Senior Scientist - R&D

EnergyX; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

PTO and holidays

401(k) with employer match

Equity package

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Company-sponsored events

Job summary

EnergyX seeks a Senior Scientist/Scientist to drive bench-scale discovery and design experiments for lithium salt separations from brines or tails. You will bridge lab work to pilot plant operations and collaborate with engineering and DLE teams to integrate processes into the broader technology ecosystem.

You will mentor scientists, develop SOPs, and deliver technical reports for leadership, ensuring safety and rigorous data analysis throughout technology transfer.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering with strong chemistry focus.
• Post-doctoral or industry experience preferred.
• Proven track record of independent research (publications/patents).
• Deep understanding of separation science (solvent extraction, membranes, adsorbents).

Responsibilities

• Lead bench-scale experimental design for lithium salt separations from brines or tailings.
• Identify scale-up parameters to model pilot-scale operations.
• Serve as liaison for Technology Transfer to pilot operations.
• Troubleshoot and optimize pilot plant operations using physical chemistry.

Skills

Bench-scale experimentation

DoE

Data analysis

Communication

SOP writing

Education

PhD in Chemistry

ChemE with chemistry focus

Post-doctoral/industry experience

Tools

ICP-MS

DoE software

Job description

Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (EnergyX) has a mission to become a worldwide leader in the global transition to sustainable energy. Founded in 2018, the company is fundamentally changing the way humanity is powering our world and storing clean energy with breakthrough lithium-ion technology and energy storage solutions.

The Role

As a Senior Scientist/Scientist, you will not only drive bench-scale discovery but also design experiments specifically to capture the thermodynamic, kinetic, and transport data required for industrial scale-up. You will be instrumental in the technology transfer phase, bridging the gap between the laboratory and pilot plant operations, and work closely with the engineering team for commercial development. You will also work closely with our membrane, solvent extraction, and adsorption Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) teams to ensure your processes integrate seamlessly into our broader technological ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

Research, Development, & Scale-Up

• Lead bench-scale experimental design and execution of new technologies for the separation of lithium salts from aqueous brines and/or waste tailings, optimizing for separation factor, yield, and chemical efficiency, with due consideration to the scalability of processes being investigated.
• Identify, collect, and analyze critical scale-up parameters (e.g., mass transfer coefficients, phase separation velocities, and thermodynamic limits) to model continuous pilot-scale operations.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison for Technology Transfer, working hand-in-hand with process engineering teams to transition batch/bench processes into continuous pilot operations (e.g., countercurrent mixer-settler cascades or centrifugal contactors, fixed-bed columns, simulated moving bed chromatography, continuous crystallizers).
• Troubleshoot and optimize pilot plant operations, directly applying fundamental physical chemistry to solve real-world hydrodynamic and scaling challenges.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate extensively with adjacent R&D teams—including Solvent Extraction, Membrane Separation, and adsorption DLE technology groups to implement new technologies and processes seamlessly into the existing process flow sheets.
• Work with analytical teams to establish and validate highly accurate measurement protocols (e.g., ICP-MS) for tracking chemical purities.

Leadership, Safety, & Documentation

• Champion a culture of absolute laboratory safety, ensuring strict compliance with all Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) regulations, particularly concerning the handling of complex solvent systems, active metals, and strong acids/bases.
• Draft, review, and maintain rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), risk assessments, and technology transfer packages.
• Clearly communicate complex technical findings, project bottlenecks, and milestone updates to leadership and non-technical stakeholders through comprehensive technical reports and presentations.
• Mentor and guide junior scientists and laboratory technicians, fostering an environment of scientific rigor, root-cause problem solving, and continuous learning.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Ph.D. in Chemistry (Organic, Inorganic, Polymers, materials science or closely related discipline) or Chemical Engineering with a strong fundamental chemistry focus. Bachelors in ChemE with 5+ years of research and development experience will be considered.
• Post-doctoral or industry experience preferred. Experience working at a start up is highly prized.
• Proven track record of independent research through publications and patents.
• Deep fundamental understanding of separation science (e.g., solvent extraction, supramolecular host-guest chemistry, membranes, adsorbents, or ion exchange).

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrated experience capturing and analyzing engineering data from bench experiments (e.g., reaction kinetics, phase equilibrium, thermodynamic modeling).
• Experience writing robust SOPs and comprehensive technology transfer documentation.
• Familiarity with the design of experiments (DoE) and comprehensive data analysis
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate complex molecular concepts into actionable engineering parameters.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Ability to work in a laboratory environment, wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for extended periods.
• Occasional travel to pilot plants or demonstration facilities may be required to oversee tech transfer and pilot commissioning.

Benefits:

• Competitive pay
• Paid time-off, holidays, and sick time
• 401(k) with employer match
• Equity Package
• Medical, dental and vision benefits with employer contribution; voluntary benefits available
• Company-sponsored events

EnergyX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with EnergyX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.