Kunin Technologies

Chief of Staff at Kunin Technologies (Chattanooga, TN)

Kunin Technologies· Chattanooga, TN·

Role details

Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full-Time

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Kunin Technologies is revolutionizing the critical mineral supply chain by implementing advanced separation technologies to capture value from overlooked resources. Metals are everywhere, in solar panels, smartphones, electric vehicles, but as ore grades plummet globally, traditional extraction methods are failing. China dominates critical minerals markets by developing superior separation technologies that extract value from materials American mines discard as waste. Utilizing Kunin Technologies' breakthrough mass manufacturable nano-separation systems, significantly more value can be produced from each resource, reducing waste, and unlocking metal abundance. To achieve metal abundance, humanity must bring separation science down its own Moore’s Law: fix the idiot cost index for micro and nano scale separation materials. This requires mass manufacturing novel ion-exchange media form factors which previously struggled from high costs.

MISSION FOR YEAR 1

The CEO is simultaneously running the company's technology buildout, a multi-role hiring wave, an active federal pipeline, a critical minerals industry coalition, and the formation of a new manufacturing venture. You are the leverage that makes that portfolio manageable: a pure individual contributor seat working directly beside the CEO, frequently traveling with him, focused on partnerships, negotiation preparation, contract structuring, hiring, and absorbing administrative burden. This is a classic 18 to 36 month tour-of-duty seat with unusually broad exposure, graduating into functional leadership at Kunin or the ecosystem entities. It is expected you will want to found a company and leave Kunin within 2-5 years.

WHAT YOU'LL LEAD

  • Partnership support: preparation, coordination, and follow-through across Kunin's partner and counterparty relationships.
  • Negotiation preparation: briefing documents, counterparty research, term summaries, and meeting-ready positions for the CEO's deals.
  • Contract structuring support: first drafts, redline tracking, and coordination with counsel across agreements.
  • The hiring wave: running executive and team search processes end to end until functional leaders own their own teams.
  • Administrative burden: inbound triage, scheduling coordination, and commitment tracking across the company, the coalition, and the new venture.

WHO YOU ARE

  • Bachelor's degree with 4+ years combining a high-rigor analytical foundation (consulting, banking, investing, or a technical degree with operating experience) and exposure to operating chaos (early-stage startup, campaign, military staff, or founder's office).
  • Exceptional writer.
  • Skilled in modelling.
  • Discreet by default.

COMPENSATION

This role will pay $130,000 - $240,000, benefits, and equity.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Regular travel alongside CEO and independently 5-6 times per month.
  • Extended hours and weekends frequently required to support critical project milestones.
  • Kunin will do whatever it can to secure work authorization for the right candidate.

Chattanooga is more beautiful than expected, and Tennessee has no income tax. "The Whole World Is Ion-Exchange And The Rest Are Merely Details!" Dr. Robert Kunin of Rohm and Haas, The Pioneer of the Ion-Exchange Industry, 1951

Why work at Kunin Technologies

  • High-Impact Mission: Directly contribute to U.S. critical mineral independence, domestic manufacturing, and national security — with measurable environmental benefit by recovering metals from existing waste rather than new mining
  • Tiny Team, Huge Ownership: Currently 2-6 people; new hires (titles include “Damn Good Engineer,” Senior Scientist, Hydrometallurgist, Mechanical Lead) will have outsized influence on technology and company trajectory
  • Engineering-First Culture: Emphasis on chemical process engineering, mechanical design, and multiphysics simulation — building real hardware that goes into the ground
  • Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee — lower cost of living with proximity to top engineering universities and DOE national labs
  • EY: Remote/Hybrid/Office: Likely onsite/hybrid given the hardware and lab focus; careers page does not specify remote options
  • Backed by DOE: Credibility from federal selection for critical mineral recovery projects
  • Growth Trajectory: Active hiring spree signals company is scaling from R&D toward deployment — early-stage equity opportunity

Application questions