Head of Wastewater Process & Technology

Are you ready to join Connecticut Innovation’s vibrant community of innovators? Connecticut Innovations ("CI") is Connecticut’s strategic venture capital arm, and we are passionate about serving our portfolio of 220+ companies across various industries, with strengths in life sciences, technology, and climate tech.

Come join one of our quickly growing portfolio companies, Home | CREW Carbon !

CREW’s technology and services make wastewater treatment cheaper and more efficient, while permanently sequestering CO₂.

Leveraging advanced chemistry, natural minerals, and AI, we’ve developed and are deploying a category-defining process intensification technology, with decarbonization at its core. Today, we help wastewater treatment facilities and operators:

• Improve the efficiency of existing, legacy infrastructure
• Eliminate hazardous chemicals & reduce operational costs
• Avoid $100M+ infrastructure upgrades
• Capture & Store CO₂

We are currently deploying this technology across the US. In addition, we’ve signed $33M+ in carbon removal offtake agreements with leading corporations — including JP Morgan, Google, and Stripe — looking to meet their climate goals, supercharging CREW’s expansion.

CREW has offices and labs in New Haven, CT and Brooklyn, NY.

Position Overview

As Head of Wastewater Process & Technology at CREW Carbon, you will serve as the primary technical authority on the integration of CREW’s wastewater process optimization & decarbonization solution at utilities across the country and world. This is a leadership-critical role designed for a senior expert who can interpret complex data to drive internal R&D and external operations, while influencing external utility leadership.

You will play a pivotal role in accelerating the application of CREW’s technology by translating data from laboratory studies and full-scale deployments into rigorous, defensible technical insight. You will quantify and articulate the value CREW delivers through process intensification within biological treatment systems, and you will drive the internal data collection, analysis, and modeling required to support those conclusions and enable scale across treatment facilities.

This role will work closely with CREW Carbon’s world-class Advisory team and CEO to define scientific priorities, mentor science team members, and drive CREW’s mission through innovative research and rigorous analysis. CREW is a fast-moving, technically ambitious company – this role is for someone who wants to shape the technical direction of a category-defining technology.

This position is a full‑time role. Location is onsite at CREW’s Brooklyn, NY office. Remote considered only for exceptional candidates, with regular travel to Brooklyn expected.

• Lead Technical Strategy & Team: Lead the technical strategy and implementation of CREW’s solution at the intersection of biological nutrient removal (BNR) and greenhouse gas removal. Lead and mentor the technology team, fostering a culture of collaboration, learning, and excellence.
• Expert Data Interpretation: Analyze operational data from CREW’s deployments, identify metrics to track performance, and drive actionable decisions toward operational improvements or new solutions using knowledge of biological treatment, aqueous chemistry, and mass/energy balances.
• Experimental Oversight: Direct the Tech and Operations teams on experimental protocols and data collection requirements to rigorously validate process performance.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the subject matter expert in client engagements to support Commercial Team by providing the scientific rigor and operational confidence required to influence decision makers, engineering staff, plant supervisors, and operators.
• Troubleshooting & Optimization: Lead the diagnosis of complex process issues in the field and propose robust solutions that maintain treatment efficiency and CO2 removal targets.
• Technical Documentation: Author high‑level technical reports, white papers, and design standards that solidify CREW’s position as an industry leader in process intensification and optimization.
• Product Development: Collaborate closely with CREW’s Product team, including data engineering and biogeochemical modeling, to leverage CREW’s data infrastructure, integrate experimental and operational data, and produce actionable insights.

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (required) in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related field; a Master’s or PhD degree is a bonus.
• 10+ years of experience in wastewater process engineering, biological treatment design, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of wastewater treatment processes, including nutrient removal, solids handling, and pH and alkalinity control.
• Experience developing and reviewing PFDs, P&IDs, site layouts, mass balance calculations, and process unit design.
• Exceptional technical writing skills, with the ability to translate complex process science into clear, defensible documents for utility executives, consulting engineers, and other stakeholders.
• Familiarity with process modeling tools (BioWin, SUMO, GPS‑X, ASM libraries, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with analytical methods used in wastewater and aqueous chemistry system characterization (e.g., IC, TIC, ICP) and ability to interpret analytical data and experience with statistical programming and modeling (e.g., Python, R, Matlab).
• Comfortable working in a rapidly evolving work setting and able to quickly synthesize new information to proactively adjust focus and maintain high‑impact results.
• Ability to travel periodically to project sites.
• You practice extreme ownership (no task is too small).
• You love being in the trenches with your team and working with high empathy.
• You have a growth mindset.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with capital improvements, facility expansions, or process upgrades at municipal WRRFs.
• Experience in carbon capture, carbonate chemistry, or water‑chemistry‑based carbon removal technologies.
• Field experience with pilot systems, process commissioning, or operational troubleshooting is highly desirable.
• Experience integrating instrumentation, controls, and monitoring systems for process optimization.
• Experience with CAD software, including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or Revit.

Compensation

Compensation at the time of offer is unique to each candidate and based on a variety of factors such as skill set, experience, qualifications, and work location. Salary is one part of the total compensation and benefits package. Other benefits for eligible employees may include: equity through the form of option grants, flexible paid time off, 401(k) plan, well equipped office environment, and health benefits offerings.

The expected base salary range for this role is $150,000 – $200,000. This range represents the company’s estimate for this position at the time of posting however actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, location, role scope, and business needs.

• Signed a carbon credit offtake agreement with the Frontier Climate Fund in 2024
• Selected as 1 of 24 companies by the US Department of Energy in 2024 to be a potential supplier of high‑quality carbon credits to the federal government
• Highlighted as an “Innovator of the Month” by US Senator Chris Murphy in 2024
• Selected by ImagineH2O, the leading water sector innovation accelerator in 2024
• Highlighted by Business Insider as “One of the Most Promising Climate-Tech Startups of 2023

CREW Carbon is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We have strict wage minimums, generous benefits, and personal leave policies. Our goal is to provide safe, rewarding, and empowering work environments for all who interact with our company.