Lead Researcher

Job description

Veolia is a world leader in membrane separations, including Ion Exchange membranes for electrodialysis. This a R&D position for an IX Membrane Researcher for the Guelph, Ontario facility. This role is focused on driving R&D growth programs as the business focuses on direct membrane sales to leverage the capacity of our new IX manufacturing line. You will work with other R&D scientists to accelerate our membrane development to ensure our IX membranes are best-in-class in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Primary Duties Perform membrane characterization testing to define the specific membrane characteristics, i.e. ionic resistance, mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and ion selectivity, etc. Prepare scale up chemicals and equipment for both pilot and production membrane line trials, gather data during trials Refine membrane formulations through Design of Experiment (DOE) testing routines on small scale samples, working up to pilot line trials Maintain records appropriate for protection of intellectual property Secondary Duties Use lab scale electrodialysis equipment to test the membrane performance Contribute to troubleshooting field problems associated with ion exchange membranes Run analysis of field return samples to diagnose “health” of the membranes Support process engineer to make recommendations for replacement and/or system process changes Work with vendors to source and/or develop new membrane substrates and monomers Run field return analyses to understand membrane field performance and support application and sales engineers Qualifications and Experience: Master’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or material science plus 3-5 years of industrial research experience, or Ph.D. in the field of ion exchange membrane development Knowledge of ion exchange membrane fabrication processes Comprehensive knowledge and practical experience in measuring ion exchange membrane performance characteristics Good knowledge and experience with Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) practices Motivated self-starter with the personal initiative to help shape a Growth Program platform Good statistical data analysis skills, including Design of Experiments Excellent oral and written English and presentation skills