Materials Scientist

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Job description

About Calectra:

Calectra is on a mission to electrify and decarbonize high-temperature industrial heat.

Our human societies are dependent on materials like cement, steel, glass, and chemicals. The process heat for the production of these critical materials requires one quarter of global energy consumption. Today, this process heat is fossil-based and accounts for 10% of global CO2 emissions. With many material production processes requiring very high-temperature heat, cost-effective alternatives to fossil fuel combustion have been difficult to develop.

Calectra is developing a novel thermal storage technology to provide low-cost, zero-carbon, high-temperature process heat for manufacturing industries. The Calectra thermal storage technology converts low-cost, off-peak, renewable electricity into high-temperature heat and delivers it to industrial manufacturers on-demand. Calectra's co-founder & CTO, Nate Weger, worked on the technology concept during his PhD at UC Berkeley / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Calectra's co-founders, Nate and Pauliina, met at the US Department of Energy's Cradle to Commerce program in 2023. Since then, the Calectra team is grateful to have been supported by the Activate and Venture for Climate Tech programs. We are a mission-driven and action-biased team aiming to make a dent in the climate crisis with Calectra.

We are seeking our third full-time team member, a Materials Scientist, to lead the design, manufacturing, and testing of our thermal storage material. In this position, you will be developing a critical component of Calectra's technology, working on high-temperature materials to build a thermal storage system that is low-cost, safe, and reliable. Join our team to electrify industrial process heat!

What you'll do:

Lead the development of the high-temperature thermal storage material

Optimize brick material for ideal thermal, electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties

Test high-temperature performance of brick material using a range of furnaces

Test critical properties of brick material using advanced experimental methods

Develop a manufacturing plan for the bricks at large scale

Work closely with suppliers to iterate quickly on solutions

Collaborate with Calectra team members and partners

What you'll bring:

B.S./M.S./PhD in materials science or related field

Experience working with high-temperature materials

Demonstrated ability to independently design and execute experimental plans

Understanding of relevant scientific principles, including thermodynamics and heat transfer

Ability to work productively and respectfully on a collaborative team

Resiliency in the face of significant challenge

Would be nice:

Industry experience in ceramic manufacturing

Material characterization experience

What we offer:

Annual salary of $102,000 - $140,000

Company equity

Healthcare, dental, vision insurance for employees and dependents

Unlimited vacation

Unlimited sick leave

401(k) plan with company match

Paid family leave

We are focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you're excited about this role, but do not meet 100% of the qualifications listed above, we encourage you to apply.

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