Job Description

Title: Senior Scientist (Formulation/Coating)

Report: CEO, Coating Team Leader

Location: Wilmington, DE

Position Type : Full Time, Exempt

Travel: Occasional

About AirJoule, LLC

Are you passionate about making a difference in the fight against climate change? Then AirJoule is the place for you! We are a joint venture between GE Vernova and AirJoule Technologies (formerly Montana Technologies), and a leader in the global sustainability transition. Our revolutionary atmosphere water harvesting technology enables transformative HVAC products that help our customers save money on their energy bills while reducing their environmental impact. The same core technology also enables atmospheric water harvesting products that create clean, abundant, and decentralized water for industrial, commercial, and humanitarian purposes. If you are a highly motivated and experienced individual who wants to make a real-world impact, we encourage you to apply!

Position Summary

AirJoule is seeking a Ph.D.-level Senior Scientist – Formulation & Coating to lead the development of advanced, high-performance coatings central to our breakthrough atmospheric water harvesting technology. Based at our Wilmington, DE R&D Center, this role focuses on designing and optimizing waterborne coating systems that deliver excellent performance in demanding thermal and moisture environments with strong substrate compatibility.

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in coating formulation, polymer chemistry, and material characterization, along with hands-on experience in a wide range of analytical and application techniques. You will drive development from concept through commercialization while mentoring junior scientists and collaborating cross-functionally to bring innovative materials to market.

Key Responsibilities

To perform in this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each key responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.

• Lead R&D projects focused on the design, formulation, testing, and application of advanced waterborne coatings tailored for aluminum substrates.
• Define raw material specifications, structure–property targets, and analytical strategies to guide formulation and performance optimization.
• Apply an extensive toolkit of material characterization techniques to understand coating morphology, surface interaction, durability, and failure modes.
• Collaborate across functions (engineering, manufacturing, quality, business) to ensure coating solutions meet system-level and customer-driven requirements.
• Optimize formulation rheology and processability; support coating application and scale-up from lab to pilot and production scale.
• Stay current with literature and patent landscapes; contribute to IP development through innovation and competitive benchmarking.
• Mentor and guide junior team members in formulation development, testing, and data interpretation.
• Champion a safe, organized, and collaborative lab environment; support SOPs, equipment maintenance, and audit readiness.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field (required); strong emphasis on polymer or surface chemistry preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of industrial R&D experience in coatings, adhesives, dispersions, or composites, with at least 2 years focused on waterborne systems.
• Direct experience with coating-substrate interface studies on aluminum or other metal alloys.
• Familiarity with ASTM/ISO test standards for coatings and accelerated aging protocols.
• Experience with dip coating, flow coating, E-coating, powder coating, or other industrial application methods is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong background in formulating waterborne coatings, including pigment/sorbent dispersion, emulsion stabilization, pH control, and rheological optimization.
• Extensive hands-on experience with coating characterization techniques, including:
• XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, AFM, Rheometer, TGA, DSC, FTIR, Raman, NMR, Contact Angle, Surface Energy, DVS, UV-Vis, and Colorimetry.
• Deep understanding of coating performance on metal alloys, including knowledge of surface treatments and oxide layer behavior.
• Skilled in DOE (Design of Experiments), statistical analysis, and FMEA for formulation optimization and risk assessment.
• Proven ability to design and execute environmental and accelerated aging studies to assess coating performance and longevity.
• Demonstrated leadership in cross-functional product development, from ideation and lab validation through pilot scale-up and production support.
• Strong communication skills with experience presenting to internal stakeholders, technical partners, and commercial customers.
• Highly self-motivated, organized, and capable of managing multiple projects in a dynamic, collaborative environment.
• Proficient in intellectual property strategy, including drafting patent claims, reviewing competitive IP, and scouting for innovation.
• Committed to lab excellence, including equipment maintenance, chemical inventory, safety compliance, and quality system support.

AirJoule’s Benefits

In addition to good working conditions and competitive pay, it is AirJoule’s policy to provide a comprehensive benefits package that provides access to plans which support the overall well-being of our employees and their dependents. These benefits include, but are not limited to, health care coverage (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), a retirement plan that includes a 401K, Life Insurance options, Disability coverage, paid time-off, and more.

How to Apply

Qualified applicants should submit their resume with a cover letter outlining their qualifications to Human Resources via email at hr@airjouletech.com.

AirJoule, LLC does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibility, personal appearance, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, or any other status protected under law.

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