Research Engineer

Location San Francisco Bay Area Employment Type Full time Location Type On-site Department Engineering Compensation $120K - $175K Offers Equity Making the Metals Powering the World Solcoa exists to stabilize the western rare-earth metal supply chain—powering every fighter jet, EV, wind turbine, phone, and generator. We’re among the very few companies outside China producing rare-earth metals—and the only one delivering a 100% U.S. supply of both light and heavy rare earths. Our carbon-zero process converts end-of-life magnets directly into metal, accelerating energy independence and securing one of the world’s most vital resources. We are a lean, well-funded team rapidly accelerating Western rare-earth production. We’re building a world-class team to solve this crisis. The Role — Research Engineer Own difficult, first-principles R&D that unlocks rare-earth metal production at scale. You will design and execute high-temperature experiments, build and operate custom rigs, extract mechanisms from data, and translate lab breakthroughs into reproducible unit operations for our demo plant. This role is deeply technical and experimental. Pyrometallurgical research: calcination, vacuum/steam distillation, carbothermic/metallothermic reduction, smelting, refining. High-temperature electrochemistry: molten-salt/molten-oxide electrolysis, cell design, anode/cathode materials, current efficiency. Nuclear engineering research: molten-salt chemistries, materials compatibility, graphite/refractory behavior, high-T gas-cooled systems. Metal processing engineering: molten metal handling/casting, powder metallurgy (atomization, pressing, sintering), heat treatment. What You’ll Do Run bench/pilot experiments to quantify kinetics, transport, and equilibria. Build/operate furnace systems, vacuum/inert atmospheres, retorts/crucibles. Develop and validate PFD-level experimental flows; compute mass/energy balances; establish operating envelopes. Apply thermochemical modeling (CALPHAD/Thermo-Calc/FactSage/HSC) and phase diagrams to guide conditions and materials. Characterize feed/products with ICP-MS/OES, XRD, SEM/EDS, LECO O/N/H, close element balances. Author rigorous documentation: SOPs, test plans, hazards analyses, data packages; present results with statistical confidence. Collaborate with machinists/technicians to fabricate fixtures; specify sensors, heaters, seals, and vacuum hardware. Enforce safety for molten metals, reactive powders, hot work, compressed gases, and magnetized materials. What You Bring Required Typically 3+ years (flexible) as a research engineer/assistant or PhD-level researcher with demonstrated research achievements (papers, patents, prototypes). Depth in at least one focus area above; strong foundation in thermodynamics, transport, reaction kinetics, and materials. Proven ability to build experimental setups, write/control test scripts, and produce decision-grade data. Hands-on with furnaces, vacuum/inert gas systems, gloveboxes, and high-T instrumentation; meticulous lab discipline. Data fluency (Python/MATLAB, spreadsheets); uncertainty analysis; clear, technical writing. Preferred Experience with rare-earth chemistry/metallurgy (Nd, Dy, Tb), chloride/fluoride molten salts, and contamination control. Corrosion/materials compatibility at high temperature; selection of refractories and crucible/alloy systems. Basic CAD (Fusion/SolidWorks) for fixtures; simple FEA/thermal modeling; familiarity with HAZOP/MOC culture. Compensation & Benefits Competitive base salary Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance Company-provided lunch daily Visa sponsorship available if needed Compensation Range: $120K - $175K #J-18808-Ljbffr Solcoa Technologies