Mechanical Process Engineer

WHO WE ARE

Kunin Technologies is revolutionizing the critical mineral supply chain by implementing advanced separation technologies to capture value from overlooked resources.

Metals are everywhere, in solar panels, smartphones, electric vehicles, but as ore grades plummet globally, traditional extraction methods are failing. China dominates critical minerals markets by developing superior separation technologies that extract value from materials American mines discard as waste.

Utilizing Kunin Technologies' breakthrough performance, ion-exchange media significantly more value can be produced from each resource, reducing waste, and unlocking metal abundance.

To achieve metal abundance, humanity must bring separation science down its own Moore’s Law: fix the idiot cost index for micro and nano scale separation materials. This requires mass manufacturing novel ion-exchange media form factors which previously struggled from high costs.

THE ROLE

Group 14 metals (germanium, tin, silicon) are critical materials of the data center build-out, and Kunin is designing, guaranteeing and commissioning a group 14 metal chlorination plant overseas for an industrial partner: metal-bearing feeds from the partner's own process are converted by chlorination, purification and hydrolysis to an electronic-grade metal product, with Kunin's proprietary ion-exchange media recovering the metal from the dilute process liquors. Bench and mini-pilot process development runs in Chattanooga from December 2026 to May 2027, basic engineering issues in May 2027, the plant is built from modular skids in parallel with civil works, and commercial operation is targeted for the first quarter of 2028. The plant is built and operated by our partner; Kunin owns the process, the design package, the performance guarantee and the training of the operating team.

You own the equipment and the skids. From the basic engineering datasheets you specify every mechanical item in the plant: chlorination reactors, phase separators, distillation columns and internals, condensers and reboilers, hydrolysis vessels, filters, dryer and calciner, HCl recovery, chlorine supply and scrubbing, product polishing and filling, pumps, piping and valves in HCl, chlorine and metal chloride service. You select materials of construction with the Senior Process Engineer, develop the modular skid layouts with the fabricator so that the process units are built off-site and installed in parallel with the civil works, run the vendor bid evaluations and factory acceptance tests, and support installation, hook-up and pre-commissioning at the partner's site. Mechanical completion on 31 December 2027 is your milestone.

You work with the VP of Capital Projects on schedule and cost, with the Senior Process Engineer on process intent, and with the partner-country contractor on piping, structural and installation design. This is the first of a series of Kunin-designed metal recovery and conversion plants. You are a founding member of Kunin's Capital Projects team, whose goal is 100 critical metal projects in 10 years. Once this plant is through its gates you are expected to be executing design and delivery work on two to three projects in parallel. As the team grows you are expected to lead the mechanical engineering team across those projects.

By 21 May 2027 we expect the equipment list, datasheets and skid concept in the basic engineering package. By 3 December 2027, all skids through factory acceptance and on site. By 31 December 2027, mechanical completion.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Mechanical datasheets and specifications for all process equipment, piping, valves and instruments in HCl, chlorine and metal chloride service

• Modular skid design with the fabricator: layout, structural, piping, access and maintainability, shipping and installation

• Materials of construction and corrosion engineering: glass-lined, PTFE/PFA-lined, graphite, Hastelloy, quartz; lined-equipment inspection on receipt

• Vendor bid technical evaluation, expediting and factory acceptance tests for columns, lined vessels, chlorine systems and ion-exchange modules

• Installation, hook-up, pressure and leak testing, pre-commissioning and mechanical completion punch lists at the partner's site

QUALIFICATIONS AND PREFERRED SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or chemical engineering required.

• 5+ years of mechanical or equipment engineering in specialty chemicals, chlor-alkali, electronic gases or hydrometallurgy, including at least one modular or skid-built plant.

• Has specified and accepted lined vessels, columns and chlorine handling equipment; familiar with ASME VIII, B31.3 and chlorine industry practice.

• Proficient in 3D plant design review (Plant 3D, E3D or equivalent) and mechanical datasheet preparation.

• Ability to work in fast paced and demanding atmosphere

• Creative problem solving that brings together equipment design, materials and fabrication to build a corrosive-service plant on a fixed date.

COMPENSATION

This role will pay $110,000 - $240,000, benefits, and equity.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Position located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Travel to fabricator shops and to the partner's site for factory acceptance tests, installation and mechanical completion; extended stays on site in the fourth quarter of 2027.

• Must be a U.S. citizen.

• Extended hours and weekends frequently required to support critical project milestones.

Chattanooga is more beautiful than expected, and Tennessee has no income tax.

"The Whole World Is Ion-Exchange And The Rest Are Merely Details!"

Dr. Robert Kunin of Rohm and Haas, The Pioneer of the Ion-Exchange Industry, 1951