Senior Coating Specialist

Overview of Role

ZwitterCo is searching for a Senior Coating Specialist responsible for operating, controlling, and optimizing membrane coating processes in a production environment. The ideal candidate is a manufacturing expert that ensures safe, consistent, and high‑yield coating operations while meeting quality, throughput, and cost targets.

This position requires deep technical experience with coating equipment, strong discipline in standard work and Statistical Process Control (SPC), and the ability to troubleshoot issues quickly on the production floor. This role serves as a technical leader within manufacturing and a key link between operations, quality, and process engineering.

About ZwitterCo

ZwitterCo has developed a breakthrough in materials science - a new class of zwitterionic membranes with unprecedented fouling resistance. Our membrane solutions perform beyond the limits of traditional filtration, making it practical to treat complex wastewater, purify water for reuse, and maximize efficiency in food processing applications.

ZwitterCo serves customers in more than 20 countries across food and beverage, agricultural, and industrial sectors. We are rapidly investing in our technology, equipment, and global services platform to help our industrial customers achieve their most ambitious sustainability and growth targets.

We are grateful to have been named as Fast Company’s Top Innovators of 2024 and featured on the 2025 & 2026 Global Cleantech 100. 

Key Responsibilities:

Production Coating Operations

• Operate membrane coating lines in a manufacturing environment, including start‑up, steady‑state production, changeovers, and shutdowns
• Execute daily production schedules while meeting safety, quality, throughput, and scrap targets
• Monitor and control critical process parameters such as coat weight, thickness, viscosity, web tension, line speed, temperature, and drying conditions
• Perform in‑process inspections and adjustments to maintain product specifications

Process Control & Yield Improvement

• Maintain strict adherence to SOPs, standard work, and control plans
• Use SPC and production data to monitor process capability and stability
• Lead first‑level troubleshooting of coating defects (e.g., streaks, pinholes, delamination, non‑uniformity)
• Drive yield improvement, scrap reduction, and downtime reduction initiatives
• Escalate chronic issues and support root cause analysis and corrective actions

Equipment & Maintenance Support

• Perform equipment setup, calibration, cleaning, and preventive maintenance tasks
• Support mechanical adjustments, web handling alignment, and coating head setup
• Work closely with maintenance and engineering teams on equipment reliability and upgrades
• Identify early warning signs of equipment or process drift

Materials Handling & Chemical Control

• Prepare, handle, and manage coating solutions according to approved formulations
• Ensure proper chemical handling, labeling, storage, and waste disposal
• Maintain raw material traceability and usage records

 External Manufacturing Support

• Travel to external manufacturing partners to support technology knowledge transfer, process scale-up, and troubleshooting
• Collaborate with partner teams to diagnose process issues and optimize coating performance
• Ensure successful implementation and consistency of ZwitterCo coating processes across partner sites

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure that all production output meets quality specifications and release requirements
• Support internal and external audits by providing process knowledge and documentation
• Participate in deviation investigations, nonconformance reviews, and CAPAs
• Maintain a strong 5S, safety, and compliance culture within the coating area

Training & Floor Leadership

• Act as a lead operator and subject matter expert for membrane coating operations
• Train and mentor operators and technicians on coating equipment and processes
• Support onboarding and certification of new operators
• Communicate effectively across shifts to ensure continuity and consistent performance

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or associate degree required with Equivalent manufacturing experience
• 7+ years of hands‑on experience operating coating or thin‑film manufacturing processes
• Experience in a high‑volume or high‑reliability manufacturing environment
• Strong understanding of coating fundamentals, web handling, and film formation
• Experience with roll‑to‑roll coating or similar continuous processes
• Familiarity with SPC, control charts, and manufacturing KPIs
• Ability to read and follow technical work instructions and specifications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience in membrane manufacturing (RO, NF, UF, MF, or specialty membranes) strongly preferred
• Experience supporting scale‑up or process transfers into manufacturing
• Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience
• Experience working in regulated or highly controlled manufacturing environments
• Leadership experience as a senior operator or lead technician

Critical Success Factors:

• Highly detail‑oriented with strong troubleshooting skills
• Comfortable working on the production floor and leading by example
• Safety‑first mindset with strong accountability
• Clear communicator across operations, quality, and engineering teams

Schedule, Travel, Compensation, and Location

This is a full-time position in Woburn, MA and will report to the Production Manager. Travel for this role is expected to be between 5% - 10% to facilitate technology transfer with external manufacturers.

Compensation will be commensurate with experience and include equity and benefits.