Chemical Engineer / Polymer Scientist

Chemstars; Leiden; On-site; EUR 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

8% holiday allowance

Stock option plan

Travel reimbursement

Job summary

AKIN is seeking a chemical engineer or polymer scientist to own pre- and post-enzymatic separation and purification steps for rubber recycling. You will design bench-scale experiments, characterize feeds and products, and collaborate with the biocatalysis and process teams.

The role requires hands-on work in a small, international startup environment at Delft. You bring an MSc (or PhD) with bench experience in polymer separation and purification, strong polymer chemistry skills, and fluent

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD with hands-on separation and purification experience.
• Proven bench experience in separation and purification of polymers or complex mixtures.
• Strong polymer chemistry and characterisation skills.
• Self-starting with examples of taking initiative and delivering beyond the brief.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities; communicates clearly.

Responsibilities

• Feedstock pre-treatment: develop pre-wash and decontamination steps for rubber feedstocks.
• Separation/purification: bench-scale downstream processes, extraction, dissolution, precipitation, filtration, recovery.
• Characterisation: GPC/SEC, FTIR, NMR, TGA/DSC; closing mass balances.
• Enzyme interface: collaborate with biocatalysis scientist on feedstock/product impact on enzymes.
• Scale-up: translate bench results to scalable steps.
• Lab ownership: plan experiments, maintain records, report clearly to team.
• New methods: bring in cross-disciplinary methods and smarter approaches.

Skills

Bench experience in separation & Purif

Polymer chemistry

Characterisation skills

Self-starting

Ambiguity management

Fluent English

Education

MSc in chemistry/chemical engineering/polymer science (or PhD with hands-on separation work)

Job description

About AKIN

AKIN is a Dutch biotech startup developing a novel enzymatic platform for rubber recycling (Kinfinity). We convert end-of-life rubber, including devulcanised rubber feedstock, into high-value chemical products and materials, targeting applications in tyres and industrial rubber goods.

The Role

We are looking for a chemical engineer or polymer scientist to own the chemistry that happens before and after our enzymes do their work: separation and purification. That means cleaning up real rubber feedstock before the enzymatic step, by removing oils, additives, fillers and metals, and separating and purifying the polymer and oligomer streams that come out of it. This is a hands-on, benchtop role. Most of your week is spent in the lab designing and running experiments, not managing them from a desk. You are the person in the team who understands how these streams behave and how to get a clean, characterised product out of them. We are an early-stage company, and we will give you real ownership. We expect you to spot the next problem and go after it without waiting to be asked.

Key Responsibilities

• Feedstock pre-treatment: developing and optimising pre-wash and decontamination steps for rubber crumb and other rubber feedstocks.
• Separation and purification: designing and iterating downstream separation and purification at bench scale: extraction, dissolution and precipitation, fractionation, filtration and centrifugation, and solvent selection and recovery.
• Characterisation: characterising feedstocks, intermediates and products (for example GPC/SEC, FTIR, NMR, TGA/DSC), and closing mass balances.
• Enzyme interface: working closely with our biocatalysis scientist on how the feedstock and product streams affect enzyme performance.
• Scale-up: working with our process engineer to translate bench results into scalable process steps.
• Lab ownership: planning your own experimental work, keeping a rigorous lab record, and reporting clearly to the team and to partners.
• New methods: bringing in methods from other fields, smarter workarounds and better ways of doing things.

We Bring

• A key technical role in a company tackling a large, unsolved waste problem.
• Real ownership of your area and a direct line to the founding team.
• A modern lab and office at Biotech Campus Delft (Planet B.io).
• A small, flat and international team.
• A flexible work environment that supports you while also expecting personal accountability.
• A place where employees are valued regardless of background, beliefs, or identity.

You Bring

• MSc in chemistry, chemical engineering or polymer science with at least 3 years of relevant experience; or a PhD with hands-on separation or purification work, in industry or in the PhD itself.
• Proven bench experience in separation and purification of polymers or other complex mixtures, owning the experiments rather than only running them.
• Strong polymer chemistry and characterisation skills.
• Self-starting and driven. You have examples of work you started yourself and of going beyond the brief, and you get energy from building something new.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and changing priorities, and direct in how you communicate. You speak up for your area and your results.
• Fluent English. Dutch or German is advantageous.

Advantageous

None of these is a strict requirement.

• Experience with rubber or elastomers
• Experience with recycled plastics or rubber, or solvent-based recycling (for example dissolution of polyolefins, PS or PVC)
• Experience removing additives, pigments or fillers from polymer waste
• Startup or spin-off experience

Terms of the role

Compensation: €50,000 to €60,000 gross per year, depending on experience, plus 8% holiday allowance, a stock option plan and travel reimbursement (an NS Business Card or a car allowance).

Availability & location: Full-time, 40 hours a week. Expected start: between mid-January and 1 February 2027. At least 80% on‑site in Delft.

Visa sponsorship: We are not able to offer visa sponsorship in the short term.

Work authorisation: Applications are limited to candidates who already hold Dutch work authorisation or who are eligible for the orientation year permit for recent graduates.

If your application meets the role's stated requirements, you will hear back from us. We aim to reply within two weeks.