Lab Manager, Materials & Process Engineering

Responsibilities

Laboratory Build-Out & Commissioning

Lead the planning, setup, and commissioning of multiple new laboratories, including:

Analytical / chemical characterization lab (e.g., SEM/EDS, XRD, GC–MS, XRF, RGA, plasma cleaner, sputter coater)

Wet chemistry and metallography lab (fume hoods, sample prep tools, chemical handling infrastructure)

Molten-salt research facilities, including FLiBe-compatible test systems, gloveboxes, furnaces, corrosion loops, inert-atmosphere equipment, and other specialized experimental platforms supporting molten-salt science, materials compatibility, corrosion, tritium-related studies, and process development.

Coordinate facility design, utility requirements, HVAC, exhaust systems, safety interlocks, and infrastructure with Facilities, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, and EHS.

Oversee installation, acceptance testing, and vendor qualification for new instrumentation.

Laboratory Operations & Management

Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), equipment logs, chemical inventories, waste-handling protocols, cleanliness standards, and maintenance schedules.

Implement and enforce robust safety practices compliant with chemical hygiene, hazardous materials handling, high-temperature systems, and vacuum system operations.

Manage laboratory readiness, uptime, calibration, and maintenance of analytical, chemical, and metallographic equipment.

Establish sample workflows, scheduling systems, and operational processes that enable fast, reliable support for materials development and failure analysis.

Coordinate laboratory access, scheduling, resource allocation, and operational priorities across multiple technical organizations and research programs.

Support the development and operation of multiple experimental platforms and laboratory assets as research needs evolve.

Safety & Compliance

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant safety regulations and ensure laboratory operations follow all EHS-established policies and procedures.

Support EHS in safety reviews and hazard assessments for chemical processes, molten-salt handling, and vacuum systems, implementing required controls.

Train lab users in safe equipment operation, chemical hygiene, and emergency practices in alignment with EHS guidance.

Coordinate with EHS, Facilities, and regulators during permitting, inspections, and compliance activities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with scientists, engineers, technicians, EHS, Facilities, and program teams across the company to align laboratory operations with evolving research and development priorities.

Manage external vendors for equipment procurement, installation, calibration, and maintenance.

Support budget planning, procurement forecasting, and resource allocation for laboratory operations.

Work closely with Fusion Nuclear Science personnel to support molten-salt experimentation, corrosion studies, tritium-related technology development, and future laboratory expansion efforts.

Qualifications

Education: Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related field.

Experience: 5+ years of industry experience managing or operating technical laboratories (materials, chemical, analytical, or high‑temperature environments).

Demonstrated experience planning, building, or expanding laboratory infrastructure, including utilities, safety systems, and equipment integration.

Strong working knowledge of laboratory safety, chemical hygiene, hazardous material storage, and regulatory compliance.

Hands-on experience with analytical and/or chemical lab instrumentation (e.g., SEM/EDX, XRD, GC–MS, optical microscopy, metallographic prep, vacuum equipment).

Experience developing SOPs, safety documentation, and operational workflows.

Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.

Ability to work cross-functionally and lead laboratory users with varying technical backgrounds.

Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee of granted asylum.

Desired

Experience supporting shared research facilities or laboratories serving multiple technical organizations.

Experience working with molten salts, corrosion testing, high-temperature process systems, nuclear materials research, or related experimental platforms.

Experience supporting materials analysis (SEM/EDS, interferometry, XRD, spectroscopy) or metallography.

Familiarity with facilities-level engineering requirements (HVAC, exhaust, electrical, gas systems, vibration isolation).

Prior experience in a rapidly growing startup or a hardware‑focused R&D environment.