{"id":797657,"url":"https://alion.io/job/lydianlabs-senior-materials-engineer","title":"Senior Materials Engineer","company":{"id":679501,"name":"Lydian","domain":"lydianlabs.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/lydianlabs","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Boston, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":125000,"max":170000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":170000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-21T19:31:02Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-21","last_verified_at":"2026-09-30T22:51:14Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":40,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":40},"description":"Company Overview\nLydian is developing the lowest cost sustainable fuels from waste CO2, water, and renewable electricity to decarbonize the aviation industry. Our breakthrough technology replaces oil and gas refining with fully electrified, modular, and flexible reactor systems that produce fuel with 95% lower emissions than traditional jet fuel.\nSince our founding in 2021, Lydian has achieved key milestones in record time, including the production of our first liquid fuel from our pilot system, capable of producing ~10,000 gallons of fuel per year for a fraction of the capital and time of alternative approaches. Lydian is backed by top climate investors including Congruent Ventures, Galvanize Climate Solutions, Union Square Ventures, Voyager Ventures, Grok Ventures, and Overture. We are building a motivated, diverse, and collaborative team that is passionate about addressing the growing climate crisis and is committed to excellence in their work. In particular, we look for tenacious people who are energized by solving the hardest, highest impact problems that come their way.\nPosition Overview\nLydian is looking for a Senior Materials Engineer to advance the performance and processing of the materials at the heart of our reactor and module platforms. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Materials Design & Manufacturing, you will drive the continued development and refinement of our high-temperature ceramic and metal materials, including various joints, interfaces, and protective coatings. You will connect that work to real-world reactor performance and deepen the materials understanding that underpins our manufacturing scale-up and quality control.\nThis is a hands-on, individual-contributor role for an engineer who pairs deep materials fundamentals with a strong sense of urgency. You will not only develop materials in the lab but also engage external vendors and technical partners, translating materials science theory into what suppliers can actually deliver and helping build a development-and-supply cycle that keeps pace with our design timelines. You will work alongside a small, high-caliber materials team as we advance our materials and processes toward commercial scale.\nThis role is based onsite in Charlestown, MA and requires in-person collaboration five days per week, with up to 25% required travel to partners and suppliers.\nResponsibilities\nOwn the continued selection and development of ceramic and metallic materials and components, driving improvements in electrical performance, strength, and consistency\n\nDevelop joints and interfaces between various ceramics and metals, and mature the associated joining processes\n\nAdvance protective coatings that safeguard materials under operating conditions\n\nConnect material properties to reactor-level performance, ensuring materials development stays aligned with mechanical design, operating modes, and core technical program priorities\n\nLead durability assessments and root-cause analyses, and define the quality-control parameters and acceptance criteria that ensure consistent material performance\n\nDevelop advanced characterization and measurement methods for the electrical and mechanical properties of ceramic and metallic materials\n\nTranslate R&D materials and process developments into scale-up-ready engineering specifications and process controls\n\nEngage, evaluate, and manage external technical partners, anticipating design timelines, queuing vendors, managing lead times, and specifying material requirements to build a reliable, cyclical development and supply-chain system\n\nServe as a cross-functional collaborator, interfacing with mechanical design, catalysis, testing, and process engineering teams\n\nQualifications\nMS or PhD in Materials Science, or an equivalent degree\n\n3+ years of industry experience working with materials aimed at industrial application in a manufacturing-focused environment\n\nDeep expertise in materials properties and performance for high-temperature applications\n\nExperience with and understanding of ceramic materials manufacturing and joining processes\n\nIndustrial experience or exposure, ideally at a startup or fast-moving company\n\nExperience with advanced characterization methods such as SEM, Raman, and micro-CT\n\nDemonstrated ability to engage, evaluate, and collaborate with external partners, connecting materials science theory to what partners can realistically deliver\n\nAn action-oriented personality with a strong sense of urgency, paired with the organization and communication skills to get things done\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience measuring electrical and mechanical properties of ceramic and metallic materials\n\nExperience translating material manufacturing processes from R&D to commercial scale\n\nCompany Culture and Benefits\nChallenging, collaborative, and meaningful work and an important voice in company development\n\nCompetitive salary commensurate with experience\n\nMeaningful equity compensation\n\nUnlimited PTO and expectation that all employees take significant time off to rest, recharge, and enjoy life outside work\n\nExcellent insurance with 100% of healthcare, vision, and dental premiums covered for the employee, and 80% coverage for dependents\n\n401(k) with company match","description_format":"text","description_chars":5243,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":3,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Unlimited PTO"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Energy & Utilities","Alternative Fuels"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-12T06:14:20Z"}],"liveness":{"score":57,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.763,"p_room":0.75,"age_days":40,"expected_fill_days":42,"reasons":["conf:6","urgency","win:late"],"computed_at":"2026-10-01T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":170000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/lydianlabs-senior-materials-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/lydianlabs-senior-materials-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-01T12:26:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3828,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":1172,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z"}}}