R&D Lab Technician

RAINCARBON•Hamilton, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Rain Carbon Inc. is establishing a new RAIN Innovation Center for Energy Storage Materials in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This 30,000 sq. ft. facility will focus on advancing sustainable energy storage material solutions, including a demonstration facility for pilot-scale processing and laboratories for carbon material analysis. The center will utilize state-of-the-art analytical and physicochemical characterization equipment to test and develop RAIN’s LIONCOAT® thermoplastic precursor products for battery anode materials, as well as support the development of new energy storage material solutions for lithium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Requirements

MS in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field; or BS with 2–5+ years of relevant industry or research experience.
Proven, hands-on experience in powder and carbon material characterization, sample preparation, and operation of analytical instruments such as particle size analyzers, BET systems, density testers, XRD, Raman, ICP-OES/MS, and combustion analyzers.
Strong understanding of battery anode material characterization methods, with the ability to interpret crystallinity/graphitization, morphology, surface area, porosity, density, and impurity data for technical decision-making.
Moderate proficiency in Python (preferred) or Matlab/R, including experience with NumPy/Pandas, curve fitting/optimization, statistical analysis, and data visualization using Matplotlib/Plotly.
Strong recordkeeping and disciplined documentation skills, with the ability to translate characterization findings into actionable technical recommendations.
Experience with ELN/LIMS platforms, barcode-based sample tracking, and structured data/file version control practices to maintain traceability and reproducibility.

Responsibilities

Characterize battery anode materials through precise physical, chemical, structural, and surface analyses to support R&D and quality control.
Correlate powder and microstructural properties with processing behavior and product specifications to guide material selection, process optimization, and product development.
Ensure data accuracy and traceability via meticulous documentation, standardized workflows, and adherence to SOPs.
Drive process improvement by enhancing characterization methods, maintaining contamination controls, and collaborating across teams to advance battery anode material development.
Material intake & sampling: Receive and verify battery anode-related powder materials (e.g., graphite, petroleum coke, specialty carbon blends) against specifications, record lot metadata, and perform representative sampling and homogenization for testing and retention.
Physical & structural analysis: Conduct particle size and shape analysis, surface area and porosity measurements, density and flow property evaluations, and moisture/volatile content determination, ensuring all procedures follow validated SOPs.
Chemical & impurity profiling: Analyze elemental composition, impurity metals, and ash content via ICP-OES and related techniques; perform XRD, Raman, and combustion analyses to determine phase composition, carbon structure, graphitization, and residual contaminants.
Data integrity & quality control: Record results in ELN/LIMS with full traceability, maintain calibration of analytical instruments, implement contamination control measures, and provide timely characterization reports to support R&D and production decisions.
Microstructure & morphology assessment: Evaluate particle morphology, cross-sections, porosity distribution, and surface features using microscopy and image analysis; correlate microstructure with shaping, coating, densification, and downstream processing behavior.
Structural & crystallographic analysis: Perform and interpret XRD, Raman, and related methods to assess graphitization degree, crystallite order/disorder, interlayer spacing, and phase composition of graphite, coke-derived carbons, and composite anodes.
Surface & compositional analysis: Assess surface chemistry, coating quality, impurity distribution, and residual contaminants using combustion analysis, elemental analysis, ICP-based methods, and other relevant techniques.
Data analysis & reporting: Process physicochemical datasets using Python/Excel-based tools, generate standard plots (particle size distributions, XRD peak analysis, Raman ID/IG trends, BET/porosity summaries, impurity charts), and compile results linking material attributes to process history and product specifications.
Data capture & traceability: Record all experimental and analytical results in ELN/LIMS with complete sample genealogy (material lot → processing step → analytical result), ensuring time-stamped entries, instrument IDs, operator notes, and linked raw files for full reproducibility.
Data processing & KPI generation: Use Python- or Excel-based analysis templates to clean and validate datasets, perform baseline corrections, and generate standardized plots such as particle size distribution curves, XRD diffractograms, Raman peak fits, BET/porosity summaries, and impurity trend charts. Calculate core KPIs—including d10/d50/d90, tap/pressed density, BET surface area, ash, and impurity levels—ensuring consistent methodology across projects.
Procedure adherence & continuous improvement: Follow validated SOPs and checklists rigorously, while identifying opportunities for workflow optimization and automation. Apply 5S principles for laboratory and data organization to maintain a safe, efficient, and audit-ready work environment.
Experiment tracking & turnaround: Support Design of Experiments (DOE) by managing sample IDs, analytical queues, test schedules, and completion logs to ensure timely turnaround of results. Flag anomalies early, coordinate retests, and maintain alignment with project milestones and reporting timelines.