Carbon Materials Research Engineer — Water Treatment

A. O. Smith Corporation; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A. O. Smith Corporation in Milwaukee, WI seeks a Research Engineer, Carbon Development, to advance next-generation carbon materials and processes for water treatment.

You will connect material properties to performance, plan bench- and pilot-scale studies, and work across teams to scale technologies for manufacturing. Ideal candidates hold an MS in a relevant field and 3+ years in carbon materials or adsorption.

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.

Job description

A. O. Smith Corporation in Milwaukee, WI seeks a Research Engineer, Carbon Development, to advance next-generation carbon materials and processes for water treatment.

You will connect material properties to performance, plan bench- and pilot-scale studies, and work across teams to scale technologies for manufacturing. Ideal candidates hold an MS in a relevant field and 3+ years in carbon materials or adsorption.