Engineer 2 - Special Projects
About the job
- A Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Physics with 1 to 2 years of related laboratory experience, a Master's degree with 0 to 2 years of related laboratory experience, or a PhD.
- Be comfortable with gas handling and vacuum systems and careful, repetitive bench work across a large test matrix.
- Have experience in at least one of materials synthesis, materials characterization using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy, or Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, or radiation and particle detection.
- Have data-analysis skills using Python, MATLAB, or Excel, and maintain disciplined data provenance.
- Work independently on routine tasks and ask for direction on non-routine tasks.
- Be willing to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Frequently work extended hours and weekends to support critical project milestones.
- Prepare and characterize palladium and nickel nanocrystal samples using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and related methods.
- Operate loading and triggering reactors and run samples through the test matrix, including gas handling and vacuum systems.
- Calibrate and operate detection and metrology equipment, and keep calibration records current.
- Collect, reduce, and document experimental data; maintain the laboratory notebook and data files to program standards.
- Keep the laboratory safe and orderly, stay current on safety training, follow and maintain standard operating procedures, and maintain housekeeping to audit standard.
- Identify improvements to laboratory workflows, test techniques, and equipment capability, and raise them with the senior engineer.
- Support metal recovery projects with bench work when the program schedule allows.
About the company
Kunin Technologies focuses on recovering critical metals using vertically integrated ion-exchange technology. It targets by-product critical metals and promotes domestic, US-based mineral processing, aiming to rebuild American ion-exchange capability. The company’s technology uses ion-exchange processes to selectively capture and recover metals from industrial streams, enabling purification and recovery of critical metals within the U.S. infrastructure. Across competitors, Kunin differentiates itself by its emphasis on vertical integration, domestic manufacturing, and a narrative directed at industrial and policy stakeholders that highlights the offshoring of mineral production and the need to revitalize domestic capabilities. Its goal is to be the leader in American critical metals by providing the technology and capability to recover these metals domestically, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.
Company Size
1-10
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$1M
Headquarters
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Founded
2025
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- DOE funding in April 2026 validates Kunin's gallium recovery thesis for defense supply chains.
- Kunin says it raised $1.75 million and is piloting with partners.
- Export controls on Chinese rare-earth technology keep domestic processing premium and politically supported.
What critics are saying
- Kunin remains pre-scale; piloting must prove purity, cost, and throughput before 2027.
- One failed DOE pilot would crush credibility with mines, smelters, and later customers.
- If gallium economics disappoint, Kunin becomes a science project with no durable buyer.
What makes Kunin Technologies unique
- Kunin is one of five DOE TRACE-Ga awardees, targeting 12 tons yearly gallium.
- It claims vertically integrated resin, process, and metal-production capabilities, rare outside China.
- Its ion-exchange platform targets byproduct metals from mine waste, smelters, and refineries.
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Benefits
- Gym Membership
- Flexible Work Hours
- Company Equity