Lab Manager, Materials & Process Engineering
About The Position
Xcimer Energy is seeking a hands-on Lab Manager to lead the design, build-out, commissioning, and operation of shared laboratory capabilities within its Materials & Process Engineering Department. The labs include analytical and chemical characterization, wet chemistry and metallography, and specialized molten-salt research facilities. The role supports multidisciplinary research and development programs by ensuring laboratory assets are safe, reliable, scalable, and aligned with changing technical priorities. The Lab Manager will coordinate laboratory infrastructure and utilities with Facilities, engineering, and EHS; oversee equipment installation and vendor qualification; establish operating procedures and workflows; and manage laboratory safety, readiness, maintenance, and access. The position also partners with scientists, engineers, technicians, program teams, external vendors, and regulators, and supports procurement, budgeting, and future laboratory expansion. This is a full-time, onsite role based at Xcimer Energy’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related field.
- At least 5 years of industry experience managing or operating technical laboratories in materials, chemical, analytical, or high-temperature environments.
- Demonstrated experience planning, building, or expanding laboratory infrastructure, including utilities, safety systems, and equipment integration.
- Strong working knowledge of laboratory safety, chemical hygiene, hazardous-material storage, and regulatory compliance.
- Hands-on experience with analytical and/or chemical laboratory instrumentation, such as SEM/EDX, XRD, GC–MS, optical microscopy, metallographic preparation, or vacuum equipment.
- Experience developing SOPs, safety documentation, and operational workflows.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and lead laboratory users with varying technical backgrounds.
- 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 supporting shared research facilities or laboratories serving multiple technical organizations.
- Experience with molten salts, corrosion testing, high-temperature process systems, nuclear materials research, or related experimental platforms.
- Experience supporting materials analysis such as SEM/EDS, interferometry, XRD, spectroscopy, or metallography.
- Familiarity with facilities-level engineering requirements, including HVAC, exhaust, electrical, gas systems, and vibration isolation.
- Prior experience in a rapidly growing startup or hardware-focused R&D environment.
Responsibilities
- Lead planning, setup, and commissioning of analytical/chemical characterization, wet chemistry/metallography, and molten-salt research laboratories.
- Coordinate facility design, utility requirements, HVAC, exhaust systems, safety interlocks, and infrastructure with Facilities, engineering, and EHS.
- Oversee installation, acceptance testing, and vendor qualification for new instrumentation.
- Develop and maintain SOPs, equipment logs, chemical inventories, waste-handling protocols, cleanliness standards, and maintenance schedules.
- Implement and enforce safety practices for chemical hygiene, hazardous materials handling, high-temperature systems, and vacuum system operations.
- Manage laboratory readiness, uptime, calibration, and maintenance of analytical, chemical, and metallographic equipment.
- Establish sample workflows, scheduling systems, and operating processes to support materials development and failure analysis.
- Coordinate laboratory access, scheduling, resource allocation, and operational priorities across technical organizations and research programs.
- Support the development and operation of experimental platforms and laboratory assets as research needs evolve.
- Maintain awareness of relevant safety regulations and ensure operations comply with EHS policies and procedures.
- Support EHS safety reviews and hazard assessments for chemical processes, molten-salt handling, and vacuum systems, and implement required controls.
- Train laboratory users in safe equipment operation, chemical hygiene, and emergency practices in alignment with EHS guidance.
- Coordinate with EHS, Facilities, and regulators on permitting, inspections, and compliance activities.
- Partner with scientists, engineers, technicians, EHS, Facilities, and program teams to align laboratory operations with research priorities.
- Manage external vendors for equipment procurement, installation, calibration, and maintenance.
- Support budget planning, procurement forecasting, and resource allocation for laboratory operations.
- Work with Fusion Nuclear Science personnel on molten-salt experimentation, corrosion studies, tritium-related technology development, and future laboratory expansion.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Basic and supplemental life insurance.
- Short- and long-term disability coverage.
- Paid parental leave for employees at the time of birth or adoption.
- 401(k) with company match of up to 6%.
- Equity for eligible employees.
- Flexible Paid Time Off approach.
- Paid sick time.
- 13 company-paid holidays.
- Annual paid company shutdown.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
