Manager, Materials Characterization

Ellaway Blues Consulting; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Ellaway Blues Consulting seeks a Manager – Materials Characterization & Analytical Methods to lead a specialized team in Texas. The role focuses on developing robust analytical methods and advanced characterization to support materials and process development.

The candidate will manage a hands-on laboratory, collaborate with R&D and process engineering, and build capability for scale-up while ensuring safety and quality compliance in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Chemistry or related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in an R&D, analytical, or advanced manufacturing laboratory environment.
• Experience leading teams and developing analytical methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a materials characterization and analytical methods team.
• Develop, validate, and improve analytical and metallurgical test methods.
• Support materials and process development through advanced characterization.
• Collaborate with R&D and process engineering to solve technical challenges.
• Drive automation, data integrity, and repeatability in laboratory workflows.
• Establish standards, documentation, and technical reporting for scale-up.
• Ensure safe laboratory operations and compliance with environmental and quality standards.

Skills

Materials characterization

Analytical method development

Lab leadership

Education

MS or PhD in Materials Science/Metallurgy/Chemistry

Tools

SEM

EDS/EBSD

Optical microscopy

Metallography

XRD

XRF

DSC/TGA

Dimensional inspection

Chemical analysis

Job description

We are currently seeking to appoint a Manager – Materials Characterization & Analytical Methods for one of our clients based in Texas. Our client is an innovative advanced manufacturing business developing engineered materials for high-performance industrial and technology applications. The company is scaling rapidly, and this role will play a central part in building robust analytical capability to support materials and process development.

This position is suited to an experienced materials scientist or metallurgist with a strong background in materials characterization, analytical method development, and laboratory leadership. The successful candidate will lead a small technical team, develop and validate analytical methods, and work closely with process development and R&D teams in a highly hands-on, experimental environment.

The role combines technical depth with people leadership and is ideal for someone who enjoys building capability, improving data quality, and enabling scale-up of complex materials processes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a materials characterization and analytical methods team
• Developing, validating, and improving analytical and metallurgical test methods
• Supporting materials and process development through advanced characterization and troubleshooting
• Working closely with R&D and process engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges
• Driving automation, data integrity, and repeatability in laboratory workflows
• Establishing standards, documentation, and technical reporting to support scale-up
• Ensuring safe laboratory operations and adherence to environmental and quality standards

The technical scope may include techniques such as SEM, EDS/EBSD, optical microscopy, metallography, XRD, XRF, DSC/TGA, dimensional inspection, chemical analysis, and related methods, depending on background.

The successful candidate will hold an MS or PhD in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Chemistry, or a related discipline, and bring 5+ years of experience in an R&D, analytical, or advanced manufacturing laboratory environment. Prior experience leading teams and developing analytical methods will be important for success in this role.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technically driven manager who thrives in hands-on environments and wants to play a meaningful role in building next-generation U.S. manufacturing capability.