Senior Research Engineer (Materials)

About Sorion

Sorion is re-engineering how critical chemicals and materials are produced through a mechano-catalytic platform that replaces slow, high-energy, solvent-intensive steps with direct, high-efficiency solid-state processes. Our approach enables materials that are impractical to make by conventional means, unlocking entirely new possibilities for industry and the planet. If you want your work to become real products and help define the future of materials manufacturing, this is the place.

Role description

As Senior Research Engineer, you will design and run hands-on experiments in mechanochemistry and help translate successful concepts toward pilot-scale processes for a wide range of chemicals and materials. You'll work closely with founders and other engineers, gaining direct exposure to scale-up, product strategy, and venture-backed company building. As a very early hire, this role is a rare opportunity to have an outsized impact on the company by shaping our core technology and culture.

What you'll do

• 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

What you'll bring

We're looking for someone with excellent hands-on experience leading first-of-kind experiments, backed by strong fundamentals in materials science and engineering (or closely related solid-state chemistry background), with working fluency in chemistry.

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

Location

On-site: Houston, TX

Compensation

At Sorion, we take care of our team with competitive pay, stock options, and great benefits so you can thrive at work and beyond.

Salary range: $130,000 - $150,000 USD

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. 

Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers, and are considered part of Sorion's total compensation package. 

We cover 100% of health insurance premiums for full-time employees.