Materials Engineer

About Us

We are reinventing cooling for the next generation. Heating, cooling, and refrigeration technologies are critical to modern life but use nearly 40% of all energy generated today, release potent greenhouse gas refrigerants to the atmosphere, and are too expensive to be adopted worldwide. This has to change, and fast, so Pascal’s working to better refrigeration (and air conditioning and heat pumps) through materials science. 

We’re a group of materials scientists and engineers, based in Cambridge, MA, looking to upend the 150 year old HVACR industry and lead a transition to solid refrigerants. These new materials can unlock a massive efficiency boost over conventional systems, saving our customers money while reducing electrical load and eliminating refrigerant emissions. But getting there requires us to fundamentally redesign the air conditioner and we need your help. 

If you want to geek out about refrigeration with us, make a dent in the climate crisis, or take on an entrenched multibillion dollar industry please apply. Sometimes, we even go get ice cream. Even if you don’t check every single box in the job description, we want your talents, your perspective, and your willingness to tackle hard problems on our team.

About the Role

At Pascal, we develop materials solutions to address the global cooling challenge. As an early-stage technology developer, we need to quickly find the most promising paths forward. This often involves synthesizing and characterizing new materials, designing test campaigns to evaluate their viability, and building prototypes to assess system-level performance. These testing cycles often lead to new materials design concepts which then need to be explored in the lab.

Pascal is seeking an experienced materials engineer to work at the intersection of materials science and thermal engineering. This role will be primarily responsible for advancing our materials development pipeline, expanding our testing capabilities, and ensuring we learn what we want to know.

What You'll Do

• Characterize materials using a range of experimental techniques, including differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, high-pressure sorption analysis, mechanical testing, imaging, and X-ray diffraction
• Utilize Pascal’s custom-built test rigs to evaluate the thermal and mass transport properties of solid refrigerant composites
• Collaborate with Pascal's engineers to design experimental equipment and develop test procedures
• Develop and execute long-term test campaigns on solid refrigerant composites to assess their durability and identify key failure modes
• Invent new techniques and formulations for producing solid refrigerant composites
• Collaborate with external contract manufacturers to scale up materials synthesis
• Contribute to building and nurturing the company’s culture and values
• Mentor interns and co-op students on R&D-related projects

What You'll Bring

Skills and knowledge:

• 5+ years of work experience in materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or materials testing, with prior experience in synthesizing and/or characterizing organic, inorganic, or hybrid materials for energy applications
  • Specific experience with porous materials, phase-change materials, composite engineering, battery electrode manufacturing, thermal analysis, or additive manufacturing is a plus.
  • Candidates with additional experience will be considered and role designation will be commensurate with experience.
• Proven track record of experimentation in a materials science/chemistry environment
• Familiarity with thermodynamics, composite materials, and/or thermal analysis 
• Experience in one or multiple of the following: 
  • Working knowledge of materials science, including basic chemical safety practices 
  • Familiarity with precision gas handling equipment, heat exchangers, fluid state and flow measurements, and controls
  • Familiarity with one or more software languages (Python, C++, MATLAB, etc.)
• Exceptional communication and documentation skills

Essential traits for succeeding at advanced hardware development startups:

• Comfortable working on open-ended problems
• Comfortable with rapidly-changing goals and priorities
• Able to work with directional/aspirational goals rather than precise targets/specs
• Hungry to learn and solve problems in a new technology field
• Excited to work in a collaborative development environment

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $130,000-$150,000 and may be higher if commensurate with experience. We are committed to equitable compensation across our company, and we offer a generous benefits package to make sure you have the support you need. We cover 66% of the medical insurance premiums for our employees and their dependents on our base plans, and 100% of dental, and vision insurance premiums. We offer an unlimited Paid Time Off policy and encourage people to take regular vacation. We provide an employee-contribution 401(k) plan in addition to many other benefits. Every employee, regardless of gender identity or expression, is also eligible for 12 weeks of paid parental bonding leave after their 1-year anniversary at the company.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Pascal, we are working on the next generation of cooling. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a diverse team that reflects the people and communities we hope to serve with our revolutionary technology. Pascal is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.