Chemical Process Engineer

Recircle is a UK-based industrial biotechnology company focused on sustainable solutions for the rubber materials sector. Recircle has developed technologies that combine biotechnology with polymer chemistry and industrial process engineering to allow waste rubber to be reprocessed into high quality molecules and materials for re-use. We're committed to building a world without waste. Our company culture is central to everything we do. We invest heavily in our people, personal development, and long-term career growth opportunities.

Recircle is looking for a motivated, hands-on chemical process engineer with a strong process engineering background, preferably with experience in multi-phase reactor systems and their application in waste recycling. You should be comfortable working in a laboratory, eager to learn, and able to apply critical thinking to practical problems.

This is a mid-senior role that is ideal for a recent PhD graduate or an MEng/MSc with >3 years of practical R&D or industrial experience who want to apply their knowledge to enzymatic processes in a research and development environment.

Role Focus

The role will focus on developing a fundamental understanding of the interactions between reaction kinetics, mixing, solids handling, mass transfer, phase behaviour, aeration and reactor configuration, and translating this understanding into a robust, efficient and scalable process. You will work closely with experienced enzyme engineers and biochemists.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a mechanistic understanding of the reaction system, identifying the relative importance of enzyme kinetics, enzyme stability, substrate accessibility, mass transfer, mixing and phase behaviour.
• Optimise reactor configuration and hydrodynamics, including vessel geometry, agitation strategy, impeller configuration, agitation rate and solids suspension, including in multi-vessel train configurations.
• Develop strategies for handling solid rubber substrate, including particle wetting, suspension, floating, settling, agglomeration and contact between enzyme and substrate.
• Evaluate and optimise reaction media, considering substrate interactions, catalyst compatibility, phase behaviour, mass transfer, process safety and downstream processing.
• Investigate strategies to enhance transport and interaction between reaction components and phases, including the influence of interfacial phenomena on overall reaction performance.
• Optimise aeration and oxygen transfer, including gas flow, sparger configuration, agitation/aeration interactions and oxygen availability.
• Compile and analyse system performance data to inform downstream and scale-up engineering process design.