R&D Project Engineer

at  Hydro

Hydro Aluminium Metal a leading supplier of extrusion ingots, sheet ingots, foundry alloys, wire rods and high-purity aluminum with a global production network of around 5,000 employees. With primary metal production facilities in Europe, Canada, Australia, Brazil and Qatar, and recycling facilities throughout Europe and in the U.S., two-thirds of our primary aluminum production is based on renewable energy.

HANDS-ON R&D PROJECT ENGINEER FOR PILOTING NEW TECHNOLOGY

Hydro is a global fully integrated aluminium company with a strong commitment to shaping a sustainable future. In doing so, we want to create more viable societies by developing natural resources into products and solutions in innovative and efficient ways to industries that matter. In December 2021 we announced our plans to develop and industrialize HalZero, a new CO2-emission free process to produce primary aluminium. In December 2023 we announced that started building a HalZero Test Facility in Porsgrunn and we were recognized as an Energy Transition Changemaker at COP28. The development of HalZero is one of several pillars in Hydro’s commitment to become a supplier of near-zero CO2 aluminium.
The work towards near-zero CO2 aluminium is headed by the Technology and Operational Support (TOS) unit in Hydro Aluminium Metal. TOS comprises around 220 highly skilled employees in Norway and Germany, with the main task to support commercial and operational units in improving profitability and sustainability. TOS maintains a focus on the short and medium term - while also having longer term technology development as a core activity. The HalZero development is one example of our long term activities.
We are now looking for a skilled R&D Principal/Project Engineer to join our Technology Development team. This position will actively contribute to Hydro’s sustainability agenda, particularly towards our near-zero CO2 aluminium activities and HalZero specifically. The candidate holding this position will be part of a multi-disciplinary team of technologists that work together towards an industrialized HalZero process. The candidate may also be included in other existing and future projects in TOS and Hydro.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• MSc/PhD in Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Nanotechnology, Inorganic Chemistry, Process Engineering, Metallurgy or Electrochemistry. Experience (5-10 years) in relevant field is considered an advantage
• Competence within and experience from one or several points below is an advantage;
• industrial process development and operation is beneficial, operation of piloting/test facilities especially
• technology piloting, comprising everything from initial design to operation, is beneficial
• practical laboratory work (work in lab/development of procedures or techniques) is beneficial
• corrosive process media (gas/liquid) and molten salt handling
• materials (refractories, metals, coatings, …) for harsh environments
• Project management experience, ideally from R&D-projects, is an advantage
• Good communication skills (written and oral) towards colleagues with different educational and professional backgrounds
• Fluency in written and spoken English. Fluency in spoken Norwegian is an advantage

WHO ARE YOU?

As a person you are curious and creative with well-developed problem-solving skills. You enjoy working and collaborating in teams, and share competence with others. You are structured and practical in your approach with attention to details and safety. You perform well also under pressure and communicate effectively with different stakeholders both internally and externally.
Health, safety and the environment (HSE) are an integral part of Hydro’s daily operations. It is our responsibility to protect the health and safety of our employees, and to contribute to sustainable development in the local communities in which we operate. We are therefore looking for employees who will contribute positively to this, through healthy and conscious HSE attitudes and actions. The employment also requires health approval of our company health service.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Your main responsibility will be to plan and coordinate trials and testing activity between our laboratories, test facility operations and our R&D engineers. You need to build a good overall understanding of the technology included in the Test Facility and participate in the design of tests to maximize the outcome. Further responsibilities are to identify opportunities and limitations and ensure that all learnings from each test is fully documented and communicated to the R&D team. Furthermore, participating in coordination between tests in the Test Facility and related laboratory/modelling/design work will be relevant for our technology development. You will be in close contact with both operators and engineers.
In addition to this the candidate may participate in other projects particularly related to HalZero. This includes projects for design, development, evaluation, testing, qualification and implementation of both internally and externally developed technology solutions.

MAIN TASKS ARE:

• Ensure an optimal test plan to exploit the full potential of the Test Facility
• Coordinate between the operations organization and R&D engineers
• Ensure reporting and communication of test results to relevant stakeholders
• Work together with both internal and external partners/stakeholders
• Take part in design, planning and operating relevant technology test facilities
• Participate in technology development tasks as part of a larger team