Senior Technology Development Specialist

Senior Technology Development Specialist

Climeworks

Opfikon, Zurich, Switzerland

Your mission

Job description

• Sorbent Module Development: You take ownership of developing and maturing innovative sorbent modules from concept phase (TRL0) to early-stage product readiness (TRL5), enabling the next generation of Climeworks CO₂ collector products.
• Testing & Characterization: You lead in-house and external development, testing, and characterization of sorbent modules or their sub-elements, understanding how physicochemical properties affect final product performance. You ensure a smooth transition to manufacturing and operations, including defining product requirements at a depth consistent with the technology maturity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: You collaborate closely with internal experts in testing, product design, and sorbent/process development to create high-performance sorbent module solutions, and you contribute to the development of new testing methods.
• Stakeholder & Project Management: You drive efficient collaboration across functions and with external partners, ensuring alignment, managing both technical and non-technical risks, and setting clear priorities.
• External Partnerships & Technical Leadership: You act as a key technical expert in collaborations with external partners, ensuring DAC-specific requirements for sorbent modules are met.
• Contract & Scope Management: You work with the legal team to ensure contracts with third parties are aligned with the technical scope of work.
• IP & Scientific Contribution: You evaluate relevant scientific literature and patents as needed and contribute to the generation of new intellectual property.

Your story

Requirements

• Educational Background: You hold an advanced degree in engineering or materials science; a PhD is a plus but not required.
• R&D and Industry Experience: You bring over 5 years of experience in research and development, spanning at least 2 outside of academia, including successful delivery of technologies into industrial manufacturing environments.
• Materials & Application Expertise: You are skilled in immobilizing sorbents or catalysts in 3D structures and understand how their properties influence system performance.
• Experimental Methods & Characterization: You apply target-driven R&D methods such as DOE and are experienced in material and structural characterization techniques.
• Working Style & Ownership: You take initiative, are results-driven without missing important details, and are hands-on throughout the full development cycle - from lab to high-level evaluations.
• Communication & Project Leadership: You collaborate easily across teams, communicate clearly, and enjoy leading both in-house and external projects.
• Language & Travel Flexibility: You are fluent in English and open to occasional travel (up to 10%); additional language skills are a nice bonus.