Staff Materials Engineer

The role

The Staff Materials Engineer provides technical leadership in the development, characterization, optimization, and scale-up of high-temperature superconducting materials. This role works with multidisciplinary teams to advance materials science for next-generation superconducting wire.

What you will do

• Leads the materials strategy supporting the HTS manufacturing platform and technology roadmap.
• Develops understanding of relationships between MOCVD process conditions, film growth, microstructure, and performance.
• Defines microstructural targets to maximize in-field critical current and manufacturing robustness.
• Identifies and evaluates new precursor chemistries, deposition approaches, and characterization methods.
• Drives the transition of laboratory discoveries into high-volume manufacturing processes.
• Designs and leads experimental programs to establish processing-structure-property relationships.
• Develops MOCVD process windows through experimentation, modeling, and statistical analysis.
• Applies advanced characterization techniques to identify performance-limiting mechanisms.
• Leverages large manufacturing datasets using multivariate statistics, machine learning, and AI.
• Provides technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and scientists.

Required qualifications

• Master’s in Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience developing HTS materials, complex oxides, epitaxial thin films, or closely related functional materials.
• Deep understanding of processing–structure–property relationships in advanced materials.
• Experience with thin-film growth, epitaxy, crystal defects, microstructure evolution, and advanced materials characterization.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute complex experimental programs.
• Experience applying multivariate statistics, machine learning, or AI to large experimental or manufacturing datasets.
• Strong scientific foundation to connect first-principles materials behavior to manufacturing outcomes.
• Ability to sit at a desk and view a computer screen for extended periods.
• Ability to move around the office, including occasional standing, walking, and bending.
• Ability to perform light lifting up to 20 lbs.

Nice to have

• Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or other related discipline.
• Direct experience with REBCO, YBCO, or related high-temperature superconductors.
• Expertise in MOCVD or other epitaxial thin-film deposition methods (PLD, sputtering, ALD, CVD).
• Experience developing vortex pinning architectures and optimizing in-field critical current.
• Experience transferring research into pilot-scale or manufacturing environments.
• Record of technical leadership demonstrated through publications, patents, or commercialization of advanced materials technologies.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision available on the first day of the month following start date
• 401(k) match
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance
• Educational reimbursement

About the company

MetOx International is pioneering energy security and abundance through breakthrough superconducting technology. The company is based in Houston, TX.