Coating Process Engineer - Water and Wastewater Treatment

Company: Thermax Ltd.

Qualification: M.Sc. in Polymer Chemistry

Experience: 3+ years of relevant experience in laboratory-based R&D involving polymer materials, membrane technology, coatings, water and wastewater treatment, separation and purification processes, material characterization, or related technology development. Candidates with hands-on experience in experimental design, membrane fabrication, formulation development, laboratory testing, data analysis, and technology scale-up activities will be preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute laboratory experiments as per approved test plans and maintain accurate experimental records.
• Prepare polymer formulations, membranes, coatings, ion-exchange materials, electrodes, and test samples.
• Develop and evaluate MF, UF and ion-exchange membranes through membrane casting, phase inversion, coating, conditioning, and performance testing.
• Develop and optimize polymer formulations, functional coatings, membrane surface modifications, and advanced materials.
• Conduct membrane and material characterization studies for permeability, selectivity, fouling resistance, chemical compatibility, durability, and cleaning performance.
• Operate laboratory and pilot-scale systems for membrane filtration, ion exchange, adsorption, electrochemical treatment, and water purification processes.
• Conduct water and wastewater treatment studies involving membrane separation, coagulation-flocculation, adsorption, ion exchange, and related purification technologies.
• Perform water quality analysis including pH, conductivity, TDS, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, chloride, COD, BOD, TOC, and IS 10500 parameters.
• Support membrane fouling, cleaning, regeneration, and CIP studies.
• Analyse experimental data and prepare technical reports, SOPs, test procedures, presentations, and recommendations.
• Assist in pilot trials, technology scale-up, commissioning, and performance evaluation activities.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, calibration records, inventory, and safety compliance.
• Collaborate with internal teams, suppliers, and external laboratories to support R&D activities.

Essential Skills

• Strong fundamentals in polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and material science.
• Hands-on experience in membrane fabrication, polymer formulation, coatings, or water treatment R&D.
• Knowledge of membrane separation processes including MF, UF, NF, and RO.
• Understanding of ion exchange, adsorption, separation technologies, and water treatment processes.
• Proficiency in laboratory testing, data analysis, troubleshooting, and technical documentation.
• Working knowledge of MS Excel and scientific data analysis tools.
• Strong communication and reporting skills.

Preferred Experience

• Membrane casting, phase inversion, coating, and membrane characterization.
• Polymer formulation and functional coating development.
• Water and wastewater treatment process development.
• Electrochemical systems such as CDI, EDI, or electrode-based separation technologies.
• Use of analytical instruments such as FTIR, UV-Vis, HPLC, GC, SEM, TGA, or DSC.
• Pilot plant operation, scale-up studies, and process optimization.