R & D Technician, Electrodialysis Membrane

Captura is a climate technology company that has developed a Direct Ocean Capture (DOC) process to remove carbon dioxide from seawater, thereby amplifying the ocean's natural ability to absorb atmospheric carbon. The company's core technology is a high-performance bipolar membrane electrodialysis system that extracts dissolved CO2 from seawater without the use of additives or by-products, then returns the treated water to the ocean to draw down additional atmospheric carbon. Captura operates a 1,000 ton-per-year pilot plant in Hawaii and manufactures its electrodialysis platform from a production facility in Pasadena, California. Captura's mission is centered on harnessing the ocean as a scalable, natural resource for climate healing while prioritizing ocean health throughout its operations. The company was invented at Caltech and has received support from prominent backers including XPRIZE, Frontier, and the U.S. Department of Energy. In June 2026, Captura raised $12.5 million in the first close of its Series B financing round to expand its electrodialysis platform. Beyond carbon removal, Captura's electrodialysis technology serves a range of industrial sustainability markets, including direct lithium extraction, desalination, wastewater valorization, energy storage, and electrochemical carbon capture. The company has also secured a supplier deal to provide ocean-captured CO2 for an electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) plant in France, demonstrating the commercial versatility of its platform.

About the Role

Captura is seeking an ED Membrane R/D Technician to join our team developing next-generation bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) technology at a pivotal early stage in our growth. This is a unique opportunity to help scale a novel BPED platform into industrial scale direct ocean carbon capture, lithium refinement, and brine valorization applications. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with electrodialysis or electrochemistry, wet-lab experience, and the ability to work independently within a small team. This position requires being comfortable working with chemicals, laboratory equipment, process materials, and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). They will take ownership of membrane test systems and electrochemical data, playing a key role in optimizing and scaling up our BPED R&D work.

Responsibilities

• Set up, calibrate, monitor, and operate bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPED) test systems, using peristaltic pumps and power supplies, and other operating parameters to maintain consistent data quality across test runs.
• Compile, organize, and present electrochemical data (voltage, current efficiency, conductivity, etc.) for review by the R&D team, flagging trends or anomalies as they emerge.
• Troubleshoot technical issues across test systems, including membrane fouling, leaks, pump or sensor malfunctions, and electrical faults; identify root causes and implement corrective actions to minimize downtime.
• Perform routine maintenance, calibration, and minor repairs on test stands and associated lab equipment to keep systems test-ready.
• Maintain accurate lab notebooks and test records to support reproducibility, knowledge transfer across teams and to support product development, root cause analysis, process validation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Adhere to all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for health, safety, and environmental compliance, including proper handling of chemicals and hazardous materials.
• Maintain high standards of laboratory hygiene, cleanliness, and organization, including proper cleaning and organization of glassware, equipment, benches, fume hoods, and shared laboratory areas.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• Experience working in a wet lab.
• Ability to work independently in small teams.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with the R&D team and closely support the scale-up of electrodialysis systems.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple samples, experiments, records and priorities in structured manner.
• Lab-based work with regular handling of chemicals; PPE required, including safety glasses, gloves, lab coat, and closed-toe shoes.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift to 35 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant hands-on experience in the build and operation of liquid materials processing engineering systems (pool, chemical, petrochemical, water, mining, oil & gas plants, etc.)
• Experience with Python and Biologic software.
• Working experience with electrodialysis or electrochemistry.

Featured Benefits

Compensation

The approximate salary range for this role is $70,000–$85,000. Actual compensation depends on factors unique to each candidate, including geographic location, education, experience, qualifications, and job-related skills. It is not typical for someone to be hired above the midpoint of the range. This range reflects base salary only — total compensation includes the benefits and rewards outlined below, and will be considered as a whole when we present an offer.

Benefits & Total Rewards

• Health coverage: Medical, dental and vision fully covered for employees, with partial coverage for dependents
• Equity: Stock option grant, with amount determined based on role and experience
• Retirement: 401(k) with match
• Time off: 3 weeks PTO plus company holidays and a paid winter break between Christmas and New Year's
• Growth: Ground-floor opportunity to build and scale the manufacturing and supply chain function as Captura grows