Lab Manager, Materials & Process Eng (Molten Salt)

Xcimer-Energy; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Equity in the company

Paid parental leave

Annual paid company shutdown

Job summary

Xcimer Energy, based in Denver, CO, is seeking a Lab Manager to lead the design, build-out, commissioning, and ongoing operation of its analytical, wet chemistry, metallography, and molten-salt laboratories. This role requires hands-on lab leadership in an industrial R&D setting and close collaboration with engineering, EHS, and program teams.

The successful candidate will establish SOPs, ensure chemical hygiene, manage safety compliance, and guide instrument installation and maintenance while

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• 5+ years managing or operating technical laboratories (materials, chemical, analytical, or high‑temperature environments).
• Experience planning, building, or expanding laboratory infrastructure, including utilities, safety systems, and equipment integration.
• Strong working knowledge of laboratory safety, chemical hygiene, hazardous material storage, and regulatory compliance.
• Hands-on experience with analytical and/or chemical lab instrumentation (SEM/EDX, XRD, GC–MS, optical microscopy, metallographic prep, vacuum equipment).
• Experience developing SOPs, safety documentation, and operational workflows.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally and lead laboratory users with varying technical backgrounds.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee of granted asylum.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, setup, and commissioning of multiple new laboratories, including analytical/chemical characterization labs, wet chemistry and metallography labs, and molten-salt facilities.
• Coordinate facility design, utility requirements, HVAC, exhaust systems, and safety interlocks with Facilities, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, and EHS.
• Oversee installation, acceptance testing, and vendor qualification for new instrumentation.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, equipment logs, chemical inventories, waste handling protocols, and maintenance schedules.
• Implement robust safety practices compliant with chemical hygiene, hazardous material handling, high‑temperature systems, and vacuum operations.
• Manage laboratory readiness, uptime, calibration, and maintenance across analytical, chemical, and metallographic equipment.
• Establish sample workflows, scheduling systems, and operational processes to support materials development and failure analysis.
• Coordinate laboratory access, scheduling, resources, and priorities across multiple programs and organizations.
• Support the development and operation of multiple experimental platforms and lab assets as research evolves.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Laboratory safety knowledge

SOP development

Organizational skills

Education

Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

Tools

SEM/EDX

XRD

GC–MS

Optical microscopy

Metallographic preparation

Vacuum equipment

Job description

Xcimer Energy, based in Denver, CO, is seeking a Lab Manager to lead the design, build-out, commissioning, and ongoing operation of its analytical, wet chemistry, metallography, and molten-salt laboratories. This role requires hands-on lab leadership in an industrial R&D setting and close collaboration with engineering, EHS, and program teams.

The successful candidate will establish SOPs, ensure chemical hygiene, manage safety compliance, and guide instrument installation and maintenance while