VP Research & Development (R&D)

Empower Your Future: At MetOx International were pioneering the next era of energy security and abundance through breakthrough superconducting technology. As the Vice President Research & Development youll lead the scientific strategy that powers our next generation of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technologies. Youll define the research roadmap challenge technical assumptions validate breakthrough concepts and build the innovations that will shape the future of electric power transmission.

Based at our global headquarters in Houston TX the Vice President Research & Development reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and serves as the executive leader responsible for the companys research organization. You will establish long-term technology strategy prioritize research investments lead multidisciplinary scientific teams and accelerate the transition of new technologies from concept through commercialization. Working closely with Engineering Manufacturing Product Management and executive leadership youll ensure MetOx continues to advance the worlds leading HTS technology platform.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Strategy & Scientific Leadership

• Defines and executes MetOxs long-term technology strategy to establish global leadership in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) conductor performance manufacturability and cost competitiveness.
• Develops and maintains multi-year technology roadmaps focused on increasing critical current (Ic) engineering current density (Je) in-field performance manufacturing yield and production throughput.
• Leads technology development through a first-principles understanding of superconducting materials thin-film growth defect engineering vortex pinning and process physics.
• Identifies and prioritizes the highest-impact scientific and engineering challenges translating them into focused research programs with measurable technical milestones.
• Serves as MetOxs senior technical authority on REBCO materials MOCVD processing epitaxial thin-film growth conductor architecture and superconducting performance.
• Advises executive leadership on long-range technology investments innovation strategy competitive positioning and emerging technologies.

Advanced Materials Process & Equipment Development

• Leads the development of next-generation MOCVD processes that improve film quality compositional control deposition rate uniformity reproducibility manufacturing scalability and cost.
• Drives scientific understanding of precursor chemistry gas-phase reactions transport phenomena nucleation epitaxial growth crystallization kinetics oxygenation and defect evolution during film deposition.
• Leads the development of advanced artificial pinning center technologies defect engineering strategies strain engineering multilayer architectures and nanoscale microstructure optimization to maximize superconducting performance.
• Establishes quantitative structure-process-property relationships governing critical current density engineering current density in-field performance mechanical reliability and long-length uniformity.
• Drives experimental computational and analytical approaches that replace empirical process development with predictive science-based process optimization.
• Leads the design and development of next-generation MOCVD reactor platforms deposition hardware and process equipment to improve process control throughput uniformity reliability and manufacturing efficiency.
• Partners with Equipment Engineering to define reactor architecture gas delivery systems precursor delivery thermal management exhaust systems and process control technologies for future manufacturing platforms.
• Develops advanced reaction diagnostics and in situ metrology capabilities to understand precursor decomposition gas-phase chemistry film growth dynamics defect formation and process stability.
• Integrates advanced diagnostics modeling machine learning and digital process models to accelerate technology development and establish predictive process control.
• Evaluates emerging materials deposition technologies characterization methods and analytical tools to strengthen MetOxs technology leadership.

Manufacturing Technology & Commercialization

• Partners with Engineering Manufacturing and Operations to transition laboratory innovations into robust repeatable high-volume manufacturing processes.
• Develops scalable manufacturing processes capable of producing world-class HTS conductors with industry-leading consistency and yield.
• Establishes technology readiness levels process qualification criteria and manufacturing validation methodologies.
• Drives continuous improvement of process capability statistical process control reliability and manufacturing robustness.
• Leads technical initiatives that establish record-setting critical current engineering current density and magnetic field performance while maintaining commercial manufacturability.
• Leverages large manufacturing datasets to identify subtle physical signals optimize process performance and accelerate data-driven decision-making using advanced statistical methods machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Innovation & Intellectual Property

• Builds and executes MetOxs intellectual property strategy for superconducting materials deposition processes reactor technologies and conductor architectures.
• Identifies develops and protects patentable innovations that strengthen MetOxs competitive advantage.
• Monitors global scientific and competitive developments in superconductors semiconductor manufacturing advanced materials and thin-film deposition technologies.

Scientific Leadership & Organizational Development

• Builds mentors and leads a world-class multidisciplinary organization of scientists and engineers specializing in superconductivity materials science chemistry physics thin films process engineering characterization modeling and equipment development.
• Fosters a culture of scientific rigor first-principles thinking disciplined experimentation innovation collaboration and continuous learning.
• Engages directly in technical problem solving scientific review data interpretation hypothesis development and technology direction.
• Establishes a science-based technology development framework that integrates advanced characterization reaction diagnostics computational modeling and statistically designed experimentation to accelerate learning and innovation.
• Recruits develops and retains exceptional technical talent while strengthening MetOxs long-term scientific capabilities.

Executive & External Leadership

• Represents MetOx as a recognized technology leader with customers strategic partners universities national laboratories investors and government agencies.
• Builds strategic collaborations that accelerate technology development and commercialization.
• Communicates technology strategy research progress and innovation priorities to executive leadership the Board of Directors customers and external stakeholders.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on technology direction research investments and long-term competitive strategy.

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Science Physics Chemistry Chemical Engineering Electrical Engineering or a closely related technical discipline.
• 15 years of progressive technical leadership in superconductors semiconductor thin films advanced materials or related deposition technologies.
• Deep expertise in epitaxial thin-film growth using MOCVD or closely related vapor deposition technologies.
• Demonstrated expertise in superconducting materials crystallography defect engineering thin-film microstructure and structure-property relationships.
• Proven success developing next-generation deposition processes from scientific concept through commercial manufacturing.
• Experience designing or significantly improving advanced deposition equipment and manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated ability to translate first-principles scientific understanding into commercially scalable manufacturing technologies.
• Strong record of patents publications and technology commercialization.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary scientific and engineering organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Internationally recognized technical leadership in REBCO coated conductors HTS materials or advanced epitaxial thin films.
• Demonstrated expertise in artificial pinning center development and vortex pinning optimization.
• Experience designing MOCVD reactors deposition systems precursor delivery hardware or advanced process equipment.
• Expertise in reaction diagnostics in situ metrology and advanced process monitoring techniques.
• Experience with computational modeling of thin-film growth reaction kinetics fluid flow heat transfer and transport phenomena.
• Experience with advanced characterization techniques including TEM STEM SEM XRD AFM SIMS EBSD Raman spectroscopy and related analytical methods.
• Experience leading federally funded research programs (DOE ARPA-E DARPA NSF or similar).
• Experience scaling advanced materials technologies from laboratory development through commercial production.
  

Knowledge Skills & Abilities:

• Strategic technology planning and multi-year roadmap development.
• Scientific method hypothesis generation experimental design and data-driven decision making.
• Technology commercialization and manufacturing scale-up.
• Executive leadership across multidisciplinary scientific and engineering organizations.
• Research portfolio management investment prioritization and resource allocation.
• Intellectual property strategy and innovation management.
• Executive communication organizational influence and external relationship management.

Physical Demands: This position requires sitting at a desk and viewing a computer screen for extended periods while working or performing other office tasks. Ability to move around the office including occasional standing walking and bending to retrieve documents attend meetings or use office equipment. Some light lifting may be required up to 20 lbs.

MetOx is proud to offer competitive benefits including:

• Health dental and vision available on the first day of employment
• 401(k) match
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance
• Educational reimbursement
• And more!

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex national origin disability status protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.