# Materials Engineer

**Company:** [Mariana Minerals](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/mariana-minerals)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA
**Role:** Hardware Engineering
**Salary:** $100k – $140k/yr
**Skills:** materials science, materials synthesis, chemical engineering, xrd, sem, tem, bet, tga/dsc, Process Design, process scale-up, process simulation, mass balances, energy balances, Machine Learning
**Posted:** 2026-08-05

> Designs and scales novel material synthesis processes from laboratory proof of concept through pilot and commercial production. The role requires a master's degree in a relevant engineering or chemistry discipline, hands-on synthesis and characterization experience, and expertise in process design and scale-up.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Conduct lab-scale and pilot-scale wet chemical synthesis experiments to validate proof-of-concept ideas and develop new material formulations.
- Design and execute experiments to establish reaction parameters, optimize yield, and ensure reproducibility.
- Evaluate and select equipment and process configurations for pilot-scale and commercial-scale operations.
- Develop process flow diagrams (PFDs), process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and mass and energy balances.
- Collaborate with R&D scientists, operations teams, and external vendors to support scale-up.
- Support process safety reviews, risk assessments, and environmental compliance planning.
- Collect and analyze process data to identify opportunities for optimization, cost reduction, and performance improvement.
- Prepare technical documentation, reports, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
- Work with lab technicians, pilot plant engineers, process engineers, and project execution teams to scale designs from laboratory through commercial production.
- Collaborate with software and machine learning teams to automate capital project execution workflows and develop reactor and plant optimization algorithms.

## Requirements
- Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Materials Engineering, or Chemical Engineering; PhD preferred.
- Hands-on experience in materials synthesis, including solid-state, hydrothermal, precipitation, or other chemical synthesis techniques.
- Proficiency with materials characterization tools such as XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, TGA/DSC, and spectroscopic methods.
- Experience with process design, equipment specification, and scaling laboratory processes to pilot or production scale.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills in a multidisciplinary environment.

## Nice to Have
- Familiarity with process simulation tools such as OLI Systems or equivalent.

## Compensation
- Annual salary range: $100,000–$140,000.

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