Physical Chemist: Experiment
Modern Electron has an immediate opening for an experimental physical chemist on the R&D team. You will work with an interdisciplinary group of physicists, chemists, and engineers developing and testing Modern Electron’s cutting-edge thermionic converter technology. This role involves high-quality experimentation on electrode surface chemistry and developing chemical models for vapor-solid-surface equilibrium systems. Responsibilities include leading the design and construction of robust test setups, designing high-quality experiments, executing experiments, analyzing data, building empirical models, and reporting conclusions, as well as actively contributing to the ideation of new research directions to push beyond existing performance bounds. The ideal candidate would thrive working as an independent researcher, as well as acting as the technical lead of a multi-person team as the scope of work requires.
Modern Electron is a sustainable heat and power technology company that helps buildings and homeowners save money, reduce carbon emissions, and increase resiliency during power outages. Its technology transforms boilers’ and furnaces’ heat into power for use onsite, reducing wasted energy. >$40MM venture capital is committed to our vision. We have enormous potential for learning, impact, and growth in a small and collaborative team setting. We value our ability to move fast to outpace larger companies and achieve what they cannot
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- MS or PhD in Physical Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field
- Familiarity with the concepts and principles of surface chemistry and vacuum systems
- 3+ years of experience in commercial R&D designing, building, and operating prototypes, test setups, or custom measurement or characterization equipment, as well as designing experiments and analyzing data
- 5+ years of experience independently driving research projects
- 1+ years of experience with high vacuum or ultra high vacuum systems
- Clear, effective, and efficient technical communication with scientists and engineers of diverse backgrounds
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to work in a fast-paced environment with a diverse team
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- R&D experience in a start-up company
- Familiarity with design of experiments (DOE) and statistical methods for data analysis and/or process control
- Expertise with chemical or trace gas analyses in ultra high vacuum systems, including residual gas analyzers, mass spectrometers, plasma diagnostics, XPS, UPS, TPRS/TPD, electron spectroscopy, or optical techniques
- Expertise in gas-surface reaction thermodynamics and kinetics, including kinetic theory of gases, multi-species adsorption and evaporation and techniques of surface engineering
- Basic familiarity with automation of instrumentation and data acquisition using Python, Matlab, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Labview, or similar
- Experience leading teams in the design, construction, execution, and analysis of experiments
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
Please apply here on our website.