Company mission and culture
The world of fashion is facing a major reckoning. Over 100 million tons of textiles go to waste each year, of which less than 1% goes back into new clothing. Existing recycling methods are unable to handle the heterogeneity of textile waste - until now.
Huminly uses enzymes to enable infinite recycling of textiles. We're hellbent on improving textile-to-textile recycling from less than 1% to over 90% in the next 4-5 years before taking on global plastic pollution more broadly over the next decade. We couple unprecedented efficiency in enzyme engineering with state-of-the-art computational modeling to develop high-performing enzymes for recycling. Using just water, salt, and enzyme, we distill the different materials in textile waste and harness them to make brand-new clothes, over and over again.
We have a revolutionary technology and a culture of relentlessness here at Huminly. We are building Huminly because we can't fathom how society's single-use economy makes sense for future generations and can't bear to witness Mother Earth get covered in textile and plastic waste. We're recruiting passionate warriors who are ready to stand up for this planet.
Your role at our company
As our very first process engineer, you will play a crucial role in building Huminly's first commercial reactor prototype for polyester-cotton textile recycling. This reactor will be the real-world testbed for our optimized enzymes.
From closing mass balances in process simulations to getting your hands dirty connecting piping and reactor equipment, you will work closely with us to scale our bench-scale process to commercial readiness. This hands-on role is perfect for the creative tinkerer: your day-to-day will involve sourcing and combining off-the-shelf equipment, measuring and calibrating critical process parameters such as flow rates and pH, characterizing product purity, and updating our process simulation to model our unit economics at scale. As you grow in this role, you will expand the reactor's capabilities to other types of polyester-containing textiles while exploring downstream textile manufacturing options.
As a founding team member, you will work alongside a highly motivated team in a fast-paced, mission-driven work environment. The recycling reactor you help build will serve as the blueprint for the future of textile recycling and propel us on our journey to scale and impact.
This role will be a great fit for you if you:
- Have a B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering or related field, or equivalent experience
- Have experience working with centrifugation, precipitation, and ultrafiltration unit operations
- Have an understanding of chemical reaction kinetics and enzyme catalysis
- Have thorough knowledge of heat and mass transport principles
- Can describe a number of projects where you've designed and built something yourself from ideation to completion
- Prioritize speed and efficiency to build as fast as possible
We offer competitive salary and equity compensation according to experience, along with medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
Please note this role will require the ability to lift, carry, push, and assemble heavy objects weighing up to 200 pounds as well as bend, squat, kneel, stand, reach above shoulder level, and move on hard surfaces for extended periods.