Materials Engineer

What to Expect Your role is to formulate, characterize and scale the functional materials Nebula uses: silver nanoparticle dispersions, copper metal-organic precursor solutions, and UV-curable acrylate resins. The work runs on two sides: particle synthesis and colloidal chemistry on the metals, photopolymer formulation on the resins, and on both the rheology, characterization and qualification that decide whether a formulation survives service. You will help establish this materials group, design its wet lab from the first bench, and run the relationships with local research organizations whose instruments we use until we have our own. We are looking for materials scientists and chemists with experience and interest in nanoparticle synthesis and colloidal dispersions, photopolymer formulation, and the structure-property-processing work that connects a recipe to a measured result. Every role works with our AI systems daily. What can be deterministic, must be. You need no AI background; we prefer people without one. We hire for your knowledge and experience in the field first, so you can steer the ship; the tooling is a learning curve we expect you to take on. We work on-site in El Segundo. This is hard work, but you will be rewarded with equity in a company we believe will become one of the world's most valuable. What You'll Do Synthesis of silver nanoparticle dispersions and copper metal-organic precursor solutions: reduction, capping, purification, stability UV-curable acrylate resins: monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators, cure kinetics, glass transition, dielectric constant and loss Bringing each formulation into its rheological window: viscosity, surface tension and particle size distribution Sintering and cure studies: densification, resistivity, conversion, crosslink density, adhesion and expansion mismatch Characterization: DLS and zeta potential, rheometry, DSC, TGA, FTIR, four point probe, SEM, XRD Qualification against thermal cycling, humidity and electrical stress Standing up a wet lab: fume hoods, inert handling, purification equipment, methods, safety, suppliers Collaborations with local research organizations for electron microscopy, X-ray methods and thermal analysis What You'll Bring A degree in materials science, chemistry, polymer science or a related field, or equivalent experience Hands-on formulation of nanoparticle dispersions or photopolymer resins, including stability over time and rheology Fluent with the characterization above and able to explain a result, not just record it The judgment to diagnose a formulation failure from the data instead of guessing at it Ready to help build a lab from an empty bench: instruments, methods, safety and suppliers Bonus: metal-organic decomposition chemistry, photoinitiator design, laser sintering, or tailoring a material to a deposition process Expected Compensation $100k to $350k base salary, plus equity Equity participation in a high-growth startup Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) with company matching Bonus for living within 5 miles of our El Segundo facility On-site work with rare work-from-home exceptions Merit-based organization where contribution drives reward #J-18808-Ljbffr Nebula