R&D Technician

Job Description

Job Description

About Halo Materials

Halo Materials is a venture-backed advanced materials company pioneering novel technologies to produce domestic, cost-competitive graphite for advanced energy and manufacturing supply chains. Headquartered in New Mexico, home to world-class national laboratories and a fast-growing deep tech ecosystem, we are building a scalable, lower-emissions process to produce high-performance graphite critical to the batteries that power grid storage, EVs, AI datacenters, drones, and consumer electronics.

 

Our leadership team brings decades of experience building and scaling hard tech companies across energy, mobility, and advanced materials, with backgrounds at Tesla, Cruise, Pajarito Powder, and DOE-funded startups, including multiple ventures that have been successfully acquired. The founders care deeply about building technology that strengthens energy systems and domestic manufacturing, while cultivating a high-functioning, supportive team culture.

 

Backed by Roadrunner Venture Studios, Halo combines ambitious research and engineering with the operational support, capital access, and long-term vision needed to grow both the company and the people inside it.

About the Role

Halo Materials is seeking an R&D Technician to play a critical role in enabling fast, high-quality experimentation. You’ll work closely with engineers and scientists to build, install, test, and maintain lab equipment that supports increasingly parallel and automated workflows.

This is an ideal role for someone early in their career who enjoys working with their hands, solving practical problems, and contributing directly to cutting-edge technical development in a startup environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Support lab buildout efforts, including installation, calibration, testing, and troubleshooting of laboratory and pilot equipment.

• Help enable more frequent and parallel experimentation by improving infrastructure and maintaining reliable systems.

• Maintain a safe, organized, and effective lab and pilot environment.

• Collaborate closely with R&D staff to execute experimental priorities.

• Identify opportunities to improve lab workflows and equipment performance.

• Uphold environmental, health, and safety (EHS) best practices in all lab activities.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of hands-on experience supporting R&D projects, including equipment installation, maintenance, or repair.

• A craftsman-like mindset with pride in building and maintaining high-quality lab infrastructure.

• A proactive and collaborative attitude when working with engineers and scientists.

• Strong awareness of environmental, health, and safety best practices.

• A hands-on, “get it done” mentality suited to a fast-paced startup environment.

• Strong troubleshooting skills and comfort working around mechanical or process equipment.

Nice to Have:

• Experience in adjacent industries where similar high-temperature, catalytic, carbon, or materials growth processes are used — such as petrochemicals, advanced ceramics, specialty chemicals, battery materials, semiconductors, metallurgy, or industrial gas processing.

What We Look For (Beyond the Resume)

• A track record of execution — how you design experiments, make decisions with imperfect data, and drive results matters as much as where you’ve worked.

• Comfort operating in both research and production environments; experience in one or both is valuable, but your ability to move science toward application is what counts.

• Ownership mentality with high accountability and curiosity.

• Entrepreneurial speed balanced with technical discipline.

• Grit, resilience, and an ability to turn ambiguity into actionable next steps.

Why Join Halo Materials?

 

• Strengthen Energy & Supply Chains - Work on advanced materials that directly impact batteries, energy systems, and U.S. manufacturing resilience.

• Scale Breakthrough Graphite Technology - Help scale a breakthrough graphite technology from lab experimentation to real commercial production.

• Rigorous Science, Startup Velocity - Join a mission-driven team that values rigorous science, fast execution, and taking care of its people.

• Technical Ownership & Autonomy - Take meaningful ownership in a technically ambitious environment where your contributions shape the direction of the company.

• Competitive pay, full benefits, and equity - Competitive compensation, strong benefits, and the opportunity to grow quickly inside a serious deep tech venture backed by experienced builders.

• Some of our Benefits:

  • An independent role with a supportive and flexible work environment

  • Time for self-development, research, training, conferences, or certification schemes

  • Full range of competitive benefits including a health care stipend and equity in a fast-growing startup