Applications Engineer
NALA Systems
IT
Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, USA
Posted on Nov 26, 2025
Posted 11/1/24Position Title: Applications EngineerRequirements:1. Technical Expertise in Reverse Osmosis and Membrane Technology:● Educational Background: A Master’s or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related field with direct experience in membrane technology or water treatment.● Experience in RO Systems: Strong understanding of membrane processes, scaling, fouling, and cleaning protocols.2. Experience with Water Treatment Products and Market:● Market Knowledge: Familiarity with the water treatment industry, key players, market trends, and regulatory requirements.3. Project Management Skills:● Strong project management skills, with experience working with cross-functional teams in the development and deployment of complex engineering solutions.● Budget and Resource Management: Experience in managing project budgets, resources, and timelines to ensure the successful delivery of projects.● Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills to address technical challenges during deployment and operation, including unexpected issues that arise with new membrane technologies.4. Soft Skills:● Communication: Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to effectively convey complex technical information to customers, stakeholders, and team members.● Adaptability: Ability to adapt to the dynamic environment of a startup, with a willingness to take on a wide range of responsibilities.● Innovative Mindset: A passion for innovation and the ability to think creatively to solve problems and improve product offerings.5. Location: A willingness to locate in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) and legal authorization to work in the United States.6. Travel: Willingness to travel, as needed, to customer sites and conferences both domestic and internationally.Position Overview:Reports to CEO and CTO jointly. This pivotal role combines technical expertise in membrane technology with a customer-facing position, driving the development and implementation of RO systems applying NALA’s new generation of membranes. This position is responsible for developing, and conducting demonstration and pilot system projects using NALA Membranes. This role works closely with the technical, product, and sales teams. Key to this position is the need for coordinating communication within NALA to discuss, design, and implement experiments with quantitative and actionable outcomes. The primary objective for this new role is to establish NALA’s capabilities for conducting pilot trials that validate NALA Membranes value proposition and provide solutions that customers will buy.Key Responsibilities:1. Technical:● Conduct feasibility studies and demonstrations to quantify key differentiators of NALA membranes with respect to customer applications.● Design, develop and optimize reverse osmosis membrane processes for various applications, ensuring high efficiency and performance.● Analyze and troubleshoot membrane performance, identifying and resolving issues to enhance operational efficiency utilizing NALA membranes.2. Customer Interaction:● Serve as the primary technical liaison for customers, understanding their needs and providing tailored solutions that incorporate NALA RO membranes.● Collaborate with clients to transition existing RO system processes to efficiently use NALA RO membranes.● Collaborate with clients to design and implement new RO system solutions using NALA RO membranes.● Provide technical support and training to customers on the operation and maintenance of RO systems using NALA RO membranes.3. Project Management:● In coordination with the NALA R&D team, lead, design, and manage pilot projects from conception through implementation, ensuring timely and successful delivery.● Coordinate with cross-functional teams, including R&D, sales, and production, to align project goals and deliverables.● Prepare detailed technical reports, proposals, and documentation for internal and external stakeholders.4. Innovation and Improvement:● Stay updated with the latest advancements in membrane technology and reverse osmosis processes.● Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement in RO systems and applications.● Contribute to the development of new products and processes, enhancing the company's technological edge.5. Other:● Technical support for membrane development, manufacturing, and element design.● Technical support for internal and external flat sheet and element testing projects.● Development of procedures and processes for your role.● Conference presentations and trade show representation.Desirable Experience:● Field deployment for installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of RO systems.● Process design and simulation (e.g., Aspen, MATLAB, ROSA) and experience designing RO systems for municipal, industrial, and desalination projects.● Sales and business development support with technical expertise.● Industry certifications (e.g., PMP, Six Sigma) beneficial.● Team leadership and mentoring experience.● Product commercialization from R&D to market, including pilot testing, field trials, and full-scale deployment.● Customer engagement to understand needs and guide adoption of new technologies.