Director, Membrane Engineering
About Osmoses
The world runs on molecules. But separating and purifying them still consumes extraordinary amounts of energy. Industrial separations can account for up to 15% of global energy use, and at Osmoses, we are changing that with breakthrough membrane technology that makes essential gases more efficient, economical, and sustainable to produce and purify.
Our ambition goes far beyond building better membranes. We are creating a technology platform with the potential to transform how the energy and chemical industries produce, process, and purify essential gases. Building on successful field demonstration results, we are working to bring our technology to scale across markets including renewable natural gas, hydrogen, helium, and natural gas. Our mission is to make these essential industries more competitive and sustainable while helping meet the world's growing demand for affordable, reliable energy.
We bring together a passionate, international team of scientists, engineers, operators, and business professionals who thrive on turning bold ideas into reality. Join us to push the boundaries of what's possible and help build a future with cleaner, more abundant, and reliable energy!
Position Overview
The Director of Membrane Engineering will lead a team of scientists and engineers focused on the development of advanced membrane technologies. This role combines deep technical expertise with people leadership and program management responsibilities.
This role will establish research priorities, develop team capabilities, and drive execution of critical technology programs while remaining actively engaged in scientific problem solving and innovation. The Director will work directly with the team to troubleshoot technical challenges, improve polymer hollow fiber membrane fabrication processes, establish robust qualification methods, and drive manufacturing scale-up. The ideal candidate brings experience bridging membrane R&D and practical engineering execution, with the ability to establish priorities, develop team capabilities, and deliver measurable technical progress.
What you’ll be doing
Direct Membrane Engineering Team: Serve as the function’s technical authority on gas separation membrane development, fabrication, characterization, and quality control performance testing. Work alongside the team to resolve technical challenges.
Drive Technology Development and Scale-Up: Lead membrane technology development from research through scale-up and commercialization by managing people and direct hands-on work. Drive continuous innovation in membrane fabrication, integrating R&D advances into robust, repeatable processes that enhance performance, consistency, and manufacturing scalability alongside Chemistry and Implementation.
Build and Develop the Team: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of scientists and engineers, establishing clear expectations, accountability, and professional growth.
Own Technical Execution and Excellence: Translate company objectives into clear technical priorities, experiments, milestones, and deliverables. Spot blockers early and make sure experiments deliver conclusive results and deliver on time. Set rigorous standards for experimental design, data integrity, and reproducibility, and build systematic approaches to membrane qualification and root-cause analysis.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Chemistry and Implementation functions to integrate membrane technologies into scalable commercial solutions.
Advise Leadership: Advise Leadership on technical priorities, risks, and opportunities, translating scientific advances into actionable business outcomes.
What we’re looking for
5+ years of relevant industrial experience in membrane development for gas separations, with substantial hands-on experience in end-to-end membrane product development from permeators to membrane to module, including polymer membrane fabrication, characterization, and performance optimization across scales from prototype to commercial.
Hollow fiber gas separation experience strongly preferred. PhD is a plus, but not required.
Management experience: A proven record of leading and developing teams of scientists and engineers.
Scale-up and translation: Demonstrated ability to translate R&D advances into robust, repeatable membrane fabrication processes. Experience improving manufacturing yield, consistency, and production capacity is highly valued.
Troubleshooting and execution: Proven ability to identify root causes and resolve complex technical challenges, manage multiple development efforts, and deliver results on time.
Strong communication: Clear communication across functions and ability to influence technical and organizational direction.
A willingness to stay close to the technical work: reviewing data, guiding experiments and solving problems alongside the team.
What we can offer you
Opportunity to contribute to addressing one of the biggest industrial and environmental challenges of this century at a critical time.
Work in the heart of the most innovative square mile in the world and the most exciting hub for clean and tough tech.
High leadership and growth potential joining at a critical stage a company with strong momentum backed by leading venture capital firms.
Access to competitive salary and equity packages.
Qualities we’re looking for
Technically Rigorous & Analytical: You bring strong problem-solving skills, sound reasoning, and a commitment to high technical standards.
Accountable & Transparent: You’re highly organized, communicate progress openly, take ownership of results, and proactively adapt plans while guiding your team through challenges and changing priorities.
Clear & Impactful Communicator: You excel at both written and verbal communication, presenting research-backed, data-informed ideas to internal teams and external partners with clarity and confidence.
Detail-Oriented & Self-Directed: You manage competing priorities with precision and focus, take initiative, and work effectively both independently and collaboratively to deliver results.
Resilient & Growth-Oriented: You approach challenges with optimism and determination, maintaining a solution-focused mindset and a hunger to grow, adapt, and succeed, and lead a team through your vision.
Safety-First Mindset: You prioritize the safety and well-being of yourself and your team in every aspect of your work.
Agile & Adaptable: Comfortable in a fast-paced startup environment, you’re quick to learn, willing to pivot, and ready to build expertise in new domains to support business needs.
Our Commitment
You belong at Osmoses!
At Osmoses, we are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone is respected, valued, and empowered to contribute.
Osmoses is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
We provide reasonable accommodations throughout the application and interview process.
If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and help transform the future of energy and industrial separations, we’d love to hear from you!
Osmoses Values
Safety - Safety is a top priority at Osmoses and essential to our existence. It is a mindset that we are all responsible for, and something we do not compromise on. The well-being of our team and the integrity of our work depend on our ability to eliminate risk, our vigilance, and continual improvement to safety guidelines in and out of the lab.
Teamwork - At Osmoses, Teamwork is paramount. We believe in ourselves and each other, and hold one another accountable. We foster a positive and collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are valued, open communication is encouraged, and individual strengths are leveraged to achieve collective success. We are solving problems that no one has ever solved before, which requires a fast, solution-oriented approach. We believe that strong, authentic relationships within our team and with our partners are essential for overcoming challenges, seizing opportunities, and delivering innovative solutions.
Ambition - Hitting net-zero is the most pressing goal of our times, and separations are one of the biggest challenges on the way to achieve that. Osmoses is a mission-driven organization with bold ambition, and infrastructural change is possible only when we think big and stay hungry. Being part of the Osmoses team is more than a job; it’s an opportunity to make a difference. We cultivate a growth mindset, encourage initiative, go beyond, and strive to high standards to push the limits of what’s possible and disrupt the status quo.
Resilient Optimism - At Osmoses, we embody Resilient Optimism. We believe in the possibility of success and the influence we have over achieving our goals. We celebrate victories and approach challenges with positivity, determination, and an open mind. As a team, we adapt, learn, and persevere. We are driven by the reasons something could work, while we responsibly acknowledge the reasons why it might not, and make the time and space to address those challenges. We let our knowledge and vision inspire our teammates, partners, and customers to create momentum and advance our mission.
Technical rigor - Technical Rigor is fundamental to our success at Osmoses. We pursue scientific excellence and cutting-edge innovation with a meticulous attention to detail, integrity, and rigorous analysis. This commitment enables us to make data-driven decisions and deliver high-quality separation solutions to our customers. We embrace calculated risk-taking and prioritize timely progress, recognizing that perfection is an ideal and continuous improvement is key.