Process Development Associate

Adiabatic Materials | Somerville, MA

Reinvent chemistry. Decarbonize industry. Electrify the future.

Today, most chemicals are still made using heat from burning fossil fuels in energy-intensive, polluting processes. Adiabatic Materials has developed a fundamentally new approach: an electrochemical synthesis platform that uses clean electricity instead of heat. The platform grew out of 15 years of Harvard research and has been demonstrated for a broad range of chemicals. Adiabatic recently spun out of Harvard and is scaling its operations in the Boston area.

Why Adiabatic might be great for you

We're a small, early-stage team working on hard, meaningful problems. If you enjoy building real systems and want to see how breakthrough science becomes commercial reality, this could be a great fit.

• Hands-on from day one. You'll build electrochemical cells, run test campaigns and help bring up new test rigs in our prototyping lab and wet lab at Greentown Labs.
• Learn from an experienced team. You'll work side by side with our Director of Electrochemical Engineering, who plans the test campaigns with you, and you'll take over more of them as you learn.
• Be part of the scale-up. You'll help build and commission our first scaled-up electrochemical cell and stack, and see how a process moves from the bench toward production.
• Startup exposure. You'll see how a deep-tech startup operates, from technical development and scale-up strategy to working with partners.
• Equity and upside. You'll share in the value you help create, alongside a mission-driven team that cares about science and sustainability.

The Role

We're preparing to scale up our electrochemical platform, and before we do, our electrolyzer materials (electrodes, membranes) and operating conditions need to be optimized. That means frequent cell builds and test runs. We're looking for a Process Development Associate to do much of this hands-on work: building electrochemical cells, running characterization experiments, and setting up and running the electrochemical cells that support our chemists' reactions.

You'll work closely with our Director of Electrochemical Engineering, who designs the test campaigns and protocols. You'll carry them out, learn the system by doing, and take over routine work step by step, with more room for your own ideas as you grow into the role. This is a great fit for a recent graduate who enjoys lab work and building and troubleshooting physical setups, and who wants to learn from an experienced team.

What You'll Do

Electrochemical Testing: Build electrochemical cells and run characterization tests on electrodes, membranes and operating conditions (e.g. electrolyte concentration, flow rate), including multi-day stability campaigns.

Support for Our Chemists: Set up and run electrochemical cells for the chemistry team's biphasic reactions, and help with their lab infrastructure, e.g. sourcing parts, fittings and tubing.

Test Rigs and Automation: Assemble and maintain test setups with flow cells, potentiostats and programmable power supplies, pumps, tubing and Python-controlled hardware. Help commission new automated multi-channel test rigs and take day-to-day ownership of them.

Scale-Up: Help build and commission our scaled-up electrochemical cell and stack.

Data and Documentation: Record results in our electronic lab notebook, and prepare and analyze data with our Python tools, first with guidance and then independently, to inform process improvements.

Lab Operations and Safety: Keep an organized, clean workspace and follow safe practices in our wet lab and prototyping lab at Greentown Labs.

What We're Looking For

Many strong candidates don’t fit a standard blueprint. If you bring relevant experience and are excited about what we’re building, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t check every box.

Required:

• BS in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field
• Experience working in a chemistry or electrochemistry lab: coursework, undergraduate research, co-ops and internships all count
• Comfortable running Python scripts, e.g. to control pumps, power supplies or potentiostats
• A safety-oriented mindset

Strongly Preferred:

• Hands-on troubleshooting of physical setups, e.g. leaks, flow problems, instrument faults
• Experience assembling and testing electrochemical cells

Nice to Have:

• Experienced or comfortable with modifying Python scripts that run test rigs, and analyzing data in Python or spreadsheets
• Experience with fluid systems, pumps, tubing or small reactors
• Exposure to electrochemistry or flow chemistry, e.g. polarization curves, impedance spectroscopy, flow cells
• Familiarity with electronics

Working Style & Character:

• You're curious and eager to learn, and you enjoy building and troubleshooting physical systems
• You're careful and detail-oriented in setting up and running experiments and in keeping records
• You take initiative in carrying out a plan, and you raise issues before you start rather than after
• You ask questions, share your view, and think ahead to the next steps
• You care most about getting things right: you double-check your work and discuss results openly with your colleagues
• You enjoy working in a team of scientists and engineers

Logistics

• Location: In-person at Greentown Labs, Somerville, MA
• Work style: Flexible, family-friendly schedule
• Start date: January 2027
• Compensation: $65K to $80K/year, plus equity and benefits

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and include a few sentences about why you're excited about Adiabatic and how this role aligns with your experience. This is also an opportunity to highlight experiences that you feel are particularly relevant for the role. This doesn't need to be a formal cover letter; we just want to understand what motivates you.