About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Engineering.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Overview

Confidential client is building advanced manufacturing capabilities for high-efficiency photovoltaic and electronic materials used in aerospace and satellite applications. As a Materials R&D Specialist, you will work at the intersection of lab-scale process development and production transfer: operating and qualifying equipment, executing experiments, characterizing silicon ingots/wafer/cell materials, and delivering reproducible methods for manufacturing.

• Estimated pay: $81,596 per year (estimated)
• Employment type: Contract / Full-time
• Location: Bastrop, TX (on-site)

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Responsibilities

• Partner with engineering to bring processes and equipment online and to drive process development, equipment qualification, and test method development from silicon ingot growth through wafering and cell metrology.
• Independently perform routine and non-routine processing and experimental methods for crystal growth, wafer fabrication, and/or cell metrology; identify next steps and recommend complete process plans.
• Identify and implement new processing methods, standards, and equipment; document changes and improve lab and line operations.
• Commission, install, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot process and metrology equipment (e.g., crystal pullers, wafer process tools, characterization instruments); work with engineering and OEMs to resolve issues.
• Perform hands-on materials tasks such as preparing seeds and hot-zone components, wafer processing (cropping, slicing, cleaning, surface conditioning), and sample prep for characterization and trials.
• Design and execute DOEs and process trials covering recipe development, thermal management, impurity/defect control, contamination control, and supplier material evaluation.
• Perform silicon ingot, wafer, and cell characterization (lifetime, resistivity, FTIR, microscopy, electrical/optical metrology) and keep lab equipment maintained and calibrated.
• Document procedures and data to ensure repeatability and traceability; write SOPs, training documents, and work instructions; train production technicians as methods move to manufacturing.
• Present results clearly to engineering and cross-functional stakeholders and recommend next steps based on data.
• Follow strict EHS protocols when handling chemicals and maintain cleanroom/lab 5S standards.

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Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or another STEM discipline; OR a minimum of 4 years of hands-on laboratory experience (relevant internships, co-ops, and academic lab coursework apply).

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Preferred Skills & Experience

• Hands-on experience in semiconductor or photovoltaic manufacturing, silicon crystal growth, wafer manufacturing, materials characterization, or similar lab/manufacturing environments.
• Experience using and maintaining materials-characterization or process equipment (microscopy, spectroscopy, electrical/optical metrology, wet benches, etc.).
• Proven ability to run processing and experimental methods independently, analyze data, and diagnose causes of irregular results.
• Experience writing SOPs, training documents, and training others to follow them.
• Experience safely handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, or hazardous chemicals.
• Experience installing, calibrating, and maintaining process/characterization equipment and diagnosing equipment-related issues.
• Comfort with data collection, documentation, and basic statistical analysis.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work closely with engineers, technicians, and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and independently determine next steps in a fast-paced environment.

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Additional Requirements

• Must be open to work all shifts, overtime, and/or weekends as needed.
• Comfortable working in production and laboratory environments using hazardous chemicals (acids, alkalis, solvents).
• Able to wear appropriate PPE and follow safety protocols.
• Must be able to walk and stand for long periods and lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted.
• Must be comfortable climbing ladders and performing a range of physical tasks (bending, stooping, reaching, carrying, maneuvering in tight spaces).

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ITAR / Authorization Requirements

To conform with U.S. Government export regulations, applicants must be one of the following:

• a U.S. citizen or national; or
• a U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder); or
• a Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157; or
• an Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158; or
• eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

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About the Role & Workplace

This role is hands-on and laboratory/production-facing. You will be operating and qualifying process and metrology tools, performing materials characterization, and transferring stable lab methods to production. The ideal candidate balances careful, reproducible experimental technique with the ability to recommend practical, scalable process improvements.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.