Technical Co-Founder, Process Engineer

Summary

Join as a Founder in Residence in Climate to co-found and spin-out a new company that converts methane emissions into valuable products such as protein, biofertilizer, and bioplastics. The role is full-time, remote initially until venture incorporation and spin-out.

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent industry R&D know-how focused on bioprocess engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field specifically with designing and scaling bioreactor systems for microbial cultivation, particularly for gas-fed systems like methane
• In-depth knowledge of current approaches and state-of-the-art (SOTA) technologies, and constraints in one or more of the following areas
• The requirements for cultivating methanotrophic bacteria, algae, or other microbes under different conditions (aerobic/anaerobic, batch/continuous)
• Gas-liquid mass transfer, bubble dynamics, mixing, and agitation to ensure optimal contact between methane and microbial cultures
• Sensors, controllers, and automated systems for monitoring and regulating temperature, pH, dissolved gases, and other critical parameters in real-time
• Various fermentation types (batch, fed-batch, continuous) and their impact on microbial growth and productivity
• Optimizing fermentation conditions for yield, quality, and consistency of the end product (protein, plastics, or fertilizer)
• Industry-specific know-how and commercial knowledge (e.g. forming strategic partnerships, manufacturing, procurement, etc.)

Responsibilities

• Lead development of a bioreactor system that uses biogas and microbial consortia to produce valuable outputs
• Work closely with a microbiologist to align bioreactor features with target growth conditions
• Serve as an enthusiastic contributing leader across multiple facets of venture building including customer development, team building, securing investment, and strategic positioning

Benefits

• Access to optimised, purpose-built, proprietary tools, resources, and processes to help create high-impact ventures from scratch
• Opportunity area-specific know-how from our network of Partners and Advisors
• Up to £250k in investment to incorporate the new venture and develop early proof-of-concept data
• Guaranteed income of £4,166 per month paid as a consultancy fee until the company is launched and the pre-seed investment is secured
• Majority equity stake in the new company for you and your co-founders
• Continuous post-spinout support, including fundraising, commercial partnerships, recruitment, and team-building