Chemical Engineer

About the Company

This position sits within NEU Battery Materials, a climatetech startup backed by SGInnovate. Established in 2021 in Singapore, the company has created a patented electrochemical redox recycling approach for recovering lithium from used batteries. Its main focus is on reclaiming valuable lithium from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage, with the goal of supporting a circular supply chain. NEU has received recognition for its work from organizations and media including the Temasek Foundation, BloombergNEF, and Forbes Asia.

Role Overview

As a Chemical Engineer, you will help expand the company’s operations by supporting process design, plant performance, safety, and scale-up activities across production and pilot environments.

Key Responsibilities

You will monitor and improve chemical processing workflows, support safe operations, and work closely with technical teams to move ideas from lab testing into production.

• Track essential process variables to keep output stable and product quality consistent.
• Investigate plant and process issues, then help restore stable operations and reduce downtime.
• Carry out mass and energy balance calculations to uncover opportunities to improve yield and efficiency.
• Study and refine reaction, separation, and purification steps to improve lithium and other critical metal recovery from spent LFP batteries.
• Participate in HAZOP reviews and other risk assessments to identify process hazards and reduce operational risk.
• Help create, update, and maintain SOPs, operating manuals, and safety data sheets for plant activities.
• Perform routine safety checks and internal audits to support compliance with environmental, health, and safety rules.
• Record audit outcomes, corrective actions, and improvement actions.
• Support upkeep of key equipment to reduce interruptions and extend machinery lifespan.
• Track raw material consumption and coordinate with procurement to avoid shortages and production delays.
• Assist with commissioning and scaling up new equipment in the process line.
• Help plan and run pilot-scale trials to test process changes and measure recovery performance.
• Work with R&D teams to transfer laboratory improvements into production use.
• Coordinate with senior technology staff to plan production schedules that maximize throughput while minimizing waste and downtime.
• Monitor production KPIs and prepare daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
• At least 1 year of experience in chemical process development, reaction engineering, or materials processing; electrochemical process exposure is preferred.
• Ability to take ownership, work independently, and solve problems proactively.
• Prior experience in a startup environment is preferred.
• Background in supporting new systems or processes in a production or pilot setup.
• Hands-on factory-floor experience is strongly preferred.
• Good teamwork, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong written and spoken English communication skills.
• Willingness to work in a factory or manufacturing plant environment.
• Ability to work shifts, including evenings and weekends if needed.
• Comfort working around noise, machinery, and potentially hazardous materials.

Working Conditions

This role is based in a manufacturing or factory setting. Shift work may be required, including evenings and weekends. The environment may include noise, machinery, and exposure to potentially hazardous materials.

Additional Information

This is a full-time onsite position in Singapore. The role is intended for candidates with approximately 1 to 2 years of relevant working experience.