Process Engineer, Powder (Materials Science)

TL;DR

Process Engineer, Powder (Materials Science): Designing and optimizing the end-to-end powder synthesis workflow for an AI-driven materials discovery platform with an accent on statistical process control, equipment troubleshooting, and data integrity. Focus on stabilizing manual lab operations and translating these findings into requirements for a full-scale automated lab.

Location: Must be based in or near Menlo Park or San Francisco, CA (some flexibility possible)

Salary: $175,000 – $275,000

Company

AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond.

What you will do

• Own the end-to-end powder synthesis workflow, including dispensing, mixing, pressing, reaction, recovery, and characterization.
• Apply statistical process control (SPC) and systems thinking to stabilize processes and identify drift.
• Diagnose and troubleshoot lab equipment and investigate data integrity issues within the toolchain.
• Design operator workflows to minimize human error and sample mix-ups.
• Execute design of experiments (DOE) to optimize recipes and process factors.
• Collaborate with researchers and software teams to define requirements for an automated, full-scale lab.

Requirements

• Degree in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience in solid-state chemistry, ceramics, or powder processing.
• Proficiency in SPC, Six Sigma/Lean, and DOE using tools like JMP or Minitab.
• Experience with characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Basic computer proficiency to read and modify scripts and validate data flows.
• Visa sponsorship is available.

Nice to have

• Experience with battery materials, anode/cathode chemistries (e.g., Tesla, Sila, Mitra Chem).
• Experience scaling R&D or pilot processes toward higher throughput or automation.
• Background in quality engineering or reliability engineering.
• Familiarity with integrating scientific instrumentation with data systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to work at the frontier of AI and physical sciences.
• High-ownership environment with a fast-paced, research-driven culture.
• Comprehensive visa sponsorship and legal support.