Research Translation Engineer Water Desalination and Distribution📣 Job Ad

About the Research Translation Engineer Role

KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), located in Thuwal, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is seeking a Research Translation Engineer for Water Desalination and Distribution. Reporting to the Research Translation Manager, this full-time role involves providing technical engineering expertise, design support, and research translation guidance for a broad range of water desalination, treatment, and distribution projects. The engineer will contribute to the early-stage development, prototyping, and deployment of advanced technologies, requiring 5-10 years of relevant experience.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead and provide engineering support for desalination, water treatment, and water distribution research translation projects.
• Design, model, and optimize desalination systems, including RO, MD, ED, and thermal processes.
• Collaborate with the Research Translation team to prototype and fabricate desalination/hydraulics subsystems using KAUST workshops and external vendors.
• Evaluate the performance of prototype systems and pilot units; identify improvement pathways and scaling potential.
• Develop and execute structured test plans for prototype and pilot systems, including KPI definition, data acquisition, and performance benchmarking against design targets.
• Conduct design reviews ensuring alignment with engineering principles, safety standards, and project requirements.
• Create engineering documentation, including system specifications, test plans, P&IDs, process flow diagrams (PFDs), and mechanical drawings.
• Engage in resource recovery research, supporting the development of water reuse, nutrient recycling, and energy recovery technologies.
• Lead and assist in developing technology maturity roadmaps (TRL-based) and conducting gap analyses for desalination/distribution innovations.
• Support risk assessments, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and performance diagnostics for deployed systems.
• Contribute to project planning, cost estimation, and technical feasibility studies; track engineering milestones and communicate progress to project leads and stakeholders.

Required Professional Experience

• Demonstrated working knowledge in concept prototyping, skid-mounted pilot plants, and product development.
• Experience executing technology transfer or research translation projects, including resolving processing issues and assessing the impact of changes in equipment, scale, or raw materials.
• Proven ability to analyze engineering diagrams, specifications, related data, and drawings to determine design factors such as scale, shape, and arrangement of unit operations.
• Industry experience ensuring systems are reliable, manufacturable, and cost-efficient.
• Experience preparing technical reports, reviewing grant proposals, or regulatory submissions.

Technical Expertise

• Expertise in seawater desalination technologies, including thermal, membrane, and electrochemical processes.
• Proficiency in water distribution system engineering, hydraulics, or pipeline design.
• Knowledge of smart water distribution networks, wastewater treatment, and water chemistry processes.
• Understanding of technology readiness levels (TRL), prototyping methodologies, and translational research pathways.

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Strong analytical, communication, and documentation skills.
• Ability to translate research into functional engineered systems and prototypes.
• Capability to work effectively across multiple projects and within interdisciplinary teams.

Collaboration and Workplace

This full-time position at KAUST's campus in Thuwal, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, requires working collaboratively alongside researchers, engineers, technologists, and industrial partners. The successful candidate will be instrumental in converting scientific innovations into functional engineered systems within a dynamic research environment.