Laboratory Technician​/Research Engineer

Company:
Paebbl is an industrial resilience company turning captured CO₂ into carbon-storing building materials. We accelerate the natural process of CO₂ mineralisation — in which CO₂ reacts with minerals to form stable carbonates from thousands of years — to a matter of hours, producing a carbon-negative powder that can replace conventional, heavily emitting cement. Having switched on the world's first continuous CO₂ mineralisation demonstration plant, we are now scaling from startup execution into structured industrial operations.

It is a fast-moving environment where pragmatism, ownership, and the ability to build things that work in the real world matter.

Paebbl is looking for a practical, safety-minded Laboratory Technician with an engineering background (preferably Chemical engineering) to strengthen the R&D laboratory team. This is a hands-on, laboratory-first role. Your main responsibility is to ensure that analytical and characterisation work runs reliably every day: preparing samples, operating analytical instruments, maintaining an organised laboratory and producing complete, traceable data. You will own routine instrument readiness, care and first-line maintenance.

Reactor operation & maintenance is a secondary responsibility: you will provide cover for the dedicated reactor operator when needed. When research projects require it, you will also help design, assemble and test new mechanical laboratory set-ups in collaboration with scientists and engineers. You will work closely with the Operational Lab Lead, scientists and process operators to improve equipment availability, experimental throughput and reproducibility.

• Operate analytical and characterisation instruments reliably, including sample preparation, calibration, quality checks and data collection. Relevant techniques may include ICP-OES, XRF, particle-size analysis, TGA, XRD and BET.
• Keep the laboratory safe, clean, organised and ready for planned work, including chemical and consumables management, sample labelling, equipment scheduling and routine housekeeping.
• Carry out routine cleaning, preventive maintenance and first-line troubleshooting on instruments and laboratory equipment; document work and elevate faults when specialist support is needed.
• Prepare and manage samples for analytical, characterisation and mineralisation experiments, maintaining complete traceability of samples, instrument settings, calibration status and deviations.
• Support experimental planning by confirming equipment readiness, maintenance status, materials availability and practical execution constraints.
• Manage experimental data and metadata in agreed repositories; use spreadsheets and basic programming, for example Python, for data cleaning, simple calculations, repeatable analysis and clear data presentation.
• Operate defined laboratory‑reactor workflows after training and sign‑off, and provide cover for the dedicated reactor operator during planned or unplanned absence.
• Support the design, assembly and testing of new mechanical laboratory set‑ups when required by research projects.
• Improve SOPs, data templates, housekeeping standards and laboratory workflows, and collaborate with R&D, process engineering, operations and SHEQ colleagues to transfer practical learning between lab and scale‑up activities.

Essential

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, analytical chemistry or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum 2 years of practical experience operating, calibrating and maintaining laboratory analytical or characterisation equipment.
• Understanding of core chemical-engineering concepts and simple equipment design for research purpose.
• Demonstrated organisation…