Sr. Cathode Scientist

Alsym Energy; Malden (MA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free on-site gym

Free lunch delivery every Friday

401k plans and stock options

Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) program

Job summary

Alsym Energy in Malden, Massachusetts, is seeking a Scientist / Senior Scientist specializing in Cathode Materials to enhance our Materials Discovery team. The ideal candidate will drive advancements in cathode material development, focusing on the synthesis routes and their electrochemical performance.

Applicants should hold a PhD in a relevant field and possess a robust understanding of cathode materials along with experience in scaling from bench to pilot production. We offer competitive benefits and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of industrial experience with cathode or battery active materials.
• Hands-on experience with material synthesis and optimization technologies.

Responsibilities

• Drive advancements in the development of cathode materials.
• Lead hands-on synthesis and process development.
• Design and execute electrochemical testing.

Skills

Cathode active materials understanding

Material synthesis technologies

Electrochemical testing and data interpretation

Process development for inorganic materials

Creative problem solving

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrochemistry, or related fields

Tools

XRD

Raman

XPS

Job description

Job Title

Scientist / Senior Scientist – Cathode Materials

Job Summary

We are expanding our Materials Discovery team and are looking for a scientist who can aggressively drive advancements in the development of cathode materials: specifically targeting the relationships between scalable synthesis routes, properties and electrochemical performance. This role is for someone who doesn’t stop at “interesting data” but pushes all the way to structure–property–performance understanding and manufacturable recipes. If you enjoy connecting crystal structure to voltage fade, particle morphology to kinetics, and synthesis parameters to real pouch‑cell performance, you’ll feel disturbingly at home here.

Industry Background

Alsym Energy, Inc is a leading innovator in the rapidly changing field of battery energy storage. It is essential for the world to succeed in the transition to sustainable energy and batteries are at the very core of the solution. In fact, the IEA predicts that 60% of CO2 emission reductions in 2030 will be directly related to batteries. This mission is what drives us every day. Over the last few years, supply‑chain constraints and significant safety incidents arising from lithium‑ion batteries have reduced confidence in the suitability of the technology. Alsym’s advanced sodium ion technology enables the highest performing non‑lithium‑ion battery in the industry, based on its safe, sustainable and long‑lasting energy storage solution.

Key Qualifications

Required Background

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related fields.
• Three to five years of industrial experience relevant to towards the development of cathode or battery active materials is strongly preferred; ideally where you carried a chemistry from bench to pilot or production‑scale capacities.

Technical Strengths

• Deep understanding of cathode active materials and structure–property–performance relationships.
• Significant hands‑on experience with multiple material synthesis and optimization technologies including methods such as solid state, sol‑gel, spray drying and coprecipitation.
• Developer level experience with XRD, Raman, XPS, and complementary characterization tools, both from a practical and analysis perspective.
• Strong command of electrochemical testing and data interpretation.
• Extensive working knowledge of process development for inorganic cathode materials; wet/dry milling, calcination process design, particle engineering, with hands‑on use of DOE methodology to optimize for phase purity, morphology, tap density, and yield.
• Ability to move comfortably between fundamental science and applied engineering constraints.

Mindset We Care About

• Hard working, creative and time‑sensitive approach towards the discovery and resolution of critical product development challenges.
• You ask why before you optimize how.
• You apply a pragmatic approach to solving problems with an emphasis on continuous improvement and value maximization.
• You document your work well enough that someone else can reproduce it months later.
• You care about scale‑up realities, not just Nature‑grade plots.
• You treat process variables as a chemistry problem to be understood — not a set of knobs to be tuned blindly.
• Generate, design, and iterate on novel cathode active materials (CAMs) based on performance targets, mechanistic hypotheses, and experimental feedback.
• Lead hands‑on synthesis, including parameter optimization towards phase purity, morphological control and scalability.
• Perform and interpret advanced characterization to correlate structural and chemical insights with electrochemical behavior.
• Design and execute electrochemical testing including CV, EIS, LSV, GITT, PITT, rate capability, and cycle life.
• Own process development of cathode active materials: identify and rank‑order the process variables that actually move performance (milling energy and PSD, precursor mixing, atmosphere, ramp/dwell, cooling, post‑treatment) and run structured DOE campaigns to lock in robust operating windows rather than one‑off best points.
• Drive scale‑up from gram to kilogram batches, owning equipment selection and qualification (bead/attrition mills, spray dryers, box and rotary furnaces), batch‑to‑batch reproducibility, yield tracking, and the process specifications and SOPs needed to hand a material cleanly to manufacturing.
• Translate lab‑scale success into repeatable, documented synthesis processes.
• Support pilot‑scale efforts and provide clear recipes and specifications to manufacturing partners.
• Work closely with members across multiple teams within the R & D organization to resolve performance bottlenecks.
• Communicate findings clearly, including what worked, what didn’t, and why.
• Coordinate with external labs when specialized characterization is required.

Why Join Us?

At Alsym, we believe in equitable compensation and a healthy work‑life balance. Beyond a competitive salary, we offer a benefits package designed to support you both inside and outside the office.

• Prime Location: We are within easy walking distance of the train station.
• Commuter Friendly: Enjoy the convenience of free on‑site parking.
• Health & Wellness: Stay active with access to our free on‑site gym.
• Friday Fuel: We provide free lunch delivery every Friday to celebrate the end of the work week together.
• Health & Dental: Premium insurance coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Financial Future: Every employee is eligible for 401k plans and stock options.
• Time to Recharge: A flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) program to help you find your balance.
• Family & Security: Full eligibility for PFML (Paid Family and Medical Leave).

Our Commitment to You

We maintain a firm Anti‑Harassment Policy that includes robust Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Gender Protections. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Note: A full, detailed listing of all benefits will be provided following a formal offer of employment.