CTO

Nextgen Magnets; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sustainable materials enterprise located in Albuquerque is seeking a Chief Technology Officer. This role involves overseeing the transition of advanced materials from research to industrial-scale production, particularly focusing on rare-earth-free magnets. Responsibilities include managing R&D initiatives, developing manufacturing engineering solutions, and leading technical proposals to secure funding. Ideal candidates hold a Ph.D. and have significant experience in scaling materials processes. This position offers an opportunity to shape a startup aimed at disrupting the permanent magnet market.

Qualifications

• Deep familiarity with Tetrataenite and High Entropy Materials is highly preferred.
• Proven experience taking materials from TRL 3 to TRL 7+.
• Expertise in phase ordering and high materials characterization.
• Experience transitioning research into industrial-scale manufacturing.
• Ability to build partnerships for funding and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the transformation of materials from lab to industrial-scale production.
• Develop alternatives for producing bulk rare-earth-free magnets.
• Manage the company's patent portfolio and represent the company in technical discussions.
• Strategic Technical Leadership: manage IP strategy and expand the patent portfolio; secure grants and contracts.
• Ecosystem Building: represent the company in technical discussions with research institutions and professional societies.

Skills

Leadership in R&D

Manufacturing Engineering

Materials Science Expertise

Technical Proposal Writing

Education

Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, or Metallurgical Engineering

Tools

GIXRD

Magnetic order switching techniques

Job description

Nextgen Magnets is a deep-tech venture focused on solving the global supply chain and environmental crises associated with rare-earth magnets. Utilizing breakthrough research in High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) and Intermetallics, we are developing sustainable, earth-abundant permanent magnets that rival the performance of NdFeB and SmCo without the market volatility.

We are seeking a Chief Technology Officer to spearhead the transition of these "lab-to-life" materials from thin-film sputtering and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) to industrial-scale bulk manufacturing.

Core Responsibilities

• Lab-to-Production Scaling: Oversee the critical transformation of disordered cubic structures into highly ordered, high-anisotropy phases at scale.
• Manufacturing Engineering: Develop industrial-scale alternatives to laboratory Sputtering and Halogen Lamp RTA processes to produce bulk rare-earth-free magnets for EV motors and wind turbines.
• Yield Optimization: Implement high-heating-rate and strain-mediated acceleration protocols to achieve single-phase ordering in thick-film and bulk formats.

2. Advanced Materials R&D

• Compositional Engineering: Lead the exploration of the "New Arena" of multi-principal element materials, including FeCoNiMnCu and FeCoNiMnAl systems.
• High-Entropy Innovation: Leverage Gibbs free energy and configurational entropy principles to design thermodynamically stable, rare-earth-free magnets with high magnetic anisotropy.
• Magnetic Tuning: Drive research into switching magnetic orders via non-magnetic additions (e.g., Al addition) to tailor properties for specific applications in robotics, MRI, and consumer electronics.

3. Strategic Technical Leadership

• IP Strategy: Manage and expand the company's patent portfolio, building on foundational work such as US Patent 10,685,781.
• Ecosystem Building: Represent the company in technical discussions with the National Academy of Inventors, IEEE, and the American Physical Society.
• Resource Acquisition: Lead technical proposals for government and private grants (NSF, DOE) to support the scale-up of earth-abundant magnetic materials.

Candidate Profile

• Academic Background: Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, or Metallurgical Engineering. Deep familiarity with Tetrataenite and High Entropy Materials is highly preferred.
• Scaling Expertise: Proven experience taking materials from TRL 3 (Laboratory Proof of Concept) to TRL 7+ (Production in an operational environment).
• Technical Proficiency: Expertise in phase ordering, high materials, and characterization techniques such as GIXRD and magnetic order switching.
• Vision: A commitment to building a sustainable supply chain by replacing Nd, Dy, Pt, and Pd with abundant elements like Fe, Ni, Mn, and Al.
• Global Impact: Directly address the supply chain bottlenecks hindering the green energy transition.
• Scientific Excellence: Work at the cutting edge of high-entropy magnetics, a field currently redefining nanoscience and nanotechnology.
• Founding Influence: Shape the technical roadmap and culture of a Georgetown-born startup poised to disrupt the $20B+ permanent magnet market.