Project Manager

Role Title

Department: Scale-Up Operations

Reporting To

Note : Candidates with Short Notice are Highly Preferred :

Role Summary

The Project Manager for Scale-Up Operations plays a critical role in transforming NoPo's lab-scale innovations into world-class, commercial-scale processes for HiPCO SWCNTs and their applications. Operating at the strategic intersection of R&D (TRL 47), Scale-Up (TRL 69), and Manufacturing, this role requires translating scientific breakthroughs into scalable, safe, cost-effective, and repeatable industrial processes.

building systems, leading people

Role :

Bridge the Chasm

Lead by Process & Purpose

Build Capability

Deliver to Operations

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Technology Leadership

multi-year scale-up roadmap

de-risk early-stage technologies

commercial-grade readiness

Process Development and Optimization

• Lead the design, engineering, and optimization of

  pilot-scale and pre-commercial processes

  for:

• HiPCO reactors , SWCNT purification, Membrane modules, Chirality-based sorting systems
  

• CNT fibers and beyond
  

• Use

  chemical engineering principles

  (mass/heat transfer, fluid mechanics, reaction kinetics, etc.) to model, test, and validate scalable solutions.

• Approve all process parameters, quality metrics, and performance benchmarks.
  

Pilot Trials and Validation

• Plan and lead

  pilot trials

  , ensuring technical goals, cost estimates, and performance benchmarks are met.

• Analyze trial outcomes using rigorous data methods to inform scale-up readiness or redesign needs.
  

• Ensure all trials generate full datasets required for

  tech transfer and compliance

  .

Documentation, SOPs, and Tech Transfer

• Define and document

  Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

  , process control plans, safety protocols, and QC workflows.

• Manage smooth

  handover to Operations

  , including training, troubleshooting support, and early production monitoring.

• Maintain

  audit-ready documentation

  for internal quality systems and external regulatory needs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the

  liaison between R&D and Manufacturing

  , ensuring open communication, feedback loops, and shared accountability.

• Integrate perspectives from engineering, purification, and reactor teams into a

  unified scale-up strategy

  .

• Present technical outcomes and scale-up forecasts to executive leadership and investors.
  

Process Modelling and Digital Engineering

• Use

  process simulation tools

  (e.g., Aspen, CFD, thermodynamic models) to validate scale-up design.

• Lead development of

  digital twins

  of pilot and commercial systems to predict performance and optimize operations.

Safety, Compliance, and Quality

• Lead all

  EHS activities

  related to scale-up systems, including high-pressure handling, toxic gas containment, and hazard mitigation.

• Approve EHS documentation and ensure all risk controls are implemented prior to scale-up trials or plant commissioning.
  

• Define

  Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs)

  in collaboration with the QA and R&D teams.

Innovation, IP, and Collaboration

• Promote

  process innovations

  that reduce cost, improve yield, or enable new applications.

• Contribute to patent filings, technical whitepapers, and collaborative research programs.
  

• Partner with academic and national labs for joint development or testing support.
  

Performance Metrics

• Successful TRL transitions (e.g., TRL 6 ? TRL 8) per roadmap
  

• Pilot success rate and time-to-scale
  

• Cost-per-gram reduction in scaled-up processes
  

• Number and quality of handovers to Ops
  

• Internal EHS compliance and zero-incident rate
  

• Team growth, retention, and performance metrics
  

Requirements:

• Build and lead a

  multi-disciplinary scale-up team

  with clear roles and strong execution culture.

• Coach and mentor junior engineers to think rigorously, act decisively, and own outcomes.
  

• Foster a high-performance, data-driven, and mission-aligned team environment.
  

Qualification & Experience:

B. Tech in Chemical Engineering / M. Tech in Chemical Engineering with 8 to 10 Years of Experience in Scale up Commercialization into Specialty Chemicals / EPC / Nanotechnologies / Semiconductor industries of Scaled Startup.