ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Ceramic Process Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Applied Materials

Process Engineer II (E2)

Benicia, CA · On-site

$86K - $119K/yr

As a Process Engineer, you'll play a crucial role in designing and optimizing manufacturing ... Familiarity with PVD systems, ceramic-metal braze, and wet and dry etching are pluses * Cleanroom ...

Amat

Process Engineer II (E2)

Benicia, CA · On-site

$86K - $119K/yr

As a Process Engineer, you'll play a crucial role in designing and optimizing manufacturing ... Familiarity with PVD systems, ceramic-metal braze, and wet and dry etching are pluses * Cleanroom ...

Fujifilm

Manufacturing Process Engineer II

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

... ceramic tiles, textiles, electronics and life science research. We're looking for forward-thinkers ... Work closely with R&D and manufacturing engineering to qualify new tools and processes for volume ...

FUJIFILM Biotechnologies

$86K - $115K/yr

... ceramic tiles, textiles, electronics and life science research.We're looking for forward-thinkers ... Work closely with R&D and manufacturing engineering to qualify new tools and processes for volume ...

Fujifilm

Manufacturing Process Engineer II

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

... ceramic tiles, textiles, electronics and life science research. We're looking for forward-thinkers ... Work closely with R&D and manufacturing engineering to qualify new tools and processes for volume ...

FUJIFILM Biotechnologies

$86K - $115K/yr

... ceramic tiles, textiles, electronics and life science research.We're looking for forward-thinkers ... Work closely with R&D and manufacturing engineering to qualify new tools and processes for volume ...

Fujifilm

Process Engineer III - Dry Etch

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$135K - $165K/yr

... ceramic tiles, textiles, electronics and life science research. We're looking for forward-thinkers ... Work closely with R&D and manufacturing engineering to qualify new tools and processes for volume ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsCeramic Process Engineer JobsCeramic Process Engineer Jobs in California

Ceramic Process Engineer information

What does a Ceramic Process Engineer do?

A Ceramic Process Engineer specializes in designing, optimizing, and overseeing the manufacturing processes for ceramic materials and products. They work with raw materials, develop processing techniques, and ensure product quality by controlling variables like temperature, pressure, and composition. Their responsibilities often include troubleshooting production issues, improving efficiency, and collaborating with other engineers or scientists to develop new ceramic products. Ceramic Process Engineers are employed in industries such as electronics, aerospace, automotive, and construction, where ceramics are used for their unique properties like heat resistance and electrical insulation.

What are some typical challenges a Ceramic Process Engineer faces when scaling up from laboratory to full-scale production?

Ceramic Process Engineers often encounter challenges such as maintaining material consistency, controlling firing conditions, and ensuring product quality when transitioning from lab-scale experiments to industrial production. Variability in raw materials, differences in equipment, and the need for precise temperature control can affect the final product's properties. Close collaboration with production teams, quality assurance, and R&D is essential to troubleshoot issues and optimize processes for efficiency and reliability at scale.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Ceramic Process Engineer, and why are they important?

To excel as a Ceramic Process Engineer, a strong background in materials science, ceramics engineering, and process optimization—often supported by a relevant engineering degree—is essential. Familiarity with tools like CAD software, thermal analysis instruments, and quality control systems is typically required. Analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for solving complex problems and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. These competencies are vital to ensure efficient production, high product quality, and innovation in ceramic manufacturing processes.

What is the difference between Ceramic Process Engineer vs Materials Engineer?

AspectCeramic Process EngineerMaterials Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Ceramic Engineering, Materials Science, or related fieldBachelor's or higher in Materials Science, Metallurgy, or related field
Work EnvironmentManufacturing plants, R&D labs focused on ceramicsResearch labs, manufacturing, product development across various materials
Industry UsageSpecialized in ceramic materials for electronics, aerospace, and industrial applicationsBroader industry applications including metals, polymers, composites, and ceramics

The main difference is that Ceramic Process Engineers focus specifically on the manufacturing and processing of ceramic materials, while Materials Engineers work with a wider range of materials, including metals, polymers, and composites. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds and may work in overlapping environments, but their specialization areas differ significantly.

What are popular job titles related to Ceramic Process Engineer jobs in California? For Ceramic Process Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Ceramic Process Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Ceramic Process Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Ceramic Process Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Ceramic Process Engineer job openings:
Ceramic Process Engineer jobs near you

Process Engineer, Powder

Periodic Labs

Menlo Park, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted yesterday

Job description

About Periodic Labs
The most important scientific discoveries of our time won't happen in a traditional lab. We're an AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond. Backed by world-class investors and growing rapidly, we operate at the pace the frontier requires. Our team brings deep expertise, genuine ownership, and an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what's scientifically possible.
About the Role
As Periodic Labs scales the experimental engine behind our AI-driven materials discovery platform, we're hiring a Process Engineer to own the end-to-end workflow of our powder synthesis lab. You'll work directly across dispensing, mixing, pressing, reaction, recovery, and characterization - building the systems, controls, and instincts that keep a high-mix, fast-moving research process producing trustworthy data at increasing throughput.
This is a hands-on, jack-of-all-trades role. You'll move fluently between equipment troubleshooting, statistical process control, operator workflows, and the underlying science. The variation here is intentional - we run an enormous diversity of chemistries - and your job is to build the systems that absorb that intended variation while ruthlessly separating out the unintended kind. What you learn stabilizing the manual lab will directly shape how we design our automated, full-scale lab.
What You'll Do
  • Own the powder synthesis workflow end-to-end - dispensing, mixing, pressing, reaction, recovery, and characterization - ensuring the process runs smoothly as throughput and complexity grow
  • Map failure modes across the full process flow and design comprehensive systems and controls so failures either don't happen or are caught and recovered quickly
  • Apply statistical process control (SPC) and systems thinking to track key process inputs and outputs, identify drift, and bring processes into a stable, predictable state
  • Troubleshoot and diagnose equipment issues across the lab - dispensing heads, reaction chambers, characterization tools - and drive root-cause investigations to durable fixes
  • Investigate data integrity issues across the toolchain, including cases where equipment dispenses correctly but uploads data incorrectly, and partner with software and infra to adjust scripts and instrumentation
  • Design operator-facing workflows that prevent sample mix-ups and reduce variation introduced by human handoffs
  • Run design of experiments (DOE) to identify which recipe and process factors most impact outcomes, and use structured methodologies to converge efficiently
  • Partner with research scientists, lab engineers, and software teams to translate the lessons from the manual lab into requirements for the automated, full-scale lab
  • Establish quality and reliability practices that scale with us - process documentation, control plans, and feedback loops between operators, scientists, and the data systems
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
  • A degree in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field, with hands-on experience in solid-state chemistry, ceramics, or powder processing
  • Experience as a process engineer (or closely adjacent role) in a high-mix R&D, pilot, or manufacturing environment - ideally one that involved both intentional recipe variation and tight process discipline
  • Strong systems thinking - you can break an unfamiliar process into clear inputs, outputs, and unit operations, and quickly build mental models of how the black boxes inside actually behave
  • Working knowledge of statistical process control (SPC), six sigma or lean concepts, and design of experiments (DOE), with comfort using tools like JMP or Minitab
  • Hands-on familiarity with characterization techniques relevant to powders and ceramics - e.g., X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) - and with high-temperature processing of ceramic materials
  • Comfort with equipment troubleshooting and a healthy bias toward getting your hands on the tool, the data, and the operator workflow when something goes wrong
  • Some computer savvy - enough to read and lightly modify scripts, validate data flows, and partner effectively with software engineers when instrumentation or data pipelines need adjustment
  • Strong ownership, bias for action, and the judgment to know when to stabilize what exists versus when to redesign it
  • Clear communication and the ability to work cross-functionally with researchers, lab operators, equipment vendors, and software teams
Especially Strong Candidates May Also Have
  • Experience at companies working on battery materials, anode/cathode chemistries, or other powder- and ceramic-heavy processes (e.g., Tesla, Sila, Mitra Chem, 24M, or similar)
  • Background spanning multiple unit operations - you've had to come up to speed quickly on processes you didn't design
  • Experience scaling an R&D or pilot process toward higher throughput or automation
  • Exposure to quality engineering, reliability engineering, or process development roles, and an interest in growing into deeper specialization over time
  • Familiarity with how scientific instrumentation integrates with data systems, and an instinct for separating equipment problems from data-pipeline problems
Mechanics
  • Minimum education: bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and training or experience
  • Location: Our lab is located in Menlo Park and we prefer folks to be located in Menlo Park or San Francisco but can be flexible based on role
  • Compensation: The annual compensation range for this role - $175,000-$275,000
  • Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas and will do everything we can to assist in this process with our legal support.

We're building a team of the world's best - the scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers who don't just follow the frontier, they define it. If you're driven to bring AI to life in the physical world and make discoveries that have never been made before, you belong here.

Apply