About this role
Job Description
Depending on your experience and interests, responsibilities may include:
- Materials R&D: Develop, synthesize, and characterize catalysts, sorbents, and structured materials for advanced ammonia synthesis processes.
- Reactor and process development: Design, build, and operate lab and pilot scale reactor systems; execute experimental campaigns to evaluate and optimize performance.
- Controls and automation: Develop and improve reactor control systems, data acquisition tools, and experimental automation to improve reliability and throughput.
- Experimental design and analysis: Plan experiments, analyze performance data, and use first-principles approach to identify trends, troubleshoot issues, and guide future development.
- Modeling and process analysis: Apply fundamentals of thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and heat and mass transfer to understand material and reactor behavior and support process optimization.
- Technical communication: Document experimental procedures and results, present findings to the R&D team, and contribute to the development of new technologies and processes.
You will contribute to the safe operation of laboratory equipment and help maintain a rigorous, collaborative experimental environment.
Requirements
- Currently pursuing a BS, MS, or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field. Graduate training preferred
- Strong foundation in relevant engineering and scientific fundamentals, such as thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, materials science.
- Significant hands-on research experience in heterogeneous catalysis, materials development, chemical reactors, gas-solid processes, or a closely related field, demonstrated through substantial academic research, a relevant technical internship, or industry R&D experience.
- Demonstrated ownership of technical projects , including independently designing and executing experiments, troubleshooting experimental challenges, and drawing quantitative conclusions from results.
- Enthusiasm for and experience in designing, building, testing, and troubleshooting physical systems.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate effectively with a multidisciplinary team.
- Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar tools for scientific computing, data analysis, or equipment control.
- Proficiency in agentic AI usage for programming and/or data analysis
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Nice to Have
- Experience with heterogeneous catalysis, gas adsorption, materials synthesis, or materials characterization techniques (BET, TGA, XRD, SEM/EDS, etc.).
- Experience designing, assembling, or operating chemical reactors, gas handling systems, or other experimental equipment.
- Familiarity with process instrumentation, sensors, valves, fluid systems, and Swagelok fittings.
- Experience with control systems, automation, data acquisition, or hardware-software integration.
- Experience with detailed process simulation or reactor modeling.
- Prior experience in an industrial R&D environment, engineering design team, or hardware startup.
Logistics
- Winter, Summer, and extended Co-op opportunities available.
- Full-time, onsite position in San Francisco, CA.
- Flexible internship duration (10 weeks minimum) and start dates based on academic schedules and project needs.
Who we are
We are a small and passionate team of scientists and engineers. We value teamwork, accountability, open communication, and rapid iteration. We emphasize career growth, mutual feedback, and a fun and exciting working environment. Check out ammobia.co/careers for our full values statement and ammobia.co to learn more about us.