Associate Process Development Scientist Jobs in Houston, TX

Empower Your Future: At MetOx International, we're pioneering the next era of energy security and abundance through breakthrough superconducting technology. As a Senior Process Engineer specializing in thin-film deposition, you'll help advance one of the world's most sophisticated continuous manufacturing platforms. Your work will directly influence manufacturing yield, process capability, product performance, and the commercialization of next-generation high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire.

Based at our global headquarters in Houston, TX, the Senior Process Engineer provides technical leadership for sputtering and related thin-film deposition processes supporting MetOx's reel-to-reel manufacturing platform. Working closely with Materials Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Operations, this role combines process engineering, statistical analysis, and manufacturing optimization to develop robust, scalable processes capable of supporting commercial-scale production.

Key Responsibilities

Process Technology Leadership

• Owns the technical development and continuous improvement of sputtering and related thin-film deposition processes supporting MetOx's manufacturing platform.
• Defines process capability improvement strategies that increase throughput, improve film quality, reduce variation, and enhance manufacturing robustness.
• Evaluates emerging deposition technologies, process innovations, and manufacturing approaches to support future product and manufacturing development.
• Provides technical leadership for deposition process performance across development, pilot production, and manufacturing scale-up.

Process Development & Optimization

• Designs and executes statistically rigorous experiments to optimize deposition processes, process capability, and manufacturing performance.
• Applies advanced process engineering principles to solve complex challenges involving film deposition, process stability, defect reduction, equipment capability, and yield improvement.
• Establishes operating windows, process controls, and statistical monitoring strategies to ensure repeatable manufacturing performance.
• Utilizes engineering and production data to identify trends, improve process capability, and implement sustainable process improvements.
• Troubleshoots complex manufacturing issues and implements long-term corrective and preventive actions.

Manufacturing Integration

• Partners with Manufacturing Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Materials Engineering, Quality, and Operations to successfully transition process improvements into production.
• Develops and maintains process specifications, standard operating procedures, qualification plans, and engineering documentation supporting manufacturing operations.
• Leads updates to process control plans, PFMEAs, and process validation activities.
• Supports manufacturing scale-up through robust process development, qualification, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Project Leadership

• Owns process engineering projects from problem definition through validation, implementation, and manufacturing handoff.
• Defines project scope, timelines, technical deliverables, and success metrics for process improvement initiatives.
• Leads cross-functional technical reviews while effectively communicating project progress, technical risks, and engineering recommendations.
• Coordinates internal engineering resources and external suppliers to ensure successful project execution.

Mentorship

• Mentors junior engineers and supports the technical development of engineering and manufacturing personnel.
• Promotes structured problem solving, statistical thinking, and engineering best practices across the organization.

Other duties as assigned 

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a related engineering or scientific discipline.
• Four years of process engineering or manufacturing engineering experience involving sputtering, physical vapor deposition (PVD), vacuum thin-film deposition, or closely related deposition technologies.
• An advanced degree may be substituted for required experience on a year-for-year basis, depending on relevance and level.
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing statistically driven process improvement experiments.
• Experience analyzing manufacturing data using statistical methods to improve process capability, product quality, and manufacturing performance.
• Demonstrated experience troubleshooting complex manufacturing processes and implementing sustainable corrective actions.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Engineering or a related scientific discipline applicable to the position.
• Experience supporting high-temperature superconductors (HTS), semiconductor manufacturing, advanced coatings, optical coatings, battery materials, magnetic materials, or other thin-film technologies.
• Experience with reactive sputtering, magnetron sputtering, and biased or ion-assisted processing.
• Experience supporting technology transfer from development into manufacturing.
• Experience leading Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, or Six Sigma initiatives.
• Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE), Statistical Process Control (SPC), MSA, JMP, Minitab, Python, or other statistical analysis tools.
• Experience with vacuum systems, plasma processing, and thin-film characterization techniques.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: 

• Deep first-principles understanding of process, vacuum, and electronics relating to sputtered film growth and sidewall coverage. . Strong understanding of statistical process control, process capability analysis, Design of Experiments (DOE), and data-driven process optimization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a rigorous, data-driven approach to engineering decision making.
• Ability to independently lead technical projects while effectively influencing cross-functional engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Excellent communication and technical documentation skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and manufacturing excellence.

Physical Demands: This position requires sitting at a desk and viewing a computer screen for extended periods while working or performing other office tasks. Ability to move around the office, including occasional standing, walking, and bending to retrieve documents, attend meetings, or use office equipment. Some light lifting may be required, up to 20 lbs.  

MetOx is proud to offer competitive benefits including:

• Health, dental, and vision available on the first day of employment
• 401(k) match
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance
• Educational reimbursement
• And more!

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.