Research Engineer

The Woodlands, TX

The Company

Our client’s unwavering commitment is to revolutionize heavy industry by embracing technologies that significantly decrease carbon emissions and uplift humanity. While the global steel sector plays a crucial role in providing secure and resilient infrastructure for society, it is also responsible for 10% of worldwide CO2 emissions. Our client envisions a future that breaks away from the traditional coal-based iron and steelmaking practices of the past three centuries. Their innovative steel manufacturing process utilizes well-established chemistry to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of steel production, all while offering economic advantages to the industry. They are currently building a 1 tonne per day pilot plant in Texas that will produce green iron from low-grade iron ore through their scalable process.

The Job

Our Client is scaling up its revolutionary iron smelting technology. They are seeking a hands-on and experienced professional to help move their technology from the laboratory to pilot scale. As part of the research team, you will use your steel making expertise along with your engineering and project management skills to help drive their technology forward. You must enjoy working in a fast-paced startup environment where creativity, speed, initiative and cross-functional teamwork are required to succeed. This position reports to the VP of Research and Development.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the construction, operation, and maintenance of bench-scale and pilot-scale furnaces.
• Collaborate with equipment suppliers and our client’s team to ensure the pilot-scale furnace is fully instrumented, providing comprehensive process data to inform technology scaling.
• Partner with equipment vendors and installers to gain in-depth knowledge of the operations and maintenance of research and pilot-scale furnaces.
• Develop process flows, recipes, work standards, and quality assurance protocols to ensure consistent throughput and product quality.

Requirements

• US Citizenship
• Bachelors degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Experience in energetic materials formulation, particularly for additive manufacturing applications.
• Proven track record in R&D projects, ideally within the Steel Industry.
• Strong practical skills in operating advanced manufacturing equipment.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and top research institutions.
• Experience in setting up and managing high-tech laboratories.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional communication abilities for both technical reporting and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Innovative Mindset: Passion for innovation, testing, and troubleshooting, with a penchant for perfection and a drive for continuous improvement.
• Strong hands-on experience with a thoughtful and analytical approach to problem-solving.
• Individuals must be able to work independently and also be able to direct long-term tasks through to completion. Some projects are highly supervised, some are minimally supervised.

What they offer

• Competitive compensation package based on expertise. Compensation is increased on yearly basis in proportion to the amount of effort put into the company and the results you obtained
• Stock: ownership in a funded company that is innovating in a trillion-dollar industry
• Paid + unpaid parental leave after 1 year at the company (12 weeks paid, with flexible working style to transition after parental leave such as part-time remote working)
• Flexible working style: as long as you get the job done, they are flexible with remote working on days that you don’t need to be in the lab or at the pilot facilities
• Growth: our client’s team is comprised of people with a growth mindset and they want to help you achieve your future career goals accordingly
• Time off: they have mandatory time off. This is a fast-paced startup company working in one of the most exciting sectors and the last thing they want is their valuable team members to burn out.