Carbon Materials Research Engineer for Water Treatment

A.O. Smith; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Disability programs

Tuition assistance

Job summary

A. O. Smith in Milwaukee, WI is seeking a Research Engineer, Carbon Development to advance next-generation carbon-based adsorption materials and manufacturing processes for water treatment.

The role focuses on linking material properties to product performance while scaling processes to meet cost, energy, and quality targets. You will plan bench- and pilot-scale experiments, evaluate activation methods, coordinate with internal and external partners, and work across engineering, manufacturing,

Qualifications

• MS in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 3 years of related experience in carbon materials, adsorption media, water treatment technology, chemical process development, or pilot-scale process engineering.
• Experience connecting material properties, process conditions, or formulation variables to product performance.
• Experience with carbon characterization methods.
• Working knowledge of adsorption, activated carbon, porous materials, liquid-phase contaminant removal, or thermal/chemical processing of carbon materials.
• Ability to design experiments, analyze technical data, document results, and communicate recommendations to technical and cross-functional audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage technical projects, coordinate external partners or suppliers, and work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Open to domestic and international travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop carbon-based adsorption materials and process conditions for differentiated contaminant removal in water treatment applications.
• Translate adsorption performance requirements into carbon material specifications.
• Evaluate carbon sources, precursors, activation methods, and post-treatments to meet product requirements.
• Plan and conduct bench- and pilot-scale experiments linking materials, processing, carbon properties, and treatment performance.
• Optimize and document process parameters to improve cost, yield, energy efficiency, quality, and manufacturability.
• Coordinate with internal labs, suppliers, universities, and external partners to characterize materials and assess emerging technologies.
• Support pilot plant planning and operation, including run plans, operating limits, sampling, safety, and data collection.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and business teams to transition technologies into products.
• Support compliance, standards, and certification activities for applicable performance, safety, and agency requirements.

Skills

Carbon materials

Adsorption media

Experiment design

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

MS in Chemical Engineering (or related field)

PhD preferred

Job description

A. O. Smith in Milwaukee, WI is seeking a Research Engineer, Carbon Development to advance next-generation carbon-based adsorption materials and manufacturing processes for water treatment.

The role focuses on linking material properties to product performance while scaling processes to meet cost, energy, and quality targets. You will plan bench- and pilot-scale experiments, evaluate activation methods, coordinate with internal and external partners, and work across engineering, manufacturing,