Materials Characterization Scientist

Sublime Systems

Somerville, MA, United States

Posted on: 2025-04-24

Category: materials

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Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Sublime is developing a breakthrough process to make low-carbon cement. The technology replaces the industry's legacy fossil-fuel-intensive thermal calciner process with an electrochemical process that produces low-carbon cement at ambient temperatures with renewable electricity. Sublime was started in 2020, as a spin-out of Yet-Ming Chiang's lab at MIT (Form Energy, A123, American Superconductor, 24M, Desktop Metals).

Sublime is advancing a breakthrough, clean, efficient, low-waste process for manufacturing cement, the essential ingredient in the most-consumed human-made material on Earth: concrete. Replacing 200-year-old manufacturing methods that are reliant on kilns running hotter than lava, our near-ambient-temperature, electrochemical technology manufactures industry-accepted cement and critical minerals. We’re partnering with leading general contractors, concrete producers, developers, and technology hyperscalers to deploy our clean, durable, beautiful Sublime Cement® in infrastructure that is defining the future of clean construction. Backed by some of the world’s largest cement producers, leading private investors, and the U.S. Department of Energy, we are assembling a talented, collaborative team that is "amped about cement" (pun intended) and committed to operating on the frontiers of material science, manufacturing, industry, construction, and commercial partnerships, to advance cement innovation that will endure for the next millennium.

Sublime is seeking a Materials Characterization Scientist to join our Analytical team to support Sublime’s physical and chemical characterization efforts. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise on the analysis of aqueous solutions and inorganic materials, which are central to Sublime’s decarbonized cement manufacturing process and product. The Scientist will be responsible for serving Sublime’s Product R&D, Process R&D, and Engineering teams through commissioning and maintaining characterization equipment, developing techniques, validating and standardizing analysis methods, and performing testing on material samples. This role will spend significant time in Sublime’s laboratory performing hands-on testing, traveling to nearby shared user facilities to use external characterization tools, analyzing data and reporting results, and collaborating with other team members to understand their characterization needs and recommend/develop appropriate methods.

The position is an individual contributor role reporting to Sublime’s Analytical Manager. This position is full time in person at Sublime’s headquarters in Somerville, MA, with occasional flexibility to work remotely as appropriate based on team and project needs.

Sublime Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Your Right to Work

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Notice of E-Verify

Sublime Systems use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

Responsibilities for this role will include:

Serving as the instrument owner responsible for purchasing, commissioning, calibrating, and maintaining some of Sublime’s key analytical instruments, which may include XRD, XRF, BET, ICP-OES, TGA, SEM, Laser Diffraction, FTIR, UV-VIS, TOC, auto-titrators, pH probes, and/or other characterization tools.

Performing hands-on testing on materials from Sublime’s R&D and Engineering groups using the instruments listed above, ensuring rapid turnaround and high-quality results.

Developing, validating, and documenting standard test methods to accurately analyze materials.

Leading repeatability & reproducibility studies to validate testing methods.

Contributing to Sublime’s material analysis process by executing and improving on internal workflows including sample handling and preparation, prioritization, tracking, and reporting methods.

Training team members outside of the analytical group to use some of Sublime’s analytical tools.

Coordinating with R&D and Engineering team members to understand and serve their needs.

Championing safety, especially in the development of experimental processes.

Fostering a supportive, inclusive, innovative, and dynamic company culture.

Requirements include:

B.S. in chemistry, materials science, geology, or other physical science.

M.S. degree preferred.

At least 2 years of relevant experience focused on physical and chemical characterization of materials, preferably inorganic solids or brines in an industrial or academic laboratory.

Expertise in at least one of the following methods for inorganic solid analysis: XRD, TGA, laser diffraction, FTIR, TOC, Raman spectroscopy, or wet chemistry/titrations

Experience in additional methods and sample preparation including optical microscopy, SEM and EDS, XRF, or ICP-OES is a plus.

Ability to calibrate, maintain, develop methods, and function as instrument and technique owner for analytical instrumentation.

Experience with method development and validation is required.

Knowledge or experience with ISO 17025,GLP, ASTM or USP is preferred but not required.

Strong presentation and communication skills, both written and verbal.

Excellent interpersonal skills required to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all team members.

Organizational acumen to coordinate testing of many materials using many tools for multiple stakeholders.

Ability to lift objects up to 50 lbs.

Ability to work safely and wear required PPE.

Ability to pay close attention to detail, focusing on accuracy and quality, without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Balance, perspective, and a good sense of humor.

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