Engineer, Membrane development

Overview

Own PFSA ionomer membrane formulation, casting and component-level characterization for PEM water electrolysis, from lab scale through pilot transfer, with a focus on durability, performance, gas crossover and cost.

What you'll do

• Design and develop advanced PFSA membranes by tailoring polymer architecture and membrane thickness through solution casting and coating processes to enhance PEM water electrolyzer performance and durability.
• Develop advanced structure and composite membranes to balance conductivity, mechanical strength and gas crossover.
• Optimize ionomer dispersions: solvent systems, equivalent weight (EW), solids content, rheology and annealing conditions.
• Measure proton conductivity (in-plane and through-plane), IEC, water uptake, swelling, tensile and creep properties.
• Develop and implement component-level test methodologies to evaluate and characterize membrane properties, including mechanical, chemical, thermal, and electrochemical performance.
• Run accelerated stress tests: Fenton/OCV chemical degradation, fluoride release rate, mechanical cycling and pressure-differential tests.
• Use characterization techniques like FTIR, NMR, TGA, DSC, DMA, SAXS/WAXS, SEM/EDX and XPS to relate structure to performance.
• Assess H₂/O₂ crossover and membrane behavior in single-cell and short-stack electrolyzer tests with the MEA level.
• Transfer lab processes to pilot roll-to-roll casting/coating with process engineering; define specs and QC methods.
• Analyze post-operated MEA to identify failure modes (thinning, pinholes and chemical attack etc.).
• Qualify advanced membrane technologies through rigorous testing, reliability assessment, and performance verification under application-relevant operating conditions.
• Develop and implement safe work practices for PFSA ionomer handling and testing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate membrane performance requirements into robust qualification plans and acceptance criteria.

What you'll need

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Engineering or a related field with 1+ years of industry experience, or M.Sc./M.Tech (Polymer chemistry/Polymer science and technology) with 3+ years of industry experience.
• Experience with electrochemical methods: EIS, polarization curves, conductivity cells, gas crossover measurement.
• Working knowledge of PFSA ionomer chemistry: EW, side-chain structure, phase-separated morphology, and degradation mechanisms.
• Background in membrane durability under high differential pressure, high current density or dynamic operation.

Nice to have

• Exposure to hydrocarbons or PFAS-free ionomer alternatives.
• Track record of peer-reviewed publications or patents in ion-exchange membranes.

Details

• Location: Bengaluru, India.