Senior Ceramic Engineer – ELYSIS

A New Era for the Aluminum Industry – ELYSIS 

Carbon Free Aluminum

There is a new, revolutionary way to make aluminum. It eliminates all greenhouse gases. And it produces oxygen! The ELYSIS™ technology is the greatest breakthrough in the aluminum industry since its beginnings in 1886. It has the potential to drastically reduce the environmental footprint of the global aluminum industry.

The ELYSIS™ technology effectively puts an end to the use of carbon anode in the aluminum smelting process. It features the newly developed breakthrough proprietary materials that are stable and do not react during the process. Thus, it eliminates all direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the aluminum smelting process and is the first technology ever that emits oxygen as its byproduct.

An unprecedented world-class partnership of two major aluminum industry pioneers – Alcoa and Rio Tinto – led to the formation of ELYSIS, announced in 2018. The Canadian Government and the Quebec Government, through participation of Investment Quebec, have decided to support and be part of this industry revolution. The world’s technology giant Apple has helped facilitate the collaboration between Alcoa and Rio Tinto on the carbon-free smelting process and has agreed to provide ELYSIS with technical support.

ELYSIS is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with Technology Research & Development locations in Alma, Quebec, Canada, in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada, in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, United States, and in France.

ELYSIS provides a unique solution for drastic reductions in the carbon footprint of many products used in our daily lives, including transportation, construction, electrical and consumer goods industries. ELYSIS metal is now being used by Apple (MacBook Pro and iPhone 12 SE), AB InBev (cans), Audi (e-tron GT wheels), and Corona (cans).

About the Location

The ELYSIS US Research & Development facility is in the Alcoa Technical Center (ATC) located in New Kensington, PA, which is the birthplace of the aluminum industry. Near Pittsburgh, PA, the ATC is where the process being scaled up by ELYSIS was first developed with a dedicated team who continues to reinvent the aluminum industry for a sustainable future.

About the position

The Senior Ceramic Engineer will lead research, development, engineering, and technology commercialization efforts for breakthrough materials in advanced smelting technology portfolio.

Key Activities/Responsibilities

• Initiates and leads R&D projects, defines objectives and work plan, and conducts research that advances scientific knowledge for the improvement of breakthrough materials in advanced smelting processes
• Applies detailed knowledge of materials chemistry, microstructures, and failure mechanisms to develop fundamental understanding of materials performanceDemonstrated knowledge in materials processing such as blending, forming, compaction, densification, physical, chemical and thermal property analysis and characterization
• Responsible for solving problems to root cause, seeks and identifies opportunities for improvements and implements innovative solutions required to improve materials development and/or production activities
• Hands-on work requires the ability to apply material fundamentals and technology into practical solutions and applications in laboratory, pilot, and commercial scale environmentsFosters collaborative relationships within and between work groups, including external work-groups and stakeholders
• Provides functional guidance and mentoring to technicians and less experienced engineers/scientistsInterfaces with external stakeholders, including customers and suppliers in conjunction to develop scope, schedule, and cost to meet objectives of R&D projects
• Diligently communicates progress and results through written detailed technical reports, presentations, patents, and publications
• Ability to physically perform work in laboratory and industrial environments, with occasional demands for flexible hours and minimal travel (<15%).

About You

• Bachelors in Materials Science & Engineering, Ceramics Engineering, or Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in materials or ceramics processing, characterization, production, and related areas, research work completed in obtaining advanced degrees are considered relevant work experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skillsDemonstrated ability to work and lead effectively in a team environment
• Ability to work with minimal supervisionDemonstrated ability to develop project plans and execute in a disciplined fashion to meet objectives within the timeline
• Ability to work with resources within and outside the program team to accomplish the work required
• Strong organization and analytical skills for data management, analysis, and results presentation
• Lead by example, awareness to environmental, health, and safety principles in a laboratory and manufacturing environment
• Previous experience in ceramic processing, including raw material selection, mixing, pressing and firing.
• Experience with mixed oxide and or refractory materialsDemonstrated root cause analysis of material system through microstructure, literature searches and focused additional experimentsStrong project management skills

Diversity: Be Part of an Unprecedented Partnership

At ELYSIS we are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome, they are essential to success of the unprecedented partnership that ELYSIS is.

We treat each other respectfully, fairly, compassionately and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes us different. At ELYSIS, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from women, the LGBTQIA2 community, mature workers, people with disabilities, and people from different cultural backgrounds. ELYSIS is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.