R&D Engineer – Solar Desalination Technologies

SolMem; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

SolMem LLC is seeking a hands-on, detail-oriented R&D Engineer to join our Houston-based team as we advance water treatment technologies toward commercial readiness.

You will support lab and field-based pilot system construction, testing, and troubleshooting, while iterating on pilot-scale designs to improve performance and reduce costs. Travel up to 15% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental, Chemical, Mechanical Engineering or closely related field.
• 1-3 years of engineering design experience, ideally with water/wastewater treatment systems or process equipment.
• Foundational knowledge of process engineering and system integration.
• Ability to work independently and in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Interest in startup environments and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Support the R&D team in lab and field-based pilot system construction, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Assist in designing and iterating on pilot-scale water treatment systems to improve performance and reduce costs.
• Run experiments, collect and analyze data, and document results to support milestones on federally funded projects.
• Contribute technical content (data, figures, narrative input) to grant proposals under senior staff guidance.
• Support development of techno-economic cost models using process modeling and basic engineering calculations.
• Help prepare technical materials and data summaries for internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist with procurement and organization of lab materials and equipment.
• Travel occasionally (up to 15%) for field tests, pilot deployments, or customer engagement.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Data analysis

Education

BEng in Environmental/Chemical/Mechanical Eng

Tools

AutoCAD

COMSOL

Job description

About the Role

Houston, TX | Primarily Lab-Based | Up to 15% Travel

SolMem LLC is seeking a hands‑on, detail‑oriented R&D Engineer to support our research and development team as we bring transformative water treatment technologies to market. In this role, you will contribute to the advancement of a technology currently at TRL 6-7, supporting design iterations, performance testing, and system validation as we accelerate toward commercial readiness. You'll work closely with senior engineers and researchers to build and operate pilot‑scale systems and help shape SolMem's growing technology portfolio.

About SolMem

SolMem LLC is a Houston-based technology startup spun out of Rice University and the NSF's Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology‑Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT). Since 2017, we've been committed to improving lives through innovative, sustainable, and energy‑efficient water treatment technologies.

We combine cutting‑edge research with novel engineering to develop disruptive solutions for off‑grid community and industrial applications. Our team blends deep technical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and a shared mission to make clean water more accessible and affordable.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the R&D team in lab and field‑based pilot system construction, testing, and troubleshooting


• Assist in designing and iterating on pilot‑scale water treatment systems to improve performance and reduce costs


• Run experiments, collect and analyze data, and document results to support technical milestones on federally funded projects


• Contribute technical content (data, figures, narrative input) to support grant proposal writing under the guidance of senior staff


• Support development of techno‑economic cost models using process modeling and basic engineering calculations


• Help prepare technical materials and data summaries for internal and external stakeholders


• Assist with procurement and organization of lab materials and equipment


• Travel occasionally (up to 15%) for field tests, pilot deployments, or customer engagement

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental, Chemical, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field


• 1-3 years of engineering design experience, ideally involving water/wastewater treatment systems or process equipment


• Foundational knowledge of process engineering and system integration


• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast‑paced startup environment


• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information clearly


• Interest in startup environments and cross‑functional collaboration

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to membrane desalination, thermal processes, or advanced water treatment systems


• Proficiency in AutoCAD, process modeling software (e.g. COMSOL), or similar engineering tools


• EIT (Engineer in Training) certification or progress toward FE/PE


• Familiarity with water chemistry and industrial water treatment challenges


• Experience with data analysis and basic cost‑performance modeling