Lead Quality Control Engineer

Roadrunner Studios; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work environment

Health care stipend

Equity in a fast-growing startup

Time for self-development

Job summary

Halo Materials is seeking a Lead Quality Control Engineer in Albuquerque, NM, to build and scale materials quality function from the ground up. This technical leadership position involves designing processes for materials quality assurance and bridging R&D with manufacturing.

Ideal candidates will thrive in fast-paced environments, possess a B.S. in Chemical Engineering or related field, and have over 5 years of relevant experience. Join us to work on advanced materials critical to energy systems and domestic manufacturing.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of research laboratory or industry experience in materials characterization and/or quality assurance.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional projects spanning lab environments and industrial scale-up.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable processes for data management and analysis.
• Build and lead the materials quality assurance function.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives bridging R&D, engineering, and production teams.

Skills

Materials characterization

Quality assurance

Analytical thinking

Project leadership

Communication skills

Education

B.S. in Chemical Engineering or Materials Engineering

Tools

AI-enabled solutions

Data analysis tools

Job description

About Halo Materials

Halo Materials is a venture-backed advanced materials company pioneering novel technologies to produce domestic, cost-competitive graphite for advanced energy and manufacturing supply chains. Headquartered in New Mexico, home to world-class national laboratories and a fast-growing deep tech ecosystem, we are building a scalable, lower-emissions process to produce high-performance graphite critical to the batteries that power grid storage, EVs, AI datacenters, drones, and consumer electronics.

Our leadership team brings decades of experience building and scaling hard tech companies across energy, mobility, and advanced materials, with backgrounds at Tesla, Cruise, Pajarito Powder, and DOE-funded startups, including multiple ventures that have been successfully acquired. The founders care deeply about building technology that strengthens energy systems and domestic manufacturing, while cultivating a high-functioning, supportive team culture.

Backed by Roadrunner Venture Studios, Halo combines ambitious research and engineering with the operational support, capital access, and long-term vision needed to grow both the company and the people inside it.

Halo Materials is seeking a Lead Quality Control Engineer to work closely with the CTO to build and scale our materials quality function from the ground up. This is not a maintenance role — it’s a build-it role. You’ll design the processes, tools, and infrastructure that ensure our materials perform consistently from lab experimentation through full production scale.

As a key technical leader within our startup environment, you’ll bridge R&D and manufacturing, creating scalable quality systems that move as fast as we do. If you’re excited by ambiguity, ownership, and building something foundational, this role is for you.

This is a hands‑on technical leadership position for someone who thrives in deep tech environments and can move seamlessly between lab bench execution, internal process development, and understanding external customer requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable processes to collect, manage, and analyze experimental and production data.
• Build and lead the development of our materials quality assurance function, establishing standards, workflows, and documentation systems. Drive the scale‑up of these QA systems from lab‑stage validation to production‑line integration.
• Evaluate and deploy hardware and software tools to accelerate materials characterization. Explore and implement AI‑enabled solutions where appropriate to improve speed, consistency, and insight generation.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives bridging R&D, engineering, and production teams.
• Translate complex technical findings into clear insights for both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or closely related field
• 5+ years of research laboratory or industry experience in materials characterization and/or quality assurance.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross‑functional projects — ideally spanning lab environments and industrial scale‑up.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to execute tactically.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Technical literacy in engineering, materials science, or chemical processes.

Nice to Have

• Experience in adjacent industries where similar high‑temperature, catalytic, carbon, or materials growth processes are used — such as petrochemicals, advanced ceramics, specialty chemicals, battery materials, semiconductors, metallurgy, or industrial gas processing.
• Experience with government grants, compliance reporting, or lab buildouts.

What We Look For (Beyond the Resume)

• A track record of execution — how you design experiments, make decisions with imperfect data, and drive results matters as much as where you’ve worked.
• Comfort operating in both research and production environments; experience in one or both is valuable, but your ability to move science toward application is what counts.
• Ownership mentality with high accountability and curiosity.
• Grit, resilience, and an ability to turn ambiguity into actionable next steps.
• Entrepreneurial speed balanced with technical discipline.

Why Join Halo Materials?

• Strengthen Energy & Supply Chains - Work on advanced materials that directly impact batteries, energy systems, and U.S. manufacturing resilience.
• Scale Breakthrough Graphite Technology - Help scale a breakthrough graphite technology from lab experimentation to real commercial production.
• Rigorous Science, Startup Velocity - Join a mission‑driven team that values rigorous science, fast execution, and taking care of its people.
• Technical Ownership & Autonomy - Take meaningful ownership in a technically ambitious environment where your contributions shape the direction of the company.
• Competitive pay, full benefits, and equity - Competitive compensation, strong benefits, and the opportunity to grow quickly inside a serious deep tech venture backed by experienced builders.
• Some of our Benefits:
  • An independent role with a supportive and flexible work environment
  • Time for self‑development, research, training, conferences, or certification schemes
  • Full range of competitive benefits including a health care stipend and equity in a fast‑growing startup