Fluid Dynamics Engineer
Kunin Technologies
Fluid Dynamics Engineer
Kunin Technologies
Vertical ion-exchange tech for critical metals
Kunin Technologies is revolutionizing the critical mineral supply chain by implementing advanced separation technologies to capture value from overlooked resources.
Metals are everywhere, in solar panels, smartphones, electric vehicles, but as ore grades plummet globally, traditional extraction methods are failing. China dominates critical minerals markets by developing superior separation technologies that extract value from materials American mines discard as waste.
Utilizing Kunin Technologies' breakthrough performance, ion-exchange media significantly more value can be produced from each resource, reducing waste, and unlocking metal abundance.
To achieve metal abundance, humanity must bring separation science down its own Moore’s Law: fix the idiot cost index for micro and nano scale separation materials. This requires mass manufacturing novel ion-exchange media form factors which previously struggled from high costs.
We are packaging ion-exchange media elements into modules, the pressure-housing assemblies our customers deploy. You are responsible for the flow behavior inside the module: inlet and outlet manifolds, distribution across elements, pressure drop, channeling, dead zones, residence time, and mass transfer. Your CFD models and measurements decide the module's internal geometry and its performance specification.
You are part of a new team in Chattanooga, TN dedicated to the module: how fluid moves through the housing and its elements, how the hardware is engineered and sourced, and how elements become finished modules at production rate. Your teammates are a mechanical engineer and a mechatronics engineer.
This demonstration line becomes the basis of a greenfield manufacturing facility in Series A – B, at 10X the scale, with automated material handling and integrated module assembly and packaging.
This role matures to cover the hydraulic scale-up of modules across sizes and applications, in-line hydraulic QA methods, and performance modeling that feeds directly into customer project design.
By the end of Q4 2027, we expect our media production line to be integrated with automated assembly into finished modules. By 2030, we want to be the world’s largest producer of ion-exchange equipment solutions.
This role requires collaborating with internal production and operations teams & external joint-development partners.
Model flow through modules and their elements: manifold design, distribution across elements, pressure drop, channeling, and residence time distribution, using CFD and reduced-order models
Design and run bench flow loops to validate models: pressure, flow, and tracer measurements on single elements and full modules
Module internals design with the mechanical engineer: inlet and outlet headers, element seating and seals, spacers, and flow distribution hardware
Mass transfer and breakthrough performance characterization – working with our chemists
Hydraulic test protocols and QA specifications for production modules
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, chemical, or aerospace engineering - advanced degree a plus.
1+ years of experience with CFD tools such as ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, or OpenFOAM.
Experience with experimental flow measurement: pressure, flow rate, and tracer or dye studies.
1+ years of experience using software tools such as Matlab or Python.
Ability to work in fast paced and demanding atmosphere
Creative problem solving that brings together fluid mechanics, porous media flow, separation chemistry, and mechanical design disciplines.
Position located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Travel to partners' facilities may be intermittently required.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Extended hours and weekends frequently required to support critical project milestones.
Chattanooga is more beautiful than expected, and Tennessee has no income tax.
"The Whole World Is Ion-Exchange And The Rest Are Merely Details!"
Dr. Robert Kunin of Rohm and Haas, The Pioneer of the Ion-Exchange Industry, 1951
Vertical ion-exchange tech for critical metals
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.
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