<p><strong>Empower Your Future: </strong>At MetOx International, we’re pioneering the next era of energy security and abundance through breakthrough superconducting technology. As a Staff Materials Engineer focused on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials, you'll join a multidisciplinary team advancing the materials science that enables next-generation superconducting wire. Your work will directly influence superconducting performance, manufacturing capability, and the commercialization of one of the world's most transformative energy technologies.</p> <p>Based at our global headquarters in Houston, TX, the Staff Materials Engineer provides technical leadership in the development, characterization, optimization, and scale-up of high-temperature superconducting materials and related complex oxide systems that support MetOx's manufacturing platform. Working closely with Process Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Quality, and R&D, this role combines advanced materials science, thin-film engineering, and process development to establish technical direction, improve manufacturing robustness, and accelerate the commercialization of next-generation superconducting technologies.</p> <p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p> <p>Materials Development Strategy</p> <ul> <li>Leads the materials strategy supporting MetOx's HTS manufacturing platform and long-term technology roadmap.</li> <li>Develops a first-principles understanding of the relationships between MOCVD process conditions, film growth, microstructure, and superconducting performance.</li> <li>Defines microstructural targets (texture, defects, interfaces, pinning centers, and composition) required to maximize in-field critical current and manufacturing robustness.</li> <li>Identifies and evaluates new precursor chemistries, deposition approaches, and characterization methods to improve performance, yield, and scalability.</li> <li>Drives the transition of laboratory discoveries into robust, high-volume manufacturing processes.</li> </ul> <p>Project & Experiment Leadership</p> <ul> <li>Designs and leads experimental programs to establish processing-structure-property relationships in HTS thin films.</li> <li>Develops MOCVD process windows through systematic experimentation, physics-based modeling, and statistical analysis.</li> <li>Applies advanced characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM, TEM, EBSD, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS, to identify performance-limiting mechanisms.</li> <li>Leverages large manufacturing datasets using multivariate statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to correlate tool parameters, diagnostics, and film performance.</li> <li>Develops new <em>in situ</em> and <em>ex situ</em> diagnostic methods to improve understanding and control of film growth.</li> </ul> <p>Integration and Cross-Functional Leadership</p> <ul> <li>Partners with Process, Equipment, Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations teams to transition new materials and processes into production.</li> <li>Translates scientific understanding into manufacturable process improvements that increase yield, consistency, and performance.</li> <li>Collaborates with suppliers, universities, national laboratories, and strategic partners to accelerate technology development.</li> </ul> <p>Mentorship and Technical Leadership</p> <ul> <li>Provides technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and scientists.</li> <li>Promotes rigorous experimental design, data-driven decision-making, and scientific excellence.</li> <li>Serves as the subject matter expert for HTS materials, MOCVD process science, and superconducting performance.</li> <li>Guides technical problem solving and supports critical engineering decisions across research, process development, and manufacturing teams.</li> <li>Builds technical capability by coaching engineers, fostering collaboration, and cultivating a culture of continuous learning and innovation.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Minimum Qualifications</strong></p> <ul> <li>Master’s in Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline. An advanced degree may be substituted for required experience on a year-for-year basis, depending on relevance and level.</li> <li>7+ years of experience developing HTS materials, complex oxides, epitaxial thin films, or closely related functional materials.</li> <li>Deep understanding of processing–structure–property relationships in advanced materials.</li> <li>Experience with thin-film growth, epitaxy, crystal defects, microstructure evolution, and advanced materials characterization.</li> <li>Demonstrated ability to design and execute complex experimental programs.</li> <li>Experience applying multivariate statistics, machine learning, or AI to large experimental or manufacturing datasets.</li> <li>Strong scientific foundation with the ability to connect first-principles materials behavior to manufacturing outcomes.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred Qualifications</strong></p> <ul> <li>Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering or scientific discipline.</li> <li>Direct experience with REBCO, YBCO, or related high-temperature superconductors.</li> <li>Expertise in MOCVD or other epitaxial thin-film deposition methods (PLD, sputtering, ALD, CVD).</li> &