Chemical Process Engineer

A new route to recycled feedstock for polyolefins

Around half of all plastic produced worldwide is polyolefin (PE and PP). At end-of-life, most of it is still incinerated or landfilled. Existing recycling routes either lead to downcycling or require so much energy and processing that recycled plastic struggles to compete with fossil-based plastic.

Repolyze is a spin-off from Utrecht University, founded to bring a new technology to industrial scale: Catalytic Ball Milling (CBM). Instead of high-temperature processes followed by cracking and hydrotreating, CBM uses catalytically activated grinding spheres in a rotating mill to break polyolefins down into gaseous monomers, at ambient temperature and pressure. The catalytic surface of the spheres is what makes the difference: it steers the reaction towards monomers and turns mechanical energy into a selective, one-step depolymerisation. This creates a direct route from waste to feedstock, with the potential to use substantially less energy than current chemical recycling methods.

The technology has been demonstrated in the lab, and the step to kilogram scale has been made. The next steps are a ton-scale pilot and, after that, a first commercial plant. We are looking for a process engineer to help us take these steps.

Your role

You will join at the stage where research is being translated into engineering. In the first phase, your work in a small multidisciplinary team will focus mainly on research and analysis in preparation for a ton-scale pilot. Initially, this involves a substantial amount of desk research. You will work closely with universities, research institutes, industrial partners and suppliers, and reach out to them yourself. Their input and your research findings will form the basis for key design decisions.

• CBM process analysis. Translate lab and kg-scale results, and the models developed for yield and energy use, into process and equipment design, in close cooperation with the research group that developed CBM.
• Connection to the chemical industry. Map how the CBM technology can be linked to existing separation, purification and polymerisation processes, and identify what is needed to achieve this.
• Pilot ball mill design. Define specifications for a pilot ball mill to test CBM at ton scale and develop the route towards continuous operation, in cooperation with equipment suppliers.
• Catalytic spheres. Evaluate and support the scale-up of methods to produce and regenerate catalytic grinding spheres.
• Value chain. Analyse feedstock supply from waste processors, offtake by (petro)chemical companies, and the techno-economic and environmental case that connects them.

As the company moves from research to pilot, your role will develop accordingly: from desk research to design and, eventually, to the pilot installation itself.

Your profile

• An MSc or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Technology or a related field.
• A background in petrochemicals or polymer technology is strongly preferred.
• Broad technical interest and knowledge, and the ability and drive to dive into new subjects when necessary, whether it involves mechanochemistry or a techno-economic analysis.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and business sense. If the planned route doesn’t bring what you need, you take the initiative and find another one. You consider not only whether something works, but also whether it is economically viable.
• A self-starter who is comfortable working in a new field where many answers still need to be found.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative attitude. You easily establish connections and actively build a network to achieve shared goals.
• Experience with process modelling, scale-up or pilot plants is a strong advantage.

What we offer

• A key role from day one in a deep-tech start-up with a distinctive technology.
• Close collaboration with leading academic and industrial partners across Europe.
• The opportunity to contribute to the circular economy and to help build a company from the ground up.
• Room to grow with the company, from research through pilot to first-of-a-kind plant.

Repolyze is an equal-opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds. If you don’t meet every requirement but are enthusiastic about the role, we encourage you to apply.

Repolyze cannot offer visa sponsorship.

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.