Albemarle

Ketjen PhD Chemical Engineering/Chemistry Internship – Summer 2026

Pasadena, Texas, United States of America Full time

Are you ready to move your career forward and help shape our company’s and customers’ futures?

If you aspire to challenge yourself, work with the best in the industry and join a successful team where you can make a meaningful contribution, then we invite you to join us at Ketjen Corporation, a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Together, we can create a legacy marked by innovation, excitement, and energy.

Ketjen is seeking a PhD student to join our Summer 2026 Chemical Engineering Co-Op Program. The ideal candidate would be available to work full-time for 12 weeks at our Bayport site in the Houston, TX area.

The PhD intern will work with our FCC R&D team using cutting-edge laboratory techniques to explore how changes in catalyst composition and structure manifest in performance. They will develop intimate knowledge of structure property relationships of our materials enabling the development of next generation technologies that will sustain and grow our business. Their responsibilities will include planning and execution of experiments, performance evaluation and characterization, data evaluation and communication to leadership stakeholders. As a key part of our FCC R&D team, they will get experience leading a project, collaborating with research technicians and functions like Testing Operations, BARQ. The intern will get the opportunity to learn about our catalyst development workflow including scaling in our pilot plant, performance evaluation and manufacturing

Why choose to intern at Ketjen? We offer:

  • Competitive pay
  • Three vacation days and company holidays
  • Social engagement programs
  • Senior executive leadership networking opportunities
  • Corporate housing (for those who meet relocation criteria)
  • Full-time conversion opportunities

QUALIFICATIONS 

  • Strong written and verbal communications skills 
  • Must be able to commit to a full-time schedule (40 hrs/week)
  • Prior industrial or manufacturing experience a plus 
  • Ability to participate in multiple Ketjen Internship or Co-Op sessions is a plus!

EDUCATION 

  • Pursuing a PhD degree from an ABET Accredited University majoring in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a similar discipline 
  • Cumulative GPA 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale 

  

Benefits of Joining Ketjen

  • Competitive compensation

  • Comprehensive benefits package

  • A diverse array of resources to support you professionally and personally.

Apply today and help Ketjen unleash the POTENTIAL of advanced chemistry for industries that power the world.