Membrane Development Intern
Job title
Membrane Development Intern
About us
OsmoPure’s vision is a future where clean water is abundant, reliable, and sustainable. We are on a mission to make advanced water treatment more accessible by replacing energy intensive and chemically demanding methods with a simpler and more efficient approach.
Nature purifies most of the world’s fresh water through evaporation and condensation. Our membranes use the same principle, but in a compact, scalable form called pressure-driven distillation. By applying pressure to move water vapor across an air layer, and taking advantage of nanoscale interfacial effects, we can achieve efficient and reliable separation with less energy use, fewer chemicals, and lower cost than today’s advanced water treatment technologies. OsmoPure’s membranes produce distillation-quality water with the same pressure-driven operation and form factor as reverse osmosis, while overcoming its fundamental limitations in selectivity and chemical durability. This technology originated from graduate research at the University of Colorado Boulder supported by NASA, and it is now being scaled from applications in spaceflight systems to industrial water treatment, desalination, and wastewater reuse. Our work is supported by the NSF, NASA, Activate, and DOE.
We are building a company rooted in the belief that access to clean water is fundamental. Our values are reflected in how we run experiments, make funding decisions, and grow our team. We believe alignment with this vision and culture is essential to creating a lasting company that delivers meaningful impact for both people and the planet.
About the role
We are hiring a Membrane Development Intern to join our team in creating the future of water treatment. This role will focus on scaling up our pressure-driven distillation membranes by optimizing fabrication methods for full-scale membrane modules, with hands-on work on thin film composites, membrane characterization, and water treatment performance testing. What You'll Do
• Conduct membrane fabrication experiments using a variety of fabrication techniques
• Conduct membrane performance testing including pressure tolerance, water permeability, and contaminant rejection
• Characterize membranes using techniques such as electron microscopy, contact angle goniometry, and x-ray spectroscopy
• Follow, maintain, and develop SOPs for fabrication, characterization, and testing methods to ensure reproducibility and scalability
• Follow safety procedures and MSDS warnings related to hazardous chemicals
• Communicate results to your supervisor and others through written reports and presentations
What You'll Bring
• Pursuing or recently completed a B.S. or M.S. in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, environmental engineering, or a related field
• Lecture- and lab-coursework in general chemistry or organic chemistry
• Interest in organic chemistry and material development
• Strong documentation practices and note-taking skills
• Willingness to learn on the job, ask questions, and be safe
• Collaborative, communicative, and curious; comfortable working in a small, fast-moving team
• Bonus: experience fabricating and characterizing membranes, thin films, or nanomaterials
Compensation and Schedule
• Hourly pay: $23-26 per hour
• Weekly schedule: 30-40 hours per week during normal business hours
• Location: SEEL building on CU Boulder’s East Campus
• Start date: as early as late March, with more flexibility for part time work during the semester and increased hours during the summer.
Equal employment opportunity
At OsmoPure Technologies, we are working toward addressing global water scarcity by developing advanced materials for sustainable water treatment. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a diverse team that reflects the people and communities we hope to serve with our technology. OsmoPure Technologies is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.