Senior Research Engineer (Materials)

About the role

Sorion is re-engineering chemical and material production through mechano-catalytic processes. This role involves designing and running experiments to develop high-efficiency, solid-state processes for a variety of chemicals and materials.

Responsibilities

• Drive experimentation and process development
• Generate and down-select process concepts for mechanochemical reaction schemes
• Design, execute, and analyze experiments ranging from scrappy proofs-of-concept to full process window mapping (DOE)
• Characterize feedstock and products via in-situ and ex-situ analytical techniques (e.g., XRD, Raman, SEM/EDS, TGA/DSC)
• Develop intuition around solid-state transport, particle mechanics, interfaces, and defect-driven reactivity
• Build tools and infrastructure
• Design and set up a world-class mechanochemistry lab
• Develop custom mechanochemical test stands and high-throughput experiments (instrumentation, controls, scripting)
• Specify, source, and work with vendors on mills, reactors, and sensors
• Accelerate learning with models & strategy
• Apply physics-based modeling (thermodynamics/kinetics/mechanics) to guide experiments and scale processes
• Contribute to the product roadmap by translating experimental data into techno-economic insights
• Shape culture and ways of working
• Establish a rigorous, safety-first lab culture built on curiosity and low-ego collaboration
• Play a critical role in defining Sorion’s foundational culture as an early team member

Requirements

• PhD in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related field with relevant industry experience (or MS with significant industry experience)
• Demonstrated experience designing and analyzing high-impact experiments (academic or industrial) that elucidate process–structure–property relationships
• Experience working with inorganic materials (e.g., metals, ceramics, minerals) and either direct experience or strong working literacy in organic solid-state materials (e.g., molecular and crystalline specialty chemicals)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across disciplines, with the ability to explain experimental results, collaborate on process design, and rapidly absorb information from other team members

Qualifications

• Ability to thrive in an early-stage, high-ambiguity, fast-paced startup environment
• Low ego, high curiosity, and a relentlessly resourceful spirit

Benefits

We offer competitive pay, stock options, and great benefits including:

• Salary range: $130,000 - $150,000 USD
• Highly competitive equity grants included in the majority of full-time offers
• 100% coverage of health insurance premiums for full-time employees

Pay

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

Schedule

On-site: Houston, TX