Process Engineer

Job Opening: Process Engineer – Rheology, Coating & Drying

Location: Münster (near FFB PreFab) | Start Date: 01.10.2025 | Contract: permanent

Language: English required, German a plus

About 8inks

At 8inks, we're not just improving batteries; we're fundamentally reinventing battery manufacturing. As an ETH Zurich spin-off located near Zürich, we are now expanding to Battery City Münster. We develop scalable multilayer electrode manufacturing systems using our patented curtain coating technology, which provides unprecedented control over electrode architecture. This innovation is material agnostic and unlocks higher energy density, faster charging, and improved sustainability—all at a lower production cost. We're an agile, impact-driven team building the next generation of battery technology—hands-on, fast, and always in close collaboration with leading industry partners. Join us at our new lab at Fraunhofer FFB in Münster and be a key part of shaping the future of energy storage.

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated, technically strong and experimentally experienced process engineer with a deep understanding of slurry rheology, wetting, and drying processes. You will be responsible for translating formulation properties into robust coating outcomes and play a key role in the development of scalable multilayer electrode manufacturing. Your work bridges material formulation, fluid dynamics, coating hardware, and drying behavior. You will work closely with the hardware engineer, the electrochemist, and simulation experts to build up fundamental process understanding.

Your responsibilities

• Slurry development: Develop and optimize NMP-based and water-based electrode slurries (e.g. LFP, graphite)
• Fluid & Film behavior: Design and analyze flow behavior and film formation to reach the coating window for complex suspensions
• Fluid engineering: Characterize and tune rheological properties, surface tension, dispersion stability and wetting behavior
• Drying development : Design and execute drying studies focusing on edge overthickness, binder migration, adhesion and skin formation
• Lab Proficiency: Conduct experiments on lab and pilot-scale coating systems; analyze defect formation and repeatability
• Analytical Mindset: Apply Design of Experiments (DoE) methods to identify critical parameters and optimize performance
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Collaborate closely with hardware and simulation teams to ensure process consistency and physical model validation

Requirements

• Academic Background: MSc or PhD in process, chemical or mechanical engineering (or closely related field)
• Industry experience: Ideally 2y+ industry experience 
• Fluids Expert: Strong knowledge in fluid mechanics, rheology, surface science, drying, heat &mass transfer
• Lab proficiency: Hands-on experience in slurry formulation, coating and drying (lab or pilot scale)
• Coating experience: Experience with defect phenomena such as edge overthickness, skinning, binder migration, adhesion failure
• Analytical mindset: Familiar with DoE methodology and structured process optimization
• Bonus : knowledge in COMSOL Multiphysics, CFD, or rheological modeling

What we offer

• High Impact : Help shape the battery technology of tomorrow — from the lab into the Gigafab
• Collaborative Environment: Work closely with founders and a team of leading researchers and engineers
• Great Culture : dynamic result-driven team, mission-first, making our world a better place
• Ownership: Competitive salary & stock option participation, allowing you to share in our success as we grow.
• Please send your full application including CV, transcript and a short motivation letter to Karl-Philipp Schlichting ( karlphilipp@8inks.com )