Laboratory Technician - Process Development

About the role

Group 14 metals (germanium, tin, silicon) are critical materials of the data center build-out, and Kunin is designing, guaranteeing and commissioning a group 14 metal chlorination plant overseas for an industrial partner: metal-bearing feeds from the partner's own process are converted by chlorination, purification and hydrolysis to an electronic-grade metal product, with Kunin's proprietary ion-exchange media recovering the metal from the dilute process liquors. Bench and mini-pilot process development runs in Chattanooga from December 2026 to May 2027, basic engineering issues in May 2027, the plant is built from modular skids in parallel with civil works, and commercial operation is targeted for the first quarter of 2028. The plant is built and operated by our partner; Kunin owns the process, the design package, the performance guarantee and the training of the operating team. You keep the bench and the mini-pilots running. You set up and operate the chlorination reactors, distillation columns, hydrolysis vessels, filters, dryers and calciners, and the ion-exchange modules; you prepare reagents, handle chlorine and concentrated hydrochloric acid safely, take and log samples on schedule, run the day-to-day ICP-OES and wet-chemistry measurements, and keep the equipment, the inventory and the records in order. From March to May 2027 you work shifts on the continuous mini-pilot campaigns that generate the data the plant is designed from. You are part of the research team in Chattanooga and work with the process chemists, the distillation process engineer and the analytical chemist. Team player who takes ownership of the equipment and the record and raises problems early. By 7 May 2027 we expect both mini-pilot campaigns completed safely with complete sample and operating records.

"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