Staff Scientist

Capybara Energy; Woburn (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Company funded HSA

3 weeks paid time off

Sick pay & parental leave

10 paid holidays

Health and dental insurance

401(k) match

Advanced Snacks

Job summary

Capybara Energy seeks a Staff Scientist to lead hands-on R&D in electrochemistry, materials science, and engineering. You will help advance grid-scale energy storage and improve supercapacitor performance, taking ownership of technical work and translating lab findings into scalable processes.

This senior role requires an advanced degree and 4+ years of experience with energy storage devices, strong problem-solving, and the ability to document and communicate complex results in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Four or more years hands-on experience fabricating and testing energy storage devices.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry and energy storage systems.
• Proficiency in electrochemical measurement techniques and data interpretation.
• Ability to independently design and execute technical work.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D at the intersection of electrochemistry, materials science, and engineering.
• Design, fabricate, test, and optimize supercapacitor cells, components, and stacks.
• Perform electrochemical testing and interpret results (CV, EIS, charge-discharge).
• Investigate failures to identify root causes and develop solutions.
• Model performance and contribute to scaling cost models.

Skills

Electrochemistry

Materials science

Experimental design

Data interpretation

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Startup environment

Education

Advanced degree in Chemistry / Electrochemistry / Materials Science / Chemical Engineering

Tools

Cyclic voltammetry

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

Charge-discharge measurements

Job description

Staff Scientist wanted for a groundbreaking journey to develop grid-scale energy storage technology. Average pay. Demanding hands-on work. Intense challenges. Relentless problem-solving. Failure possible. Honor and recognition if successful.

The Role

As a Staff Scientist at Capybara Energy, you will take on a senior, hands-on role leading research and development at the intersection of electrochemistry, materials science, and engineering. You will help advance our grid-scale energy storage technology and improve supercapacitor performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Cell & Stack Development: Design, fabricate, test, and optimize scalable supercapacitor cells, components, and stacks.
• Performance Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve energy density, efficiency, self-discharge, reliability, safety, and long-term performance.
• Experimental Development: Design and execute experiments to evaluate new concepts, configurations, materials, and operating conditions.
• Electrochemical Testing: Conduct and interpret electrochemical testing, including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and charge-discharge measurements.
• Failure Analysis: Investigate performance limitations, degradation, and failures to identify root causes and develop solutions.
• Modeling: Model electrochemical performance and contribute to technical and cost models for scaling the technology.
• Materials Evaluation: Investigate and evaluate electrolytes, electrode materials, separators, and other materials that could improve system performance, safety, or reliability.
• Data Analysis: Analyze experimental and performance data to identify trends and guide technical decisions.
• Scale-Up: Help translate successful laboratory developments into repeatable, scalable manufacturing processes.
• Collaboration: Work closely with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and materials team members to develop an integrated energy storage solution.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific or engineering field.
• Four or more years of hands-on experience fabricating and testing supercapacitors, batteries, electrochemical cells, or related energy storage technologies.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry and energy storage systems.
• Proficiency in electrochemical measurement techniques and data interpretation.
• Experience designing experiments and analyzing performance data.
• Experience modeling the performance of supercapacitors, batteries, or other electrochemical systems.
• Strong troubleshooting, failure-analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to independently design and execute technical work.
• Ability to clearly document and communicate technical findings.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, hands-on startup environment.

Preferred Experience

• Industry experience in supercapacitor or battery R&D.
• Experience with supercapacitor cell and stack design.
• Experience improving energy density, self-discharge, efficiency, degradation, or cycle life.
• Experience with scalable production and manufacturing methods.
• Experience moving energy storage technology from R&D into production.
• Familiarity with energy storage safety and regulatory standards.
• Knowledge of computational modeling for electrochemical systems.
• Knowledge of machine learning or other advanced data-analysis methods for materials or energy-storage development.

Capybara Energy is a hands-on environment. Our scientists and engineers work closely together, and the Staff Scientist will have significant ownership over technical work and the opportunity to directly influence the performance, reliability, and future development of our technology.

What We Offer:

• Equity
• Company funded HSA
• 3 weeks paid time off
• Sick pay & parental leave
• 10 paid holidays
• Health and dental insurance
• 401(k) match
• Advanced Snacks

Job Type:

Full-time, in person

* Please note that U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status is required due to federal contract requirements.