Job Title:
Research Engineer
Location: Cambridge, MA
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Travel: Approximately 10%
About the Company:
Freshwater scarcity is a growing global challenge affecting both developed and developing nations. NONA Technologies is pioneering a transformative approach to desalination and data center cooling tower wastewater treatment using a patented electrical separation method that removes dissolved salts and pathogens from water.
Powered by Ion Concentration Polarization (ICP) technology developed at MIT, NONA’s systems can reduce electricity consumption by 25%–60% when treating brackish water compared with conventional treatment methods. Our technology expands sustainable access to clean water and enables data centers and other industrial facilities to reuse cooling tower wastewater through cost-effective, low-maintenance treatment—reducing freshwater consumption, wastewater discharge, and operating costs.
Job Description:
NONA Technologies, Inc. is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Research Engineer to evaluate and optimize Ion Concentration Polarization modules and other water treatment technologies for brackish water, produced water, cooling tower wastewater, and other industrial wastewater applications.
This position will focus on Ph.D.-level experimental research, including experimental design, technology evaluation, performance characterization, data analysis, and process optimization. The Research Engineer will also support the design and integration of pilot-scale treatment systems, including pumps, piping, valves, instrumentation, and process controls. Responsibilities include laboratory testing, pilot-scale development, field validation, and technology scale-up.
Approximately 10% travel is required for field testing and system commissioning.
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Design and conduct advanced laboratory- and pilot-scale experiments to evaluate ICP modules and other water treatment technologies.
- Characterize salt removal, water recovery, energy consumption, membrane performance, fouling, scaling, and long-term operational stability.
- Analyze experimental data and identify operating conditions that improve treatment efficiency, reliability, water quality, and cost-effectiveness.
- Develop experimental protocols, test plans, performance metrics, and technical reports.
- Design, build, and integrate pilot-scale ICP systems for brackish water and wastewater treatment.
- Size and specify pumps, piping, valves, tanks, sensors, and other process equipment.
- Prepare and maintain Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs).
- Develop and implement process control strategies to maintain system stability and product-water quality.
- Conduct mass and energy balances, hydraulic calculations, process modeling, and equipment sizing.
- Perform laboratory and on-site pilot testing, collect and analyze operational data, and recommend process improvements.
- Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, electrochemical, and water-treatment performance issues.
- Evaluate complementary and competing water treatment technologies, including reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, capacitive deionization, and electrodeionization.
- Support the scale-up of ICP technology from laboratory and pilot systems to demonstration and commercial-scale installations.
- Collaborate with internal teams, equipment suppliers, customers, and EPC contractors.
- Ensure compliance with applicable environmental, safety, and water treatment regulations and standards.
- Prepare operating procedures and provide technical training to internal personnel and field operators.
- Travel to customer or project sites for field testing, commissioning, and system validation approximately 10% of the time.
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, or a closely related field.
- Hands-on research experience with electrodialysis, capacitive deionization, electrodeionization, electrochemical separation, membrane processes, or another relevant water treatment technology.
- Demonstrated ability to design experiments, analyze complex datasets, and optimize system performance.
- Strong understanding of water chemistry and water treatment fundamentals.
- Experience conducting mass and energy balances, hydraulic calculations, process modeling, and process equipment design.
- Proven ability to implement process improvements and troubleshoot complex technical problems.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, technical writing, and communication skills.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
- Willingness to travel approximately 10% for field testing and commissioning.
Preferred Qualifications
- One or more years of relevant industry or postdoctoral experience.
- Experience designing or operating electrodialysis, capacitive deionization, electrodeionization, or other electrochemical separation systems.
- Experience designing water treatment pumping systems with flow rates greater than 1 m³/h.
- Experience with brackish water, produced water, cooling tower wastewater, or industrial wastewater treatment.
- Familiarity with reverse osmosis, membrane filtration, pretreatment, fouling control, and scaling control.
- Experience with process simulation, statistical analysis, and experimental design tools.
- Experience with analytical methods and instrumentation, including inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), ion chromatography, conductivity, pH, and related water-quality measurements.
- Working knowledge of AutoCAD, SolidWorks, LabVIEW, or similar engineering and data-acquisition software.
Pay: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
Work Location: In person
