Electrolyzer Engineer

About CURA

CURA is a Canadian cleantech startup pioneering electrochemical cement decarbonization. Our mission is to eliminate process emissions at the source by electrifying and reinventing how cement is made. We're developing a breakthrough acid/base electrolyzer to split limestone into lime and pure CO₂—unlocking a low-carbon future for one of the world's most emissions-intensive industries.

We are building a team of inventors, builders, and systems thinkers who thrive at the intersection of electrochemistry, materials, and industrial scale-up.

The Role

We're seeking an Electrolyzer Engineer to lead the design, development, and scale-up of CURA's next-generation acid/base electrolyzer. This is a foundational technical role responsible for advancing the core electrochemical stack architecture, driving hardware test campaigns, and translating lab-scale breakthroughs into robust pilot-scale systems.

You will work closely with our CTO, external manufacturing partners, and CURA's growing engineering team to take our electrolyzer from concept → prototype → pilot → commercial deployment.

• Lead the design and optimization of CURA's acid/base electrolyzer, including cell architecture, flow fields, membranes, electrode assemblies, and sealing systems.
• Own electrochemical performance and system efficiency, driving improvements in current density, voltage performance, durability, and materials selection.
• Develop and execute test plans for single-cell, multi-cell, and stack-level validation, including diagnostics, lifetime testing, and root-cause analysis.
• Scale electrolyzer designs from benchtop prototypes to pilot-scale stacks (100 cm² → 500 cm² → multi-cell stacks) and beyond. 
• Collaborate with manufacturing partners to ensure designs are manufacturable, safe, and aligned with pilot constraints.
• Analyze electrochemical, thermal, and fluid-dynamic behavior, generating models and engineering specifications to guide design decisions.
• Specify materials of construction, including membranes, catalysts, electrodes, gaskets, and corrosion-resistant components for acid/base environments.
• Work with cross-functional teams to integrate the electrolyzer into CURA's overall process balance of plant (BoP), including acid/base loops, precipitation systems, and separation hardware.
• Contribute to safety and reliability standards, including HAZOP reviews, FMEA, and engineering documentation.
• Author technical documentation such as design specs, test reports, operating procedures, and scale-up roadmaps.
• Drive continuous improvement, proposing and testing innovations that improve performance, durability, or cost.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical, Electrochemical, Mechanical, Materials, or related engineering field
• Hold a Professional Engineer designation in Alberta.
• 5–10+ years of experience in electrolyzer, fuel cell, battery, or electrochemical reactor development
• Hands-on experience with electrochemical stack design, PEM/AEM systems, or custom cell builds
• Expertise in electrode/membrane assemblies, electrochemical kinetics, and materials compatibility
• Demonstrated experience running electrochemical test stands, impedance diagnostics (EIS), polarization curves, and long-duration testing
• Familiarity with CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion), CFD, or multiphysics modeling tools (COMSOL)
• Strong fundamentals in fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and corrosion in acidic/alkaline environments. Experience with redox mediators, acid/base separation, or selectivity engineering
• Experience taking hardware from prototype to pilot or manufacturing. Background designing large-format electrochemical stacks (100+ cm²)
• Ability to manage external vendors and collaborate with fabrication partners
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate complex findings into actionable engineering decisions
• Passion for decarbonization and building industrial systems that scale

• The chance to work at the cutting edge of industrial decarbonization
• A hands-on role building first-of-its-kind electrochemical hardware
• Competitive salary + meaningful early-stage equity
• Unlimited vacation and a flexible, mission-driven culture
• A collaborative team of engineers, scientists, and operators
• The opportunity to shape the core technology that will define the future of low-carbon cement