Posted 
Jun 8

Senior Electrochemist

Research / Academia
Senior
REMOTE

Role Description

About ElectraSteel

ElectraSteel is mission-focused on developing transformational innovations to decarbonize the foundations of our industrialized economy through novel electrochemistry and hydrometallurgy to create a positive environmental, societal, and economic impact. Company's first product to market transforms a trillion-dollar steel industry that today consumes 7% of the world's energy using fossil fuels and emits about three gigatons or 10% of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The novel electrochemical-hydrometallurgical process converts iron ore or contaminated steel scrap to green iron and steel with no carbon emissions while reducing overall cost. It is a paradigm shift of how steel has been made for centuries: from using fossil fuels to intermittent renewables as an energy source, from thermochemical reduction to electrochemical reduction, from using specialized ores to unconventional ores, scrap steel, and waste streams as a feedstock, from integrated to a distributed manufacturing, and from creating global to local jobs. While electrifying steelmaking is an exciting start and the Company's current focus, its electrochemical-hydrometallurgy innovation platform also enables carbon dioxide sequestration at gigaton-scale and decarbonization of industrial sectors beyond steel, which the Company will disclose in due course.

The potential impact of the ElectraSteel solution is monumental, which is why eight marquee investors, each with more than a billion dollars in capital and strategic resources under management, have partnered with the Company to date.

About ElectraSteelTeam & Culture

Our team has collectively lived in over 25 countries and 33 US states and can communicate in 15 languages. Despite working on a large-scale industrial challenge many of our team members have decidedly non-industrial backgrounds. Members of Team Electra have background experience in education, fashion, law, consulting, cosmetology, finance, history, hobby drone design, professional sports, machining, photography, chocolatiering, and online arbitrage in addition to science, technology, engineering, and electrochemistry.

We believe that while our team is our greatest asset, our unique culture, built on trust, respect, and integrity, sets us apart from the competition. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion because the management understands that transformational innovation requires many perspectives. Our culture fosters collaboration, patience, and a disciplined approach to innovating around obstacles while challenging the status quo. Yes, there is method-to-itsmadness (or boldness)! We pursue an evidence-based development approach grounded in the theory of constraints and techno-economic analysis. It focuses on finding optimal technical paths guided by first principles in every aspect of its development. That is why in less than two years from its founding, we have demonstrated a transformational approach which others in the industry long believed couldn't be done!

Make no mistake, ElectraSteel is a fast-paced and intense environment driven by progress and results. The path ahead is both uncertain and challenging, so if that sounds scary, this may not be the place for you. Instead, ElectraSteel seeks those excited by the challenge who have the required skills and the ability to think critically to help create transformational innovations that will decarbonize our planet.

Job Description

We are looking for a motivated, versatile technology development electrochemist to lead research and experimentation on a novel electrochemical cell which will be a key component of our process for atmospheric CO2 removal. An ideal candidate is expected to have at least 5 years of electrochemistry or electrochemical engineering experience in relevant systems such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, flow batteries, etc. It is critical to employ an industrial mindset with a focus on application and results.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Design and conduct lab-scale experiments to increase our understanding and quickly evaluate new ideas and approaches
  • Critically analyze and interpret experimental data and present results to the broader team
  • Work closely with our engineering team to support scale-up system development
  • Develop an understanding of our entire process and the market drivers that determine success
  • Identify new approaches to improve our cell performance

Minimum Qualifications

  • MS or higher in chemistry, chemical engineering, or related field
    • MS with 3+ years of industry experience OR
    • PhD with 0+ years of industry experience
  • Strong theoretical knowledge of electrochemistry fundamentals
  • Strong practical knowledge of electrochemical cell design and component interactions, especially for mixed phase liquid-gas systems.
  • Familiar with electrochemical characterization techniques including cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy (EIS), etc.
  • Ability to plan and execute research and take initiative for the completion of important project tasks
  • Ability to effectively communicate complex ideas to a cross-functional team
  • A desire to make an impact by decarbonizing the steel industry and reducing atmospheric CO2
ElectraSteel
 at a glance

ElectraSteel uses intermittent renewable energy for the electrification and decarbonization of iron and steelmaking.