Process Coating Engineer

Job Description

• Role: Process Coating Engineer, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Separation and Purification
• Company: Thermax Limited
• BU: RTIC
• 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.

About Thermax & RTIC

Thermax is a leading engineering company providing sustainable solutions in energy, environment and chemicals. The Research Technology & Innovation Centre (RTIC) serves as Thermaxs dedicated R&D hub, focused on developing scalable technologies for energy transition, water treatment, resource recovery and environmental sustainability. RTIC combines advanced laboratory research, pilot-scale validation and industry collaboration to transform innovative concepts into commercially deployable solutions.

Role Summary

Conduct hands-on research and development activities in polymer materials, membrane technology, coatings, and water and wastewater treatment applications. The role involves planning and executing laboratory experiments, developing and evaluating membranes and functional materials, operating laboratory and pilot-scale systems, analysing experimental data, troubleshooting technical issues, and supporting technology development and scale-up projects under the guidance of the Project Lead.

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 and performance testing.
• Develop and optimize polymer formulations, membrane coatings and functional materials.
• Conduct membrane and material characterization studies for permeability, selectivity, fouling resistance and durability.
• Operate laboratory and pilot-scale systems for membrane filtration, ion exchange, adsorption and electrochemical processes.
• Perform water and wastewater analysis including pH, conductivity, TDS, hardness, alkalinity, turbidity, COD, BOD and TOC.
• Support membrane fouling, cleaning, regeneration and CIP studies.
• Analyse data and prepare technical reports, SOPs, test procedures and presentations.
• Assist in pilot trials, commissioning, technology scale-up 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.

Required Knowledge & Skills

• Strong fundamentals in polymer, physical, analytical and inorganic chemistry.
• Hands-on experience in membrane fabrication, polymer formulation, coatings or water treatment R&D.
• Knowledge of MF, UF, NF and RO membrane processes.
• Understanding of ion exchange, adsorption and separation technologies.
• Ability to troubleshoot laboratory experiments and analyse data effectively.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and scientific data analysis tools.
• Strong technical documentation and communication skills.

Preferred Experience

• Membrane casting, phase inversion and membrane characterization.
• Polymer formulation and functional coating development.
• Water and wastewater treatment process development.
• Electrochemical systems such as CDI, EDI or related technologies.
• Analytical techniques including FTIR, UV-Vis, HPLC, GC, SEM, TGA or DSC.
• Pilot plant operation, scale-up studies and process optimization.