Lab Technician

Location: On-Site (Chattanooga, TN)

Type: Full-Time

Kunin Technologies is revolutionizing the critical mineral supply chain by implementing advanced separation technologies to capture value from overlooked resources.

Metals are everywhere - in solar panels, smartphones, electric vehciles - but as ore grades plummet globally, traditional extraction methods are failing. China dominates critical minerals markets by developing superior separation technologies that extract value from materials American mines discard as waste.

Utilizing Kunin Technologies' breakthrough mass manufacturable nano-separation systems, significantly more value can be produced from each resources, reducing waste, and unlocking domestic critical mineral production.

Kunin's R&D team is rapidly iterating on polymer and functionalization chemistry to optimize our ion-exchange media. This experimental throughput depends on reliable, well-documented lab execution.

You will be the hands that turn experimental designs into data - preparing polymer solutions, running chemistry reactions, and generating the samples that drive our technology forward.

By the end of 2026, we expect:

• Consistent execution of polymer and chemistry experiments developed by chemists and engineers.
• Complete, audit-ready lab notebooks documenting all experimental work, observations, and results.
• A well-organized, fully stocked, EHS compliant laboratory environment.
• Reliable sample preparation supporting scale-up trials and analytical testing campaigns.
• Proficiency in operating and maintaining core analytic sample prep-equipment.

• Prepare polymer solutions, dopes, and reagent mixtures following established protocols for experiments.
• Set up and execute reactions under direction from chemists and engineers.
• Prepare samples for analytical testing including DSC/TGA thermal analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and ICP-OES.
• Perform basic wet chemistry measurements - titrations, pH, conductivity - and swelling/mass uptake studies on polymer samples.
• Maintain detailed lab notebooks with complete documentation of procedures, observations, deviations, and results.
• Manage chemical inventory, coordinate reagent orders, and maintain proper waste segregation and disposal per EHS protocols.
• Keep laboratory organized, clean, and compliant with safety standards including proper handling of organic solvents and PPE requirements.
• Support scale-up trials by preparing bulk sample quantities and assisting with reaction monitoring.

• Lab technician with a high school diploma and 1-5 years of hands‑on experience in a chemistry, polymer, or materials science laboratory.
• Comfortable with bench chemistry - solution preparation, reaction set‑up, filtration, drying, and basic characterization techniques.
• Experience handling organic solvents and hazardous materials with strict adherence to safety protocols and PPE requirements.
• Meticulous documenter who maintains complete, legible lab notebooks and follows SOPs precisely.
• Organized and proactive in maintaining lab cleanliness, chemical inventory, and equipment readiness.
• Team player who takes direction well and supports multiple scientists and engineers simultaneously.

This role will pay $60,000 - $90,000, with benefits.

Company facilities include gym, sauna, and ice batch.

• Must be willing to relocate to Chattanooga, TN.
• Occasional travel to toll manufacturing partners and equipment vendors.
• Flexibility for extended hours during critical project phases.