Materials Engineer

Rivan; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Share options

Relocation support (£6,000/yr)

Private health insurance

Unlimited time off

Job summary

Rivan seeks a Materials Scientist to own materials selection, testing and failure analysis for our direct air capture system. The role focuses on high-temperature kiln and lime-processing equipment, covering refractories, ceramics, coatings, metals and sorbent-contacting materials.

You will break down unclear problems from first principles, define tests, analyze results, and drive engineering decisions. This hands-on role requires collaboration with process, mechanical, electrical and operations

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of high-temperature materials and ceramics, refractories, corrosion, and thermal shock.
• Experience with kilns, lime, cement, ceramics, glass, or similar high-temperature systems.
• Ability to lead technical workstreams from a poorly defined problem to a clear recommendation.
• Define practical validation tests and interpret material characterization data.
• Strong first-principles reasoning to determine failure evidence.
• Engage with suppliers, consultants, manufacturers and research organisations.
• Balance performance, cost, lead time, manufacturability, reliability and scale-up risk.
• Clear written communication with concise technical recommendations.
• Experience with refractory selection, installation methods, coatings or hot-face materials.
• Experience with SiC heating elements, protective glazes, electric furnaces or high-temperature heating systems.
• Experience with lime, cement, calcination, carbonation, sorbents or thermochemical cycling.
• Experience with XRD, SEM/EDS, XRF, microscopy, TGA/DSC or similar techniques.
• Experience with equilibrium modelling or phase chemistry tools like FactSage, Thermo-Calc, HSC Chemistry, CALPHAD.
• Experience taking materials decisions from lab testing to pilot/production hardware.
• We care more about capability than credentials.

Responsibilities

• Own materials selection, testing and failure analysis across our direct air capture system.
• Lead work on high-temperature kiln and lime-processing equipment.
• Collaborate with process, mechanical, electrical and operations teams to ensure materials survive operating conditions and scale.

Skills

High-temperature materials

Ceramics and refractories

Thermal processing materials

First-principles reasoning

Problem decomposition

Test plan design

Materials failure analysis

Supplier engagement

Cost & scale-up considerations

Technical communication

XRD/SEM/TGA/DSC interpretation

Equilibrium modelling (FactSage/Calc/"

Lime/calcination/sorbents experience

Leadership of workstreams

Education

PhD in materials science or related (optional)

Tools

FactSage

Thermo-Calc

HSC Chemistry

CALPHAD

Job description

We are looking for a Materials Scientist to own materials selection, testing and failure analysis across our direct air capture system.

The role will be heavily focused on our high-temperature kiln and lime-processing equipment. You will work on refractories, ceramics, heating elements, coatings, metals, alloys and sorbent-contacting materials.

You will be expected to take unclear materials problems, break them down from first principles, define the right tests, analyse the results, and turn them into clear engineering decisions.

This is a hands‑on engineering role, not a purely academic one. You will work closely with process, mechanical, electrical and operations teams to make sure the materials we choose survive real operating conditions and can scale.

Core skills

• Strong understanding of high-temperature materials, ceramics, refractories, corrosion, sintering, thermal shock and chemical compatibility.
• Experience working with kilns, furnaces, lime, cement, ceramics, glass, thermochemical processing or similarly harsh high-temperature systems.
• Ability to independently lead technical workstreams from a poorly defined problem to a clear recommendation.
• Ability to define practical validation tests and interpret materials characterisation data.
• Strong first-principles reasoning.
  • You should be able to look at a failed component, deposit, coating or refractory and work out what evidence is needed to understand the failure.
• Comfortable engaging with suppliers, consultants, manufacturers and research organisations.
• Able to balance performance, cost, lead time, manufacturability, reliability and scale‑up risk.
• Clear written communication. We need concise technical recommendations, not open-ended reports.
• Experience with refractory selection, installation methods, coatings or hot‑face materials.
• Experience with SiC heating elements, protective glazes, electric furnaces or high-temperature heating systems.
• Experience with lime, cement, calcination, carbonation, sorbents or thermochemical cycling.
• Experience with XRD, SEM/EDS, XRF, microscopy, TGA/DSC or other materials characterisation techniques.
• Experience with equilibrium modelling or phase chemistry tools such as FactSage, Thermo‑Calc, HSC Chemistry, CALPHAD or similar.
• Experience taking materials decisions from lab testing through to pilot or production hardware.
• A PhD or postdoc in materials science, ceramics, metallurgy, chemical engineering or a related field would be valuable, but is not required.
  • We care more about capability than credentials.

Specifics

• £60-90k Salary depending on experience
• Share options as part of the early team
• Extensive relocation support, including £6000 per year extra to live close to our HQ
• In‑person work at our HQ in Bermondsey, South‑East London – flexibility considered based on personal circumstances
• Private health insurance
• Unlimited time off

We encourage exceptional applicants from all backgrounds to apply for this role, even if they do not meet all the requirements listed.