Lead Scientist - Materials

Job description / Role

POSITION SUMMARY
The employee will be part of a technology team for Air Products new technology center in Dhahran Techno Valley (DTV) in Saudi Arabia.

This role is part of a cross functional team that provides technology expertise in the area of heterogenous catalysis, materials characterization, non-metallic and metallurgical root cause analysis, synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry.

The job will require travel to operating sites.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Materials Expertise:
* Supporting world scale air separation units, hydrogen and ammonia production plants with all their materials questions about metals, soft goods, plastics, and composites under cryogenic, ambient, and high temperature conditions.
* Qualification and testing of non-metallic materials in energy sector and following the international standards.
* Failure analysis will be a significant portion of the workload, and other aspects of the work will include advising design engineers on materials selection for new plants and manufacturing quality verification.
* Develop an in-house lab to test materials, study long term performance under simulated plant operating conditions, and build predictive models to anticipate long term performance and inspection and replacement intervals.
* The applicant will be expected to work closely with a core Materials Engineering and Technology team in the United States, as well as interface with the Asia materials support engineer, based in China.
* The successful candidate will need to regularly work with other functions such as chemical engineering process, mechanical engineering design, and machinery engineers to understand the service conditions of the materials the applicant is asked to advise on.

Catalysis:
* Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of catalysts for production of hydrogen using dry reforming, SMR, Pox, ATR, etc.
* Manage, monitor and control project engineering studies at all stages of the project life cycle for Hydrogen Projects/Studies CCUS: Evaluation of adsorbent and membrane for CO2 capture from Hydrogen production plants. Knowledge about Life-cycle assessment of carbon dioxide capture and utilization methods

Other
* Comply with relevant HSE policies, procedures & controls and applicable legislation and sustainability guidelines in line with international standards, best practices and Air Products Code of Practices.
* Liaise with Global R&D/ Shareholders/ regional University/ External Parties in developing leading edge programs, providing strategic insight and prioritization, driving Hydrogen and CCUS technologies road maps
* External networking and literature monitoring by the applicant will be expected to bring in industry best practices and identify promising new materials or technologies to address materials challenges faced by the company.
* Focus on safety as a primary objective. The ideal candidate will have experience working on cross-functional teams, and a proven ability to lead teams and contribute as a team member.
* Good written and verbal communication skills and be comfortable using standard computer software tools to compile data, write reports, and present recommendations to key technical and business stakeholders. The candidate must also be skilled in communicating in English to interact with colleagues scattered across the globe.
* Lead project ideation, techno-economic evaluations, internal projects, joint industry projects and industry-academic projects.
* Responsible for report preparation and presentations, publications.

Requirements

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
* PhD in chemistry or materials science with 10 - 15 years of work experience in heterogeneous catalyst development, inorganic-organic materials synthesis, materials testing, characterization, and failure analysis.
* Experience in leading R&D projects for commercial product development from TRL 3 - TRL-7
* Ability to supervise and train junior group members.
* Good writing and communication skills in English.
* Experience in preparation of progress reports and peer-reviewed publications.
* Experience working in a research setting is a must.
* Experience with catalytic materials
* Experience in leading commercial product development and technology implementation.
* Hands on experience with high end material characterization techniques
* Experience in failure analysis
* Working experience in physical and chemical analysis techniques for materials characterization
* Material characterization at microscopic and macroscopic level.
* Experience with polymeric materials characterization and evaluations.
* Knowledge of practical applications of materials in cryogenic service.

SKILLS
* Experience working in a research setting is a must.
* Experience with catalytic materials
* Experience in leading commercial product development and technology implementation.
* Hands on experience with high end material characterization techniques
* Experience in failure analysis
* Working experience in physical and chemical analysis techniques for materials characterization
* Material characterization at microscopic and macroscopic level.
* Experience with polymeric materials characterization and evaluations.
* Knowledge of practical applications of materials in cryogenic service.
* Knowledge of challenges faced by materials in high temperature service
* Experience with nonferrous alloys
* Familiarity with carbon and low alloy steels
* Background in corrosion fundamentals
* Background in welding fundamentals
* Field experience working in a plant setting, especially in maintenance, inspection, and/or repair of equipment is favorable
* Excellent collaboration skills
* Job incumbent is expected to have good leadership skills, good engineering problem-solving skills, good interpersonal and communication skills, and enthusiasm about his/her mission.
* Capable of developing research strategies aligned with business and organizational goals.
* Able to mentor junior research team members and contribute to the overall development of the Technology Center.
* Able to build collaborative relationships with regional Universities and Companies.
* Ability to operate independently and as a part of a high-functioning team.
* Fluency in written and spoken English is a necessity.

About the Company

Air Products touches the lives of consumers around the globe in positive ways every day. With approximately 16,000 employees and operations in 50 countries, we serve customers across a wide range of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. We supply a unique portfolio of atmospheric and process gases, equipment and services.

Founded in 1940, Air Products has built a reputation for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment. Our passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products’ higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities and the world.