Manufacturing/production Technician And Operator To Help Scale Up A Sustainable Biomaterial

Arda Biomaterials; London; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A sustainable biomaterials company in London seeks a Manufacturing/Production Technician to produce plant-based leather alternatives from brewing waste. You'll work hands-on in a small team, overseeing batch production and quality assurance. The role offers a competitive salary, professional development opportunities, and the chance to innovate in a fast-growing start-up environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Training and qualification opportunities

Flexible working hours

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Interest in process or chemical engineering, mechanical or electrical engineering.
• Curiosity about working at pilot or manufacturing scale.
• Practical mindset and hands-on experience.

Responsibilities

• Producing batches of material using the 50-litre setup.
• Recording production data for full traceability.
• Performing basic QA measurements and liaising with teams.

Skills

Process engineering

Mechanical engineering

Basic QA measurements

Hands-on experience

Tools

Mixers

Pumps

Centrifuges

Job description

Role:

Manufacturing/Production Technician and Operator

What do we do at Arda?

We're creating a leather like material made from beer... well, we're actually using the waste from the beer-brewing process, so don't worry your beer is safe! Normally this waste, called brewers' spent grain, is fed to cows and pigs. However, instead of exploiting animals and tanning their hides, we're able to skip cows altogether and craft a novel, plant-based, and plastic-free material directly.

Why?

Because leather isn't a by-product; it's a co-product that subsidises one of the most polluting industries on the planet -- industrial animal agriculture, which is responsible for over 14% of global CO emissions. Furthermore, many leather tanneries use toxic chemicals that are extremely harmful to local ecosystems.

Unfortunately, current leather alternatives are riddled with plastic, contributing to landfill and micro-plastic pollution. The market for leather alternatives is rapidly expanding and is projected to hit $100 Billion by 2030. Industries such as fashion, automotive, and home upholstery are scrambling for non-plastic alternatives; but they just can't find any that are affordable or at scale! (Here's where we come in.)

How?

We take the waste grain, extract & manipulate the proteins, and then form the proteins into sheets (x3 patent protected) and we've invented a whole new material to take on leather and pleather... (we'll get into the tech details later).

Why do we need your help?

We are looking for a manufacturing/process technician or operator to join the Arda team and help produce the material required for both our customers and the R&D team. We are currently in the process of moving from lab scale to pilot rig scale, and hopefully in a few years moving to production scale. To achieve this, it will involve integrating within the process/engineering team while collaborating with our R&D and product team.

Candidates will be joining a small and expanding team (9 and counting), working directly within the recently created engineering team. The role will involve diving into the emerging field of plastic-free, plant-based leather alternatives and running a range of process equipment on a day-to-day basis to ensure that our material is produced to specification and on time. Initially you will learn how to produce batches of material at the 50-litre scale and assist with the install, commissioning, and production ramp as we move to producing 500-litre batches.

Responsibilities will include:

Producing multiple batches of material per week using our existing 50-litre setup Recording data from production runs within our internal systems to allow for full batch and material traceability. Performing basic QA measurements (moisture/protein content, viscosity) on both feedstocks and products to validate the quality of the manufacturing process. Liaising with both R&D and product teams to understand needs for material production and coordination and communication of production runs. Forming working relations with the brewers who we receive spent grain from to ensure feedstock is available when needed. General housekeeping, maintenance and upkeep of the process space and equipment to ensure high quality and repeatable manufacturing routes. Assist with preparation and updates of process documentation such as flowsheets, P&ID, risk assessments and HAZOP studies Commissioning and production ramp-up of the 500-litre capability, producing multiple batches of material per week, at scale. Contribute towards continuous improvement activities, process optimisation and minimising manufacturing risk.

Who you are?

More than anything, we want to find great people who share our vision of sustainability and want to grow with us. If this sounds interesting, we would love to hear from you, even if you do not meet every point below. What matters most is your interest in learning and developing these skills over time.

You have an interest in process or chemical engineering, mechanical or electrical engineering, control or automation, or similar areas. You are curious about working at pilot or manufacturing scale in chemicals, food and drink, or materials. Some understanding of process operations could help, but we are happy to help you build this up. You should have a practical mindset, be hands on, and have an interest in producing material reliably and on schedule. You may enjoy improving processes and trying new ideas. Any familiarity with equipment like heaters, mixers, pumps or centrifuges is helpful, but training will be provided. You should feel confident working on your own when needed, while being comfortable asking questions and working with others. You will need to be happy working in a start-up environment and learning as you go. This role is based on-site in London.

What we offer in return:

A competitive salary; based on level of experience Training and qualification opportunities in electricals, mechanicals, and/or control systems The responsibilities and duties to give a fast-track towards chartered engineer. The chance to be one of the first employees in a fast-growing company with global ambitions. Freedom to innovate and develop new ideas and process optimisations. Flexible working hours Opportunities for professional development and management

Location

: Bermondsey, London UK.

How to apply:

To apply, fill out this Google Docs Form (https://forms.gle/GsADWTh73gfHmqGV8). We will then be in touch for the next steps. This position start date is scheduled for as soon as possible but is generally flexible with regards to the candidates work-notice/schedule.

A bit about us and our journey:

We are a start-up based in London developing biomaterials for the circular economy. Funnily enough, both of us founders live in Bermondsey with the 'Bermondsey Beer Mile' right on our doorstep. Even more so, Bermondsey is the historic leather tanning district of London, and here we are transforming brewery waste into an alternative leather. We also met in a pub. Since, we've gone from prototyping in our kitchens, to a lab in the aptly named Leather Market, and now we have built a whole new big lab & production space along the Bermondsey Beer Mile. We've had a very serendipitous and coincidental path, and we're thrilled to be building Arda.

Our take on diversity:

Arda is for everyone. We're an equal-opportunity employer. We will consider all applications equally regardless of a person's race, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, background, marital status, disability, or gender identity. Moreover, we actively encourage individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in the materials space to reach out.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 28,000.00-35,000.00 per year

Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person

Reference ID: Arda Manufacturing/Production Technician and Operator