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Scientist

San Jose, CA

Fortera is transforming one of the world’s largest industries by reinventing how cement is made. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Fortera has developed next-generation cement technology that delivers high performance while reducing CO₂ emissions by up to ~70%. By mineralizing CO₂ and turning it into a productive feedstock, Fortera converts emissions into a valuable building material, creating a more sustainable path for modern construction.

With our commercial ReCarb® plant operating in Redding, California, and a growing global project pipeline, Fortera is moving from first-of-a-kind deployment to scaled commercialization. Our technology is already being used in real-world infrastructure applications, bringing next-generation cement into use today while expanding toward broader adoption.

At Fortera, you’ll work alongside scientists, engineers, operators, and industry experts who are turning cutting-edge materials science into real-world impact. We’re looking for curious thinkers, builders, and problem-solvers who want to help tackle one of the biggest challenges facing our planet.

This is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to help shape the future of sustainable construction.

Build What’s Next.

Visit www.forteraglobal.com to learn more.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

This position will lead laboratory efforts to pioneer new process chemistries, cementitious materials, and carbonate morphologies, with an emphasis on cementitious system development. The role will include altering cementitious matrices to optimize transformation kinetics and property development, and developing new reaction schemes and pathways.

The ideal candidate will bring strong laboratory presence, deep technical knowledge of material chemistry, and hands-on laboratory research experience. Experience with cement chemistry, hydration reactions, supplementary cementitious materials, and/or carbonate-based cementitious systems is preferred.

This individual must be able to navigate the unknown challenges associated with developing new technologies, processes, and scale-up conditions. The ideal candidate must be comfortable working in ambiguous environments, making informed decisions, and providing recommendations as new data and learnings emerge.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Conduct experiments utilizing laboratory reactors and cementitious material systems
  • Characterize precipitation products and cementitious materials via XRD, SEM, PSA, TGA, titrations, calorimetry, and related analytical techniques
  • Investigate calcium carbonate reactions, cement hydration mechanisms, and cementitious material transformation pathways
  • Develop and optimize cementitious formulations and reaction schemes to support product performance objectives
  • Endeavor to meet development milestones and project timelines
  • Contribute to product strategy planning and prioritization of R&D efforts
  • Generate high-quality reports of findings and conclusions for presentation to the R&D team
  • Coordinate with the Process Development and Product Development groups to understand interactions between production process parameters and product performance
  • Follow established laboratory safety protocols and procedures
  • Develop recommendations and implement solutions to improve established processes
  • Maintain complete and accurate records of work performed and report results in a precise format for inclusion in laboratory information management systems
  • Create and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Research and develop new analytical approaches for cementitious and carbonate-based materials
  • Conduct literature reviews and use historical data to develop innovative applications for Fortera cementitious materials
  • Write invention disclosures, support patent applications, and author technical articles explaining company technology

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cement Engineering, or related technical field
  • Master’s degree or PhD a plus
  • 6+ years of experience in cement chemistry, cementitious materials, carbonate chemistry, or related field
  • Strong understanding of cement hydration chemistry, supplementary cementitious materials, and/or carbonate-based cement systems preferred
  • Experience operating analytical laboratory equipment including XRD, SEM, TGA, PSA, and related instrumentation
  • Experience with formulation development and material characterization
  • Capable of independently organizing and prioritizing work
  • Strong work ethic and ability to meet deadlines
  • Excellent communication skills and eagerness to collaborate cross-functionally
  • Comfortable operating in fast-paced R&D environments with evolving priorities and technical uncertainty

COMPENSATION:

The compensation package for this role includes a competitive base salary commensurate with experience with a range of $100,000 - $125,000 as well as an annual bonus and pre-IPO incentive stock options.

Fortera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other status protected by applicable law. Diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

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