Research Technician

The threat of climate change demands that a wide range of emissions heavy industrial sectors electrify by 2050. We are confident that electrolysis, a manufacturing technique used to transform matter through electricity instead of chemical reagents, holds the key to achieving this goal. Aepnus Technology was founded on the belief that the decarbonization of the chemicals and materials sector will be essential to building a sustainable future. We are developing electrolysis technologies to enable the electrified manufacture of a portfolio of critical materials here in the US.
About the Role
Aepnus Technology is looking for an intrinsically motivated junior-level Engineering Technician to provide support in constructing, testing, and operating our pilot-scale electrochemical technologies. Operations will include startup/shutdown, monitoring, sampling, and data analysis.Selected candidates will work under the supervision of the CTO and the engineering team.
Primary Responsibilities
- Prepare reagents and handle chemical products.
- Assemble, test, and run diagnostics of bench-scale electrochemical systems.
- Perform lab experiments including periodic sampling and analysis. Summarize and share
findings with the research team in written reports and slide presentations
- Chemical analysis on brines using analytical equipment such as IC, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, titration etc.
- Conduct material/failure analysis on cell components (i.e., membranes, electrodes) using materials
- characterization equipment such as SEM, XPS, XRD, FTIR, NMR, etc.
- Work with machine shop facilities to manufacture electrochemical cells, gaskets, flow frames etc.
- Perform other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, or chemistry.
- 1+ year of wet lab experience and understanding of general safety in a chemical lab environment.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Demonstrated experience with electrochemical technologies including batteries, fuel cells, electrolysis, water treatment etc. Completion of a basic electrochemistry course is a plus!
- Proven experience with pilot or small-scale fluid systems.
- Handy with tools commonly used in the machine shop, able to lift 35 pounds comfortably, and working knowledge of hardware, electrical, piping, etc.
- Proficient at handling large volumes of experimental data in Excel, Python, and/or MATLAB.
- Ability to work independently under dynamic environments and be a self-starter.
Why Aepnus?
We are an early-stage start-up with strong ties to UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In this role you will be exposed to electrochemical research, technology scale-up, prototyping, and systems engineering. This team member will frequently interact with our founding team and scientific advisors, surrounding themselves with smart, ambitious, and curious individuals. We are expanding rapidly and are looking for individuals who share our vision for a sustainable future. We offer competitive benefits to support our employees and their lives outside Aepnus:
- 100% medical, dental and vision coverage for employees and 50% for dependents
- Flexible vacation and company paid holidays
- Company supplied equipment such as laptop and ergonomic workspace
- Regular offsites