Lead Chemist

American Battery; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental + Vision

Parental Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Stock options

401(k)

Flexible PTO

Job summary

American Battery Technology Company is seeking an experienced Lead Chemist to support its quality control and analytical chemistry laboratory. You will oversee analytical method development and ensure the absolute quality, purity, and compliance of recycled battery products.

You will mentor staff, manage ICP-OES, XRF, and TOC instrumentation, collaborate with engineers and sales to standardize testing protocols, and uphold safety and SOP documentation as part of a high‑performing lab team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (analytical chemistry preferred).
• 15+ years hands-on lab experience in inorganic chemistry or battery materials.
• Experience in a senior or supervisory role.
• Deep mastery of elemental/compositional analysis techniques (ICP-OES/MS).
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or ISO 17025 quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Establish, validate, and optimize analytical testing methods for recycled battery products.
• Define quality thresholds with QC Manager and ensure compliance with purity standards.
• Mentor technicians, troubleshoot anomalies, and train staff.
• Operate ICP-OES, XRF, and TOC instruments and maintain calibration.
• Collaborate with engineering and production to analyze process streams.
• Document SOPs and enforce laboratory safety guidelines.

Job description

American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) provides technical development and commercialization of domestic, sustainable sourcing of critical battery materials through lithium-ion battery recycling and battery metal extraction technologies for use in batteries that power electric cars, grid storage applications, and consumer electronics and tools. Our first of kind systems produce commercial-scale battery materials thataresold into the battery manufacturing supply chain.

We are seeking an experienced Lead Chemist to support our quality control and analytical chemistry laboratory. In this role, you will provide core analytical support to ensuring the absolute quality, purity and compliance of our recycled battery products – including blackmass, mixed metal scraps, battery grade metal salts and precursors. You will oversee the development of rigorous analytical testing methods to characterize complex recycled streams and maintain strict operational excellence within the analytical lab team. You will also work with internal sales team and various external customers to establish and improve mutually agreed testing protocols to characterize the goods sold to customers.

• Analytical Method Development: Establish, validate, and optimize robust analytical testing methods to accurately characterize recycled battery product compositions and trace metallic impurities.
• Product Quality Assurance: Partner directly with the QC Manager to define airtight quality thresholds and align laboratory testing with commercial purity standards. Execute and oversee high-precision testing across incoming recycled streams to guarantee absolute compositional accuracy.
• Technical Mentorship & Advisory: Serve as the definitive technical authority and mentor for laboratory technicians and junior chemists. Train staff on advanced techniques, troubleshoot analytical anomalies, and foster a culture of rigorous scientific curiosity.
• Instrumentation Sovereignty: Act as the subject matter expert for the operation, calibration, and troubleshooting of advanced elemental analysis instrumentation, with a heavy focus on ICP-OES, XRF, and TOC.
• Process & Engineering Support: Collaborate with chemical engineering and production teams to analyze process stream chemistry, quickly diagnosing and troubleshooting deviations in recycling and purification loops.
• R&D Innovation Support: Partner with R&D chemists and engineers to design and validate novel analytical methods required to analyze experimental samples for next-generation process and product development.
• Documentation & Safety Leadership: Author, update, and maintain comprehensive standard operating procedures (SOPs). Enforce stringent laboratory safety guidelines regarding the handling of hazardous chemicals, heavy metal dusts, and battery waste.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, (analytical chemistry or applied chemistry is preferred).
• Experience: 15+ years of hands‑on laboratory experience, with a strong background in inorganic chemistry, hydrometallurgy, or the battery materials sector. Prior experience in a senior or supervisory role is required.

• Technical Expertise: Deep technical mastery of elemental and compositional analysis techniques, specifically ICP-OES/MS for heavy and transition metal quantification.
• Industry Knowledge: Direct familiarity with the chemical profiling of lithium‑ion battery recycling streams (nickel, cobalt, manganese, lithium chemistry) is highly advantageous.
• Quality Standard Competency: Proven experience working within structured quality management frameworks such as ISO 9001 or ISO 17025.

• Competitive salary

• Company-sponsored health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Parental Leave

• Company-sponsored Employee Assistance Program

• Stock options

• 401(K)

• Flexible paid time off

Expected Pay Range

$120k - $180k per year.

Compensation for this position may vary based on a number of individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and relevant education or training. The total compensation package may also include additional components such as bonus, equity, and benefits, which will be detailed upon offer of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

American Battery Technology Company is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff…?

Americans With Disabilities Act

American Battery Technology Company does not discriminate based upon disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with the ADA title I employment regulations. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability or a special need, please contact Human Resources.