Engineering Co-Op Student

Key Responsibilities

Electrochemical Technology Scale-Up

- Assist with assembling, testing and tearing down electrochemical cells and electrolyzer stacks as designs move from bench scale toward pilot scale

- Run electrochemical tests (for example polarization curves, impedance and long-duration stability tests) and keep accurate test records

- Support R&D on electrodes, membranes and electrolytes, including sample preparation and post-test characterization

Pilot and Minipilot Operations

- Support commissioning, operation and troubleshooting of CURA’s minipilot and pilot systems

- Help prepare test plans and operating procedures, run test campaigns, and collect samples and process data

- Assist with equipment maintenance and modifications, instrumentation and data acquisition, working alongside technicians and vendors

Clinker Production

- Prepare and characterize limestone feedstocks and lime products for clinker production campaigns

- Help organize and interpret chemistry and quality data (for example XRF, XRD and particle size) and maintain CURA’s feedstock database

- Support coordination of clinker trials with external labs and industry partners

Process Engineering Scale-Up

- Support mass and energy balances, process modelling and equipment sizing for pilot and demonstration plant design

- Help prepare and review engineering documents such as PFDs, P&IDs, equipment datasheets and vendor quotes

- Assist with techno-economic and carbon intensity analyses

All Placements

- Analyze data, prepare figures, and summarize results in short reports and team presentations

- Other duties as required to achieve CURA’s milestones

Safety & Documentation

- Must demonstrate attention to safe work practices

- Complete CURA’s safety orientation and the training required for the lab and pilot areas you work in, and follow SOPs, hazard assessments and PPE requirements

- Keep complete and organized lab notebooks, data files and test records

- Help write and update standard operating procedures, and report hazards, near misses and incidents promptly

Collaboration & Communication

- Must work well in a team setting and effectively collaborate across an interdisciplinary team

- Communicate progress, results and problems clearly to your mentor and project team

- Demonstrated aptitude for problem solving, troubleshooting, collaboration, and innovation

- Handle confidential information responsibly, and raise potential inventions or new ideas with your mentor so that CURA’s IP is protected

- Present your work to the technical team at the end of your term

Initiative & Professionalism

- Take initiative, manage your time across competing tasks, and ask for help when you need it

- Interact professionally with vendors, contractors and partners when supporting your mentor’s work

- Contribute to a culture of honesty, transparency, innovation, and safety

Qualifications

Required:

- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate program in chemical, mechanical or process engineering (or a closely related engineering discipline) and eligible for a co-op or internship work term through your institution

- Completed at least two years of your engineering program by the start of the term

- Coursework in at least some of: thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering or electrochemistry

- Comfortable with hands-on lab, shop or plant work, and keen to learn new equipment and techniques

- Working proficiency with Excel or Python for data analysis

Nice to Have:

- Previous co-op, research or lab experience, especially in electrochemistry, materials, minerals or cement processing, or pilot plant operations

- Experience with process simulation (Aspen Plus or HYSYS), CAD (SolidWorks or similar), or MATLAB

- Familiarity with P&IDs, instrumentation, or control and data acquisition systems

- Lab characterization experience such as XRD, XRF, SEM or electrochemical testing

- Interest in climate technology and decarbonizing heavy industry

What We Offer

- Competitive co-op compensation

- One-to-one mentorship from a CURA engineer or scientist

- Hands-on experience scaling a first-of-a-kind technology from the lab to pilot and demonstration scale

- A flexible, mission-driven culture

- A chance to make a measurable impact on global climate solutions