Principal Wet-Spinning Engineer — Lead Scale & Stock Options

KalvoTech Ltd.; Oxford; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options (EMI scheme)

25 days annual holiday + bank holidays

Competitive salary & pension plan

Work at Harwell science campus

Collaborative, mission-driven team

Job summary

KalvoTech is seeking a Principal Wet-spinning Engineer at Harwell, Oxfordshire, in-person. You will own the wet spinning process to convert protein dope into hollow fibres, lead the materials team, and translate strategy into an actionable road map from concept to scale.

You will collaborate with the CTO and executive team to define milestones, implement quality controls, and drive tech transfer to production while shaping the early-stage growth of Prokitein and related biomaterials.

Qualifications

• Hands-on wet spinning expertise; set up and optimise a wet spinning line.
• 3+ years in polymer, fibre or biomaterials process development.
• Strong practical wet spinning and protein chemistry knowledge.
• Proven experience leading experimental programmes and teams.
• Experience in lab/project management, with excellent record-keeping.
• Knowledge of quality control methods for materials production.
• Hollow fibre spinning experience (co-axial/annular).
• Scale-up or tech transfer from bench to pilot/production.
• Experience with membrane fabrication or porous materials.
• Familiarity with GLP/GMP or food-contact material requirements.
• Contributions to patents, grants, or technical reports.
• Advanced characterisation: SEM, FTIR, DSC/TGA, porosimetry, rheometry.

Responsibilities

• Own the wet spinning process from formulation to take-up and drying.
• Lead the materials team and define the fibre-spinning strategy.
• Collaborate with the CTO and executive team to map milestones.
• Implement quality control and ensure batch traceability.
• Develop SOPs, risk assessments for spinning line and post-processing.
• Run the materials lab, maintain health and safety compliance.
• Remain hands-on, spin fibres and analyse performance with the team.

Skills

Wet spinning expertise

Process development

Protein chemistry knowledge

Team leadership

Experimental programme leadership

Lab operations & safety

Quality control

Scale‑up / tech transfer

Membrane/fibre materials

Characterisation techniques

Tools

Wet spinning equipment

Job description

KalvoTech is seeking a Principal Wet-spinning Engineer at Harwell, Oxfordshire, in-person. You will own the wet spinning process to convert protein dope into hollow fibres, lead the materials team, and translate strategy into an actionable road map from concept to scale.

You will collaborate with the CTO and executive team to define milestones, implement quality controls, and drive tech transfer to production while shaping the early-stage growth of Prokitein and related biomaterials.