Pay: $3,000 - $5,000 Stipend, TBD by experience and availability
Responsibility: Full Time
Effective Dates: May 21 – August 24, 2018 (with possibility of extension)
Company Overview: Planet Found Energy Development, LLC, (PFED) is a Maryland-based company leveraging a Combined Anaerobic Digestion and Nutrient Capture System (AD + NCS) process to produce renewable energy,recover nutrients, and eliminate odor from poultry litter and other organic wastes in the Chesapeake Bay Region and beyond. The company was founded in 2012 with the goal of developing a technology to address the ostensibly dueling concerns of environmental stewardship and agricultural economic viability on the Delmarva Peninsula.
More information can be found at www.planetfound.com.
Description of the Position:
Planet Found Energy Development, LLC (PFED), is seeking a part-time Lab Intern to be based out of its office and laboratory in Pocomoke City, Maryland. The applicant should have a background and active focus in science, agriculture and/or engineering, be adaptable to a multi-faceted business and research environment, and be interested in participating in the ongoing development of an agriculturally based renewable energy and nutrient recycling company.
The Lab Intern position is a 4-month position with the possibility for extension. Responsibilities include:
- Maintaining and monitoring PFED’s lab-scale poultry litter digesters, which requires grinding
- poultry litter, prepping it and feeding it into the system, and running industry standard analyses including solids content, pH, alkalinity, gas quality, etc.
- Providing analytical support to PFED’s farm-scale pilot facility by running analyses including TAN, FOS/TAC, etc.
- Providing occasional hands-on support to PFED’s pilot facility operator, including assisting in troubleshooting and maintenance
- Participation and completion of experimental design, data collection, and data analysis related to poultry litter digestion, nutrient capture, and waste water filtration
- Operation and maintenance of all associated lab equipment
- Production of research summaries and fact sheets, as well as the delivery of regular updates to the Planet Found Technical Director
- The day-to-day management of the company’s laboratory space including inventorying equipment, routine procurement of supplies, and maintaining a safe working environment.
The applicant should possess:
- Confidence, comfort, and perseverance in troubleshooting problems related to laboratory work including simple equipment malfunctions, chemical spills, waste handling, etc.
- Familiarity with basic lab equipment, analysis, and safe laboratory conduct
- General familiarity with small, farm or residential scale water and gas plumbing and conveyance systems, including pumps and valves
- Good knowledge of basic spreadsheet and word processing software such as Microsoft Office Excel and Word, Google Docs, and similar.
- The ability to meet physical demands including the performance of fieldwork related to the operations, negotiation of work and construction areas, climbing stairs, and the ability to operate power tools. Employee may occasionally be required to lift objects of up to 75 pounds.
- Personal transportation and a valid drivers’ license
Contact: Andrew Moss - Technical Director at amoss@pfedusa.com