross-disciplinary teams involving mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, as well as business and non-technical staff.
Good chemical hygiene and safety practices are paramount. You will be expected to participate in our chemical hygiene and safety protocols.
Co-op Duration: 6 months, with potential extension. Jan 2025 - June 2025
Responsibilities and Duties:
- Execute experiments following laboratory best practices and Found Energy SOPs
- Operate bench-scale and prototype-scale reactors
- Test customer provided and internally developed materials for quality assurance
- Document observations in detailed and careful manner
- Synthesize data to determine trends, correlations, and underlying mechanisms
- Present results and conclusions to the materials development and broader technical teams
- Propose and collaboratively plan new experiments based on empirical findings
- Maintain and improve the experimental and analytical capabilities of the lab as needed
- Develop and maintain SOP documentation for experimental procedures and prototype systems
- Participate in and improve upon chemical hygiene and safety protocols
- Invent new material compositions and chemical systems
- Anticipate and proactively address challenges in system performance
- Proactively identify challenges, design and test creative solutions
- Participate in building and growing company culture and values
Preferred Qualifications:
- Deeply motivated by the climate crisis and its downstream impacts
- Pursuing education in chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, or related fields
- Exceptional communication and documentation skills
- Hands-on laboratory experience (chemical, materials, and/or metallurgical)
- Track record of strong academic and/or project-based performance
- Exceptional communication and documentation skills
- Experience in one or more of the following:
- Aluminum/metal alloys and metallurgy
- Aqueous chemistry and inorganic chemical reactions
- Experience safely handling acids, bases, and hazardous chemicals
- Experience with high temperature heat treatments, annealing, tempering, etc.
- Experimental design
- Statistical data analysis
- Apparatus/fixture design and assembly
- Chemical separation and purification processes
- Solid-liquid separation and filtration
- Process engineering
- Electrodeposition, electrochemistry, and/or corrosion
- Electrochemistry: aqueous, molten salt, and/or high temperature
- Fuel cell or battery chemistry
- Fluid and/or gas handling systems, including safety and compliance
- Hydrogen handling and safety equipment, including fuel cells
- Familiarity with one or more software languages (Python, C++, MATLAB, etc.)
- Sensor integration and data acquisition
- Experience with 5S or similar methodologies
Research suggests that qualified people from historically marginalized groups may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who might not meet the exact requirements, but who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.
Found Energy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.