Battery & Materials Scientist

Date:              June 2026

Role:              BATTERY & MATERIALS SCIENTIST

Reports to:   Director, Research & Development

The Company: Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stratus Materials is an early-stage, technology-based company focused on the development and manufacture of advanced active materials for the lithium-ion battery industry. Our primary focus is on advanced electric vehicle batteries, but our materials will also be applicable and very attractive for many other end-user applications using lithium-ion batteries. In late 2025, the company secured a substantial Series B round of financing and is using those funds to execute on its business plans. If you are interested in a dynamic, high-growth opportunity where you can dig in and make a difference, we look forward to meeting you.

Summary of Position: The Battery & Materials Scientist position will support development of Stratus’ cathode active material technology by connecting CAM with cell design, electrolyte chemistry, and electrochemical degradation. This role is highly hands-on and focused on lithium-ion cell assembly, electrolyte handling/filling, electrochemical testing, failure analysis, and degradation diagnostics.

The ideal candidate has practical experience building and testing lithium-ion cells (from slurry/coating level to cell assembly of coin cells or pouch cells), designing experiments to reveal and mitigate cell failure modes, performing teardown and ex-situ characterization, and extracting mechanistic insight from voltage curves and cell data. This person should be comfortable working with electrolyte solvents, salts, and additives; mixing and handling different electrolyte formulations; and working to determine how interfacial chemistry, cell design, and test conditions affect CAM and cell performance.

Success in this role requires careful execution, strong battery intuition, comfort in a lab setting, and the ability to translate cell-level observations into actionable recommendations for CAM, electrolyte, electrode, and test-platform improvements.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and test hypotheses to improve existing cathode and cell offerings, focused on modifying cell design, electrolyte formulation, and other aspects of electrochemical test context.
• With technician and junior scientist team, assemble, fill, test, and evaluate lithium-ion cells across relevant formats
• Analyze and summarize data, including electrochemical, characterization, and process data, to make data-driven conclusions to experiments and recommendations for material and cell improvements. Report findings to stakeholders and collaborate on further experimental design.
• Develop and execute designs-of-experiments (DOE) to systematically investigate interventions with guidance and input from senior technical staff.
• Advance electrolyte science for high-voltage lithium-ion cells by connecting formulation choices to interfacial stability, gas generation, impedance growth, coulombic efficiency, voltage fade, and long-term cell performance.
• Develop structure-property-performance understanding of how electrolyte chemistry interacts with CAM surface chemistry, electrode design, formation conditions, voltage window, temperature, and aging pathway to guide practical cell improvements.
• Lead technicians to operate and maintain laboratory equipment used in material synthesis characterization and test, ensuring proper use and adherence to safety protocols. Occasional installation/qualification/operation of new equipment, processes, and procedures.
• Prepare detailed documentation of experimental procedures, data analysis methods, and results, including technical reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements – Education, Experience, and Skills:

• Bachelor’s, Advanced degree, or significant experience in Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related disciplines.
• 3-5 years of experience in battery materials or a closely related discipline, working on materials research, development and commercialization; ideal candidates focused on experimental research and data analysis.
• Strong fundamentals and 5 years of experience with materials synthesis and characterization, cell/electrode formulation, and electrochemistry.
• Working knowledge of battery cell design and key levers for desired improvements.
• Familiarity with experimental design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a hands-on laboratory setting.
• Good communication skills - both written and verbal.
• Ability to handle multiple, competing priorities in a continuously changing environment. Comfortable with decision making in ambiguous situations.
• Experience with start-up or early-stage companies is a plus.

Additional Preferences:

• The ideal candidate has experience not only with above, but also with lithium-ion active material selection or evaluation and active material - electrolyte interface chemistry or characterization.
• Hands-on experience leading in a battery laboratory environment and/or pilot-scale operations involving material processing and synthesis.
• Aptitude with equipment operation/install/qualification and general troubleshooting of mechanical and electronic devices.
• Capability with Python and/or SQL.

Requirements – Geographic and Physical:

• Located in Pittsburgh, PA or open to relocation.
• Able to frequently move about an office and factory floor.
• Occasional light lifting and ascending/descending stairs.

Along with an exceptional culture and an opportunity to make a global difference, Stratus Materials offers a competitive compensation and benefits package as well as an entrepreneurial environment and the opportunity for phenomenal professional growth and development. Founded in early 2022 by a team including Dr. Jay Whitacre of Carnegie Mellon University, the company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.