Website:
maruta.earth
Job details:
Who we are
Maruta Earth is building India's first integrated agricultural waste valorisation platform. We convert cashew nut shells and rice husk into biochar carbon removal credits, cardanol specialty chemicals, and activated carbon through low-temperature pyrolysis. We work with Farmer Producer Organisations across coastal Andhra Pradesh.
We are early. There is no defined org chart. We are a team being built around a problem that matters. If you want to be close to the ground floor, keep reading. If you want to watch from the 10th floor, this isn't it.
The role
This starts as a research internship and grows with you and the company.
You will own the chemistry. The yields, the process parameters, the product quality, all from first principles. In the early months you will be doing hands-on work: running small-scale batches, measuring yields, troubleshooting output quality, building the operational knowledge base that nobody in India has systematically documented for CNS pyrolysis at this scale.
This is not a desk job. This is not a consulting engagement. This is a build role.
What you will work on
Month 1 to 3 (research and validation)
Design and run small-scale pyrolysis experiments on CNS and rice husk feedstocks. Characterise biochar output (fixed carbon content, surface area, moisture, ash) against Puro.earth certification requirements. Measure bio-oil yield and cardanol content at varying reactor temperatures (300 to 450 degrees C). Document process parameters systematically. Every batch, every variable, every output. Research toll processing partners and evaluate technical fit. Build the company's first internal technical knowledge base on CNS thermochemistry.
Month 4 onwards (operations and scale)
Own the toll processing relationship. Be the technical point of contact on the ground. Establish QC protocols for incoming feedstock and outgoing biochar/bio-oil. Build and operate the dMRV (digital Measurement, Reporting & Verification) data system for Varaha VIPP carbon certification. Manage feedstock logistics from FPO to processor. Work with the founder on reactor specification for owned equipment (target: month 12 to 18). Represent Maruta Earth's technical capability to grant reviewers, carbon certifiers, and B2B buyers.
What we're looking for
Non-negotiable:
- Degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Agricultural Engineering, or closely related field (Tier 1/Tier 2)
- Genuine curiosity about thermochemical conversion, biomass chemistry, or CNSL processing. You don't need to be an expert, but you need to find this interesting.
- Ability to work independently and create structure where none exists
- Willing to be in the field: Vizag, Srikakulam, or Any other sites depending on where the processing happens
- Intellectually honest. If a batch fails, you document why. You don't hide it.
Valued highly:
- Exposure to pyrolysis, carbonisation, gasification, or CNSL extraction (even academic)
- Familiarity with biochar quality standards (IBI, EBC, or Puro.earth methodology) (good to have)
- Experience with analytical instruments: TGA, FTIR, BET surface area, even in a lab setting
- Understanding of carbon credit MRV protocols
- Prior experience in agri-processing, chemical manufacturing, or MSME operations
Mindset:
You believe climate solutions need to be economically viable, not just grant-funded. You are comfortable with ambiguity and make decisions with incomplete information. You want ownership over outcomes, not just tasks. You can work across farmers, chemical buyers, and international carbon certifiers in the same week.
Compensation and growth path
Phase 1: Research internship (month 1 to 3) Stipend of Rs. 10,000 to 15,000/month, plus field expenses covered. Outcome-based: continued engagement depends on mutual fit and project milestones. No long-term commitment from either side. This is a structured trial.
Phase 2: Full-time Technical Lead (month 4 onwards) Salary of Rs. 40,000 to 60,000/month, commensurate with experience. Performance review at month 6. Formal employment agreement with defined KPIs.
Phase 3: Senior equity role (performance and milestone based) Equity participation offered to team members who demonstrate ownership, technical leadership, and alignment with the company's long-term direction. Details discussed individually based on contribution, timing, and company stage.
We are transparent about this: we are a pre-revenue startup. Phase 3 is real but earned, not promised on Day 1.
Why this role is different
Most climate tech jobs in India fall into one of three buckets: research positions with no path to impact, corporate ESG roles with no path to ownership, or startup roles where "equity" is 0.01% after 10 rounds of dilution.
This role gives you the chance to be the technical architect of something that doesn't exist yet in India. The person in this role will have their name on the Puro.earth project documentation, the grant application, and the first commercial biochar batch from AP. That is a unique professional asset regardless of what happens next.
Reporting structure
You report directly to the Founder. No middle layer. Every conversation is a strategy conversation, not a status update. We operate with radical transparency: P&L, costs, and decisions are open to the full team.
Location
Primary: Vizag (Visakhapatnam) or wherever the first toll processing is established in AP. Occasional travel to Bangalore and AP FPO sites. Research and documentation work can be done remotely; field work cannot.
How to apply
Send the following to hello@maruta.earth with subject line: "Technical Lead, [Your Name]"
- A brief note (not a cover letter): what specifically about biochar or CNSL chemistry interests you and what you've actually done that's relevant
- Your CV or LinkedIn profile
- One technical question you would want answered before joining (this tells us how you think)
We respond to every application. We don't leave people hanging.
Maruta Earth is an equal opportunity workplace. We actively encourage applications from candidates with non-linear career paths, women engineers, and candidates from Tier 2/3 cities who understand on-ground Indian agri-operations better than anyone from a metro.
Click on Apply to know more.