R&D Intern

Norma; Paris; On-site; EUR 13,000 - 20,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Hands-on lab experience

Impact-focused learning

Diversity & inclusion

International environment

Job summary

Norma is an early-stage climate tech company in Paris developing a breakthrough carbon capture technology using supercapacitors. We are seeking an R&D Intern to join our lab-intensive team, starting January or March 2027, to accelerate R&D and run hands-on experiments in cells, sensors, and data capture.

You will assemble cells, run tests, troubleshoot hardware, and keep data tidy for the team. Master students in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering with lab experience are encouraged to apply; Python

Qualifications

• Master student in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering.
• Previous experience in a chemistry lab.
• Nice to have: experience assembling supercapacitors, fuel cells or batteries.
• Direct electrochemistry experience in a lab (CV, EIS, GCPL).

Responsibilities

• Cell assembly: Assemble cells following our protocols.
• Testing: Run tests and experiments, several in parallel.
• Troubleshooting: Fix hardware problems and keep experiments running.
• Data: Record results and keep data tidy and understandable for the R&D team.

Skills

Master student in Chemistry/Chemical工程

Chemistry lab experience

Electrochemistry principles

Troubleshooting in lab hardware

Data recording and data management

Python

Education

Master's student in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering

Tools

Python

Job description

Norma is pioneering Supercapacitive Carbon Capture, using supercapacitor technology to store and reuse the energy required to capture carbon. Instead of consuming energy, we recover it, making carbon capture dramatically more efficient and scalable. The result: 5x lower energy use and cost than first-generation than first-generation Direct Air Capture systems. We target Direct Air Capture, point-source CCS, and CO₂ utilisation.

In just months, we went from first prototype to outperforming current leaders. We've raised a $1M pre-seed round, secured early pre-purchases with Milkywire and filed two patents. We are backed by top tier ClimateTech VCs: Marble and Counteract VC.

Norma is led by Mónica Larrazábal (MIT MBA, ex-McKinsey, 5 years in carbon capture) and Dr. Silvia Pugliese (Chemistry PhD at Collège de France, repeat founder in climate tech). We are now looking for an R&D Intern to help our R&D team test faster in the lab.

Starting date:

January or March 2027

The mission

The goal of the internship is to increase the speed of Norma's R&D efforts. The R&D Intern joins at a critical time for our technology, with intensive lab testing ahead.

This is a hands-on role: our R&D Intern is in the lab every day, and their work directly determines how fast we learn.

Objectives

The R&D Intern works hand in hand with our R&D CO₂ Capture Lead. The internship involves mainly hands-on work in the lab:

• Cell assembly: Assemble cells following our protocols.
• Testing: Run tests and experiments, several in parallel.
• Troubleshooting: Fix hardware problems as they come up and keep experiments running.
• Data: Record results and keep data tidy and understandable for the whole R&D team.

Experience

Must have:

• Master student in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering
• Previous experience in a chemistry lab

Nice to have:

• Previous internship or experience involving the assembly of supercapacitors, fuel cells or batteries
• Direct electrochemistry experience in a lab (CV, EIS, GCPL)

Hard Skills

Must have:

• Solid understanding of electrochemical principles
• Comfortable with hands-on troubleshooting
• Able to record and keep data tidy and understandable

Nice to have:

• Python

Soft Skills

• Rigorous and methodical: follows protocols exactly so results stay comparable across cells and runs, and keeps traceability across test conditions, results and documentation
• Learns fast: picks up new technical domains quickly and closes gaps rapidly
• Communication: shares progress and blockers clearly, in writing and in conversation

Ways of working

• Hands-on: wants to be in the lab, not just reading about it, and gets energy from making things work in the real world
• High agency: proactive, spots what needs to be done and does it without waiting to be asked
• Results-oriented: cares about outcomes, not activity
• Adaptable: comfortable with ambiguity, shifts gears when priorities change
• Mission-driven: genuinely cares about what Norma is building

What We Offer

We are an early-stage company building a world-class team and a breakthrough climate technology grounded in an ambitious vision. We are fully committed to long-term impact and excellence.

In addition to the opportunity to make a real impact in the fight against climate change, we offer:

• Contract: Internship.
• Compensation: Paid internship.
• Impact & Learning: Hands-on lab experience on a breakthrough carbon capture technology, working alongside our R&D team.
• Culture: Low ego, team-first, and results-driven. We combine radical thinking with radical candor to redefine carbon capture.
• International environment: English-first workplace with gender parity and a diverse team representing five nationalities.

We believe that a diverse group of minds is key to solving the climate crisis.

Studies have shown that under-represented candidates are less likely to apply for an opportunity unless they feel they meet every single qualification.

We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and mission-driven company. If you’re excited about this opportunity but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with what you read.