Adam McKinley

PhD-qualified chemical engineer with a strong background in catalyst development for sustainable hydrogen production and hands-on experience in energy storage and electrochemical systems. Currently serving as a Test Lead at Keep Energy Systems, delivering high-quality testing solutions within ISO frameworks and contributing to continuous process improvements. Proven leader with experience mentoring students and managing multidisciplinary projects. Adept at problem-solving, data analysis, and communicating complex ideas clearly in both technical and public-facing contexts. Passionate about advancing clean energy technologies through research, innovation, and teamwork.

Test Lead – Keep Energy Systems

March 2025 – Present (Redun)

• Led operations of KES’s Alpha Energy Storage System, ensuring reliable performance and operational excellence.
• Developed and executed detailed test plans, delivering accurate, repeatable data and provided insightful analysis to engineering teams across the company.
• Responsible for replacing major mechanical components within the system in response to failures.
• Managed day-to-day site activities, including contractor supervision, coordinating schedules and ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards.
• Investigated and resolved operational faults, implementing corrective actions that enhanced facility efficiency and performance.
• Enforced site protocols and safety procedures, adhering to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 frameworks.
• Applied health, safety and environmental policies while driving continuous improvement of test environments, facility capabilities, and operational efficiency.
• Led and developed the Test & Development team, providing cross-disciplinary training to colleagues within and beyond their core areas of expertise.

Doctoral Researcher

October 2019 – November 2024

• Adaptable and flexible, able to navigate dynamic situations, process large volumes of complex data while forming and defending independent conclusions.
• Managed a range of projects from beginning to end by identifying goals and tasks that could be completed in a realistic timeline. Prioritised tasks while anticipating potential problems to minimize downtime and ensure a timely delivery.
• Effectively managed time, working efficiently under pressure to deliver high quality results under tight deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Provided leadership and guidance to 6 project students during the completion of their BEng/Meng final research project (all achieving above 70% for their project).
• Effectively communicated complex concepts through clear, well-structured written material and engaging oral presentations.
• Presented research at 3 conferences, receiving a prize for a poster presentation at ERA’s Net-Zero Doctoral Summer Showcase – Loughborough University.

2024                PhD in Chemical Engineering 

Research: 

• Catalyst development for sustainable hydrogen and oxygen evolution from water electrolysis.
• To investigate low-cost highly efficient and highly selective catalysts produced using earth abundant materials for both oxygen evolution and hydrogen production via water electrolysis driven by renewable energy technologies. 
• The research was conducted using a half-cell set up using a Metrohm Autolab potentiostat/galvanostat system that was operated using a PC with Nova 1.8 software. The system performed various cycles depending on the parameters inputted and deeper analysis was required through Excel and Origin.
• Structural and surface chemistry of the catalysts produced was determined via SEM and EDS.

2020                PgCPD Hydrogen Safety – Distinction

2019                MSc Analytical Chemistry - Distinction 

Laboratory skills:

• Used several important pieces of analytical equipment unsupervised such as, NMR, AAS, UV-Vis, IR Spectroscopy, Melting point, Flame Photometer and LC-MS.
• Gained Experience and training with HPLC-UV-VIS, GC-FID, GC-MS and TRPS..

2018                BSc Chemistry – Second Class Honours (1st Division)