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Breakthrough Energy Fellows Portfolio Job Board

Graphite Battery Materials Process Engineer

Molten Industries

Molten Industries

Oakland, CA, USA
Posted on Jun 11, 2024
About Us
Molten Industries' mission is to decarbonize the world's transportation and heavy industrial sectors. We are commercializing breakthrough technology to make high-quality, CO2-neutral graphite and hydrogen using only methane and electricity as inputs. Graphite is a critical mineral that makes up as much as 25% of the mass of lithium-ion batteries used in phones, laptops, and electric vehicles. Molten has developed an entirely new method of graphite production with a fundamentally new supply chain and cost structure.
Molten started in 2021 out of a garage at Stanford and is backed by top-tier venture capital firms and a world-class advisory board. We believe in using our talents for the most meaningful work of our lives - mitigating the effects of climate change. We want to do the kind of work that you can write home about. The work that you’ll tell your grandkids about. Engineering feats, growth miracles, and rock-solid, real-world change. At Molten we believe in dreaming big, working with urgency, and getting our hands dirty.
Join us in our effort to push the final frontier of decarbonization.
The Role
As a member of Molten’s early team, you will lead the development of our lithium ion battery graphite anode material processing from graphite concentrate to anode active material. You will lead the design, procurement, commissioning, and operation of pilot to commercial scale graphite anode processing plants. You will lead graphite anode optimization and testing to produce high-quality, reproducible graphite for battery manufacturer and EV OEM qualification. You are a scrappy self-starter with a bias to action. You enjoy being hands-on and building physical systems, and you are comfortable translating complex problems into achievable goals. You are eager to play a key role in the fight against climate change.

What you will do

  • Lead the design, procurement, commissioning, and operation of pilot to commercial scale graphite anode processing plants, including purification, milling, shaping, and coating processes
  • Optimize Molten’s graphite anode material at pilot and commercial scale to meet customer quality, purity, and performance requirements
  • Work closely with a small technical founding team to push our graphite production technology to industrial scale

What you will bring

  • 5+ years of experience working with manufacturing of natural or synthetic graphite for the battery industry
  • BS / MS / PhD in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering, Materials Science, or Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent)
  • Hands-on experience designing, building, and/or operating natural or synthetic graphite manufacturing plants at the pilot to commercial scale
  • Experience with bulk powder handling, calcination, graphitization, milling, sieving, mixing, shaping, and pitch coating
  • Experience with large and complex industrial products, or chemical processing facilities
  • Experience with the build of pilot or full-scale chemical plants
  • Experience designing for 24/7 industrial use, with safety and reliability at the forefront
  • Hands-on experience is essential
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Bonus Points

  • Startup experience or experience in a fast-paced environment
  • Lithium ion battery build and testing experience
  • Experience with commercial plant quality management systems including ISO 9001 and IATF 16949
Perks and Benefits
Competitive salary
Meaningful equity compensation
Health, dental and vision insurance covered by Molten
Generous 401k matching program
Flexible time off