Cell Materials and Column Design Engineering PhD Intern

We are looking for an Engineering PhD Intern, Cell Materials and Column Design to join our team in one of today’s most exciting technologies.

Location: This position will be based in SJ

Role and Responsibilities:

• Introduce and develop new SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) materials and components such as electrodes, electrolytes, seals, and coatings. Submit invention disclosures when appropriate.
• Use expertise in electrochemistry and/or high temperature materials to identify promising material sets, define functional requirements, and establish and perform characterization studies on the component and stack level
• Evaluate performance and degradation of new materials against established metrics
• Explore new characterization methods and develop new metrology to advance technical learning and improve product quality
• Establish new component-level testing, test equipment, and testing protocols as appropriate to study performance, robustness, and degradation mechanisms.
• Facilitate implementation of new technologies into production where applicable. Tasks may include DOE runs, corner point analysis for specification development, and first article/ lifecycle management
• Create and refine raw material and component specifications. When refining specifications, execute continuous improvement plans (CIP) for performance, cost, yield, and/or reliability
• Introduce and evaluate new processing methods for powders, inks, and/or components

Skills and Experience:

• PhD degree in Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Physics
• Experience in developing and characterizing SOFC materials preferred
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and effectively within cross-functional teams in a fluid and fast-paced environment
• Exceptional analytical skills and attention to detail
• Proven ability to successfully manage multiple projects while meeting deliverable deadlines amidst changing requirements, deadlines, and priorities
• Strong self-starter and team player, with a “can-do” attitude
• Highly resourceful, and a “big picture” thinker
• Strong drive for results and continuous improvement
• Hands-on experience in engineering testing or lab experiments preferred
• Experience in SolidWorks modeling, Agile, and production lifecycle management a plus
• Experience in metrology development for mass production a plus
• Experience with design of experiments (DOE) and software such as JMP and/or Minitab a plus