Materials Science / Chemical Engineering Intern

Advanced Ceramic Fibers LLC; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Advanced Ceramic Fibers, LLC in Idaho Falls seeks a Materials Science / Chemical Engineering Intern to own a project from start to finish. You will build and test a benchtop induction furnace to study depth of conversion and its control at production scales.

You will work closely with the engineering team, including the CTO, handling equipment, experiments, and data-driven decisions in a fast-paced, ITAR/CUI environment.

Qualifications

• Ideal: current graduate student in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related field.
• Hands-on mechanical ability in lab and shop with tools, fixtures, wiring and instrumentation.
• Strong command of experimental data: know what to measure and how, and convert runs into time-aligned datasets.
• Ability to apply statistics or machine-learning models to test cause and effect, using AI tools as accelerators.
• Demonstrated high integrity and safe handling in regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Specify, assemble, instrument, debug, and commission a small induction furnace as a benchtop test system that replicates larger DCP furnaces
• Design, run, and own test campaigns to understand depth of conversion at the nanoscale, including test matrix and plan
• Identify variables to measure, decide how to measure them, and collect large time-aligned datasets
• Apply statistical and ML models to test cause and effect and recommend process changes
• Turn benchtop findings into practical recommendations for scaling depth-of-conversion control for higher-volume production
• Keep datasets and documentation clean so runs can be reconstructed and shared with the engineering team
• Follow safe lab and shop practices with high-temperature equipment, electrical and induction systems

Skills

Hands-on mechanical ability

Experimental data handling

Statistical / ML modeling

Curious / detail-oriented

Lab safety discipline

Education

Graduate student in MSE / Chem Eng / ME (Master or PhD)

Junior/Senior considered

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Job Title: Materials Science / Chemical Engineering Intern

Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho (on-site)

Company: Advanced Ceramic Fibers, LLC

Employment Type: Paid Full-Time Internship

Schedule: Four 10‑hour days, Monday–Thursday (Fridays off)

Duration: 4–6 months (November 2026 – April 2027)

Pay: $20.00 – $25.00 per hour, depending on experience

Relocation: Not available; housing and travel are the candidate’s responsibility

Start: As soon as practical

Eligibility: U.S. persons only (ITAR/CUI position)

About Us

Advanced Ceramic Fibers, LLC (ACF) is an award-winning advanced materials company in Idaho Falls developing high‑performance ceramic fibers and composites for extreme environments. Our patented Direct Conversion Process™ (DCP) transforms commercial carbon fiber into Fi-Bar™, a metal carbide/carbon core fiber, with silicon carbide as our principal system along with tantalum carbide and hafnium carbide. Fi-Bar™ is built for hypersonics, space, defense, nuclear, and power generation applications where conventional fibers and metals fail, and our development work is supported by U.S. Navy and DARPA programs.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an Intern who wants to own a real experimental program from start to finish. You will build a benchtop induction furnace system that replicates how carbon fiber is processed in our larger DCP furnaces, and then use it to answer one of the most important questions in our process: what controls depth of conversion, and how do we hold it consistent at production scale? Your findings will go directly to our engineering team and help shape how we make Fi-Bar™ at volume.

ACF is a small, fast‑moving company, so you will work side by side with our engineering and materials team, including ACF’s founder and Chief Technology Officer, and you will be trusted with equipment, experiments, and decisions from the start rather than watching from the sidelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Specify, assemble, instrument, debug, and commission a small induction furnace as a benchtop test system that replicates how carbon fiber is processed in ACF’s larger DCP furnaces
• Design, run, and own test campaigns to understand and control depth of conversion at the nanoscale, including the test matrix, run plan, and next-test recommendations
• Identify every variable that can be measured and controlled, decide how to measure each one, and collect large, time‑aligned, real‑time datasets complete enough to show its effect on the Direct Conversion Process and depth of conversion
• Apply statistical and machine‑learning models to test cause and effect and recommend process changes and next tests, using AI coding tools and LLMs to speed up the work while keeping conclusions grounded in the data and the physics
• Turn benchtop findings into practical recommendations for scaling consistent depth‑of‑conversion control, including how an induction‑based DCP system could support faster thermal cycles and higher‑volume production
• Keep datasets and documentation clean and complete, so every run can be reconstructed and results transfer cleanly to the engineering team
• Follow safe lab and shop practices with high‑temperature equipment, electrical and induction systems, and process gases

What You’ll Gain

• A complete project to show for your time: a working induction test system, a clean dataset, and recommendations you present to our team
• Hands‑on experience with ultra‑high‑temperature processing, induction heating, controlled‑atmosphere systems, and process instrumentation that few internships offer
• Experience working on defense and aerospace technology under ITAR and CUI controls, a strong foundation for a career in defense, space, or national laboratory work

Qualifications

• Ideally a current graduate student (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field; strong juniors and seniors with hands‑on experience in many of the areas below will also be considered
• Hands‑on mechanical ability: you have taken equipment apart, diagnosed problems, and fixed, built, or rebuilt it, and you are comfortable in a shop and lab with tools, fixtures, wiring, and instrumentation
• Strong command of experimental data: knowing what to measure and how, turning experimental or process runs into clean, time‑aligned datasets, and using statistical or machine‑learning models to test cause and effect, with AI coding tools and LLMs as accelerators
• Curious, detail‑oriented, and passionate about science and experimental work
• High personal integrity, since accurate and honest data handling is essential to our work and to operating in a regulated environment
• Demonstrated respect for lab and shop safety

Preferred

• Experience with furnaces, induction heating, inert or vacuum atmosphere systems, thermocouples, pyrometry, or similar instrumentation
• Coursework or lab work in high‑temperature processing, heat transfer, thermodynamics, ceramics or carbon materials, or process control
• Materials characterization experience using SEM, Instron or other mechanical testing, or similar analytical instruments
• Python, MATLAB, or equivalent for data analysis and model development
• Clear, concise technical writing

Additional Requirements

This position requires access to ITAR/EAR-controlled technical data and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), so ACF can only accept applications from U.S. persons as defined by ITAR (22 CFR 120.62): U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), refugees, or asylees. Employment is contingent on verifying U.S. person status.

Successful completion of a background check and drug test is required before employment.

ACF is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/D/V

Living in Idaho Falls

Idaho Falls is home to ACF and offers an outstanding quality of life for outdoor enthusiasts, and with Fridays off you will have a three‑day weekend every week to enjoy it. Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole are about 2 hours away, and Sun Valley and Salt Lake City are about 3 hours away. World‑class skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, and vast wilderness areas are right in your backyard.