Research and Development Scientist (m/f/d) – Chemical Engineering, Process Scale-Up & Battery Design

Research to Business (R2B) Deep-Tech Venture Track Job Advertisement

Research and Development Scientist (m/f/d) – Chemical Engineering, Process Scale-Up & Battery Design

with the opportunity to pursue a PhD at the University of Bremen

About Matena innovate! Center

The Matena innovate! Center is a company and an affiliated institute of the University of Bremen founded to accelerate the translation of excellent materials science into societal and industrial impact. Supported by the Joachim Herz Foundation with funding of up to €30 million over a maximum period of ten years, Matena combines scientific excellence with entrepreneurial thinking. Our vision is a world in which scientific breakthroughs directly contribute to solving the challenges of our time. Matena aims to become the leading destination for technology transfer in materials science – enabling outstanding research to create measurable impact for society, industry, and future generations through innovative transfer structures and entrepreneurial thinking.

Our mission is to shorten the path from laboratory research to market-ready innovation. We create an environment where researchers can develop breakthrough technologies while receiving professional support in intellectual property, business development, industrial collaboration, market validation and venture creation.

Through our Research-to-Business (R2B) Track, we combine Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) with Business Readiness Levels (BRL), enabling research teams not only to develop technologies, but also to understand markets, customers, business models and commercialization pathways.

The R&D position will be embedded in an ongoing research project focused on the development of aqueous zinc-ion batteries for stationary energy storage, with the goal of providing a safer, more sustainable, and more cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion technology for applications such as renewable-energy buffering, grid support, and industrial backup power. The project has already reached TRL 4, with validated component-level results including PBA-based cathode development and high-mass-loading electrode processing as well as promising cell-level concepts relevant to future battery design that combine improved manufacturability with significantly reduced projected processing costs.

The current team is mainly driving the electrochemical and materials-science aspects of the project, and the next major step is to translate these validated laboratory results into scalable, pilot-relevant production routes while also developing battery designs that are compatible with practical cell assembly, component integration, and demonstrator requirements. Because this technology is being developed with clear commercial intents, the candidate will gain deep insights into deep-tech patenting strategies, IP-transfer, business case formulation, and spinoff mechanics.

Unlike a traditional university research position, this role combines scientific excellence with technology transfer in a transfer technology company. The successful candidate is expected to actively contribute to the commercial development of the technology, working together with scientists, innovation managers and industrial partners to assess technical feasibility, market potential and future commercialization opportunities.

Proposed role & key focus areas

Development of scalable synthesis routes for battery materials
Optimization of process reproducibility and throughput
Contribution to battery design, including electrode architecture, cell configuration, electrolyte compatibility, and component integration
Translation of material-level advances into practically relevant cell designs
Design and modelling of pilot-relevant reactor(s) and workflows
Support of manufacturing-oriented process design for future demonstrator and industrial implementation
Support technology transfer activities and interact with industrial partners
Contribute to IP generation and patent-oriented technology development
Participate in customer discovery and business model discussions
Collaboration on techno-economic assessments (TEA) and commercial validation parameters to support the future spinoff pathway

A Master’s degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, industrial chemistry, battery engineering, materials engineering, or related disciplines
Interest or experience in scale-up, reactor design, flow chemistry, battery design, or process optimization
Ability to work at the interface of materials science, electrochemistry, and engineering
Interest in translating laboratory-scale materials and processes into practical battery components and cell architectures
Strong motivation to contribute to safe, scalable, and sustainable battery technologies
A highly welcoming attitude towards entrepreneurship and technology transfer, with an interest in potentially transitioning into a co-founder role in a future venture-backed deep-tech startup
Open transfer mindset with enthusiasm for translating research into real-world impact
Interest in working with industry, customers and investors
Motivation to contribute not only scientifically but also strategically to future commercialization
Interest in entrepreneurship and the possibility of joining a future spin-off

POSITION CONDITIONS

Scope: 75% researcher (29.4 h/week)
Attractive working conditions and a salary in line with market standards
PhD at University of Bremen possible
Duration: until 29 February 2028
Preferred start:
Application deadline:

STARTUP POTENTIAL

Agile venture-backed eco-system
Direct access to Matena R2B track
Potential co-founder onboarding
Connect directly with project leads

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Technologiepark Uni Bremen