This is a dynamic and growing company with over 27,000 employees worldwide, 75 nationalities, a retention rate above 90% and a revenue of €7 billion. With a heritage of more than 140 years, they continue to strengthen their core competencies that have made this business a global market and technology leader in material science of steel wire transformation and coating technologies. Today, they also apply their expertise beyond steel to create new solutions with innovative materials and services for markets including new mobility, low-carbon construction, and green energy.
Requirements
• You prototype electrolyser components such as porous transport layers (PTL) and gas diffusion layers (GDLs), you carry out electrochemical measurements (in-situ and ex-situ, pre/post-test analyses) for characterizing electrolyser components and you investigate membrane performances.
• You provide support in the developing techniques and protocols, e.g., accelerated stress testing (AST) for PTLs.
• You build a network and develop collaboration with other groups and divisions internally and with other national labs, and industries.
• You prepare reports and presentations for project meetings and you communicating results to the project team and other stakeholders.
• You supervise and train junior engineers/scientists in catalyst coating and MEA fabrication and analysis.
Internal requirements
• You develop electrocatalyst ink formulation for stable and homogeneous catalyst layers by means of spray coating, you slot die coating and other methods and characterization studies for PEM/AEM electrolyser anodes and cathodes.
• You develop innovative solutions for MEA design and optimization towards performance and durability improvement.
• You pinpoint underlying MEA mechanical and chemical degradation mechanisms and bring up mitigating solutions to upgrading the MEA lifetime.
• You scale up MEA production from lab scale to full scale using industry processes (roll-to-roll coating, sputtering, etc).
Essential skills & competencies
• PhD in Electrochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field
• Strong experience and knowledge in fuel cells and electrolysers components and characterisation methods.
• Knowledge of catalysts, membranes, ionomer, gas diffusion layer, and other cell components.
• Good experience in electrochemical tests (i.e., cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, fuel cell, electrolyser).
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines and adapt to ever-changing needs.
• Experience in electrode, membrane, and MEA evaluations a plus.
• Hands-on experience in catalyst ink production, coating and MEA manufacturing for PEM water electrolysis.