Material Chemist
Active Surfaces
Posted on Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Material Chemist
Team
Product development
Status
Live
Priority
P1
Location
Woburn MA
Hiring Manager
Start date
August 2024
3 more properties
About Us
At Active Surfaces, we are on a mission to redefine solar energy's role in combating climate change by unlocking vast solar potential where it was previously unimaginable. Pioneering an MIT-patented, ultra-thin film flexible solar technology, we envision transforming urban landscapes and other structurally limited areas into power-generating assets, significantly increasing solar adaptability to the built environment.
Founded in 2022, Active Surfaces is a venture-backed company supported by Safar Partners, Lendlease, QVT, Sabanci Holdings, MassCEC, Venture for Climate, and Third Derivative amongst others. Our team boasts over 60 years of experience in roll-to-roll manufacturing and has been recognized on TEDx and the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Active Surfaces has already garnered strong support from F500 firms, national labs, and top accelerators that all believe our efficient, low-cost, flexible panels can significantly accelerate solar deployment, achieving gigaton-scale CO2 emission reductions.
Our team is now looking to expand. We are seeking a highly motivated and creative Material Chemist to join our our R&D team and contribute to the development, prototyping, and building of next-gen solar devices and beyond!
Come join us to revolutionize solar and fight climate change!
About the Role
Description
As a Material Chemist, you will be a key player in our R&D efforts to advance solar thin-film devices. Your expertise in the synthesis and characterization of semiconductor materials will be vital in driving the development of our next-generation solar devices. Domains of interest include solution formulations, perovskite crystals, organic thin-films, and metal oxides. You will see your work directly translate from small wet bench synthesis into larger scale manufacturing and production of the next generation of thin-film photovoltaics. Working directly with the Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO), you will take a leading role in developing, testing, and vetting semiconductor materials that are used in our device stacks, to be integrated into our solar products.
Responsibilities
Conduct research and development activities to drive the innovation of next-generation solar thin-film devices.
Prototype, test, and optimize semiconductor, metallic and dielectric thin-film materials, leveraging your expertise in thin-film, with a focus on perovskites and OPVs.
Prototype, test, and optimize semiconductor and metallic and dielectric thin-film materials on novel manufacturing processes.
Collaborate with the Device Engineer to ensure the successful integration of new materials into working, high efficiency devices and vet overall manufacturing compatibility.
Work closely with the CTO to develop scalable ink and material manufacturing processes.
Analyze and interpret experimental data to guide decision-making and identify areas for improvement.
Assist in the scaling-up of promising materials for manufacturing and commercialization.
Key qualifications
Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
5-6 years of hands-on experience in the chemical synthesis of semiconductors or…
5-6 years of hands-on experience in thin-film materials synthesis for device engineering, preferably in the field of solar energy (or a strong desire to learn).
Strong background in thin-film semiconductor technology and experience in synthesis, characterization and optimization of thin-films used in solar cells or similar devices (e.g. OPVs, OLEDs, TFTs, or thin-film sensors).
Extensive laboratory experience, adept at conducting experiments, analyzing data and driving optimization.
Experience working with a wide variety of R+D development tools used in optoelectronic thin-film device optimization (SEM, TEM, Powder XRD, GIWAX, AFM, XPS, PLQE, TRPL, UV-Vis, Fluorescence, Bright and Dark Field Microscopy, and a variety of electrical measurements).
Demonstrated ability to work with multiple materials and openness to exploring new material systems and manufacturing methods.
Passionate about innovation and able to bring creativity to the development of solar devices.
Eager to contribute and learn in a collaborative and dynamic start-up environment.
Nice to Haves
Expertise in perovskite solar cells and/or organic photovoltaics (OPVs).
Experience with various coding languages (Python, MATLAB, LabView) along with knowledge or willingness to learn R+D electrical system control and scripting (eg. Keithley 2400/2600 GPIB (IEEE-488), Ethernet or USB control).
A willingness to ‘tinker’, or experiment to drive value and generate new ideas.
Experience with setting up optical and electrical breadboard test systems.
Experience with prototyping hardware (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32).
Experience with mechanical design (Solidworks, Autodesk) and prototyping (3D Printing or basic metal machining).
Experience with electrical layout (Altium, EZCad).
Benefits
Relocation package available
Top-tier health and dental insurance
15 days vacation, 5 days personal leave
Commute reimbursement
Wellness program
Phone program
How to apply
If you are a talented and ambitious Material Chemist with a passion for renewable energy, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume, your cover letter and any relevant supporting documents to careers@activesurfaces.xyz.
Join our dynamic team and contribute to the future of renewable energy technology!
Active Surfaces is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment.