Chemical Engineer / Polymer Scientist | Delft, Netherlands | Full-time

This role is open to candidates who already hold the right to work in the Netherlands or are currently in their zoekjaar/orientation year, as we are unable to sponsor visas or work permits. Candidates should be available to start within eight weeks of offer and able to work 80% on-site in Delft.

AKIN is a Dutch biotech company developing a novel enzymatic platform for rubber recycling

(Rubber Biorefine). We convert end-of-life rubber, including devulcanised rubber feedstock, into high-value chemical products and materials, targeting applications in tires and industrial rubber goods.

We are looking for a chemical engineer or polymer scientist with a strong understanding of polymer chemistry, preferably in rubber, to own the downstream separation and product recovery for our enzymatic biorefinery. You will work at benchtop scale, designing and running experiments with and without enzyme to systematically test assumptions about separation behaviour, product stability, and recovery yields, to scale the process for industrial scale. You'll work alongside an experienced process engineer. We're looking for deep chemical and polymer expertise to turn reaction outputs into well-defined, recoverable products.

Key Responsibilities

• Downstream separation ownership: designing, building, and iterating benchtop separation and fractionation workflows to recover Rubber Biorefinery products from complex reaction matrices

• Assumption testing: systematically running controlled experiments, with and without enzyme, to isolate the effect of each process variable on separation performance and product quality.

  • Substrate understanding: characterising devulcanised rubber feedstock properties and understanding how composition and variability affect downstream behaviour.

  • Enzyme application support: collaborating with other members of the technology team to connect upstream reaction conditions to downstream product profiles, ensuring the two are developed in an integrated way.

  • Strategic input: maintaining contact with external partners (CRO/CDMO/recyclers) and contributing to R&D roadmap definition, IP filings, and grant reporting.

We Bring

• A fully equipped lab in Delft designed specifically for this programme, broad analytical & enzyme engineering coverage through laboratory usage/service agreements.

• A company that is scaling, with ample room to grow, take on new projects, and influence its development direction.

  • Work that pushes the state of the art while remaining critical to the company's commercial success.

  • The opportunity to make a direct impact on sustainability in the rubber and tire industries.

• A flexible work environment that focuses on what empowers you but also expects personal accountability.

• A place where employees are valued regardless of background, beliefs, or identity.

• A competitive compensation package (salary range €50.000 to €60.000/year), including a stock option plan.

You Bring

• MSc or PhD in chemical engineering, polymer science, materials chemistry, or a closely related discipline. Strong foundational knowledge of rubber and polymer chemistry - understanding of vulcanisation, devulcanisation, and polymer degradation pathways.

• Hands-on experience with downstream separation and purification at lab scale: liquid-liquid extraction, membrane separation, chromatography, precipitation, or equivalent techniques applied to complex organic mixtures.

• A structured experimental mindset- able to design controlled benchtop studies, interpret results, and iterate quickly.

• Minimum 3 years of experience in the materials, polymer, or chemical industries.

• Self-directed, comfortable with ambiguity, and motivated by hard problems.

• 80% on-site lab presence in Delft.

Advantageous:

• Familiarity with enzymatic or biocatalytic processes applied to solid or heterogeneous substrates

• Experience with DSP applicable at an industrial scale

• Early-stage startup experience

• Background in tire or rubber goods manufacturing or recycling

If this sounds like you, send your CV and a short note on what you have built or solved to careers@akin-solutions.com. We review on a rolling basis.