Coatings Materials Scientist

Xcimer Energy • Quinte West, ON

3d • $140,000 - $170,000 • Onsite

About The Position

As a Coatings Materials Scientist in the Materials & Process Engineering (M&P) Department, you will work closely with the optical and laser systems teams to develop and implement advanced coatings and material solutions for fluorine-resistant environments. This role is hands-on and execution-driven, spanning coating development, materials characterization, and scale-up to production-relevant processes. You will play a critical role in enabling durable optical performance and system reliability in aggressive chemical environments, directly impacting the core performance of Xcimer’s fusion systems.

Requirements

• PhD in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physics or a closely related field.
• 5–10 years of industry experience in coating development, materials engineering, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience developing optical coatings and/or protective coatings for harsh environments.
• Strong understanding of: Thin film deposition processes (e.g., PVD, CVD, IBS, ALD, sputtering, evaporation, plasma-based methods), Coating adhesion, stress, and durability mechanisms, Optical coating performance (reflectivity, absorption, damage thresholds)
• Hands-on experience with coating fabrication and processing.
• Hands-on expertise with materials and coating characterization tools, including: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS/EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Optical microscopy and profilometry, Surface analysis and coating thickness/roughness measurements
• Strong ability to correlate microstructure, composition, and processing conditions to coating performance
• Experience designing and executing DOE and structured experiments.
• Ability to independently troubleshoot complex materials and coating failures.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, hardware-focused environment.
• Execution-focused mindset with the ability to move quickly from concept to validation.
• Strong collaborator, able to work across optics, materials, and system teams
• Strong data analysis skills and familiarity with statistical methods.
• Experience writing technical reports, specifications, and documentation.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing coatings for chemically aggressive environments, particularly fluorine or halogen chemistries.
• Background in laser optics, optical coatings, or high-energy laser systems.
• Experience transitioning coatings from R&D to pilot or high-volume manufacturing.
• Familiarity with scaling coating processes for industrial production.
• Experience working with external coating vendors or contract manufacturers.
• Knowledge of coating durability testing standards (thermal cycling, chemical exposure, laser damage).
• Experience in system-level integration of coatings into hardware environments.
• Highly hands-on and experimental, comfortable working in lab and hardware environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize fluorine-resistant optical coatings for laser-facing components, including mirrors, windows, and diagnostic optics.
• Design and evaluate fluorine-compatible material systems for broader system applications (e.g., chambers, fixtures, and exposed hardware).
• Work closely with the optics and laser engineering teams to define coating requirements, performance targets, and integration constraints.
• Lead hands-on coating deposition efforts, including thin film development, process tuning, and substrate preparation.
• Design and execute test plans and Design of Experiments (DOE) to evaluate coating adhesion, durability, chemical resistance, and optical performance.
• Perform detailed materials and coating characterization, including microstructural, compositional, and optical property analysis.
• Analyze failure modes (e.g., delamination, degradation under fluorine exposure) and drive root cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Develop and document coating processes, specifications, and qualification procedures.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors to scale coating processes from lab development to pilot and high-volume manufacturing.
• Support integration of coatings into system hardware, including validation under relevant operating conditions.
• Contribute to the development of experimental infrastructure and coating test platforms within M&P.

Benefits

• medical, dental, and vision coverage
• basic and supplemental life insurance
• short- and long-term disability
• paid parental leave for employees at the time of birth or adoption
• a 401(k) with a company match of up to 6%
• equity
• flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) approach
• paid sick time
• 13 company-paid holidays
• an annual paid company shutdown

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree