Senior Ceramic Engineer - ELYSIS

Shape Your World

At Alcoa, you will become an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress. The way we see it, every Alcoan is a work-shaper, team-shaper, idea-shaper & world-shaper.

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 performance
• Demonstrated 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 environments
• Fosters collaborative relationships within and between work groups, including external work-groups and stakeholders
• Provides functional guidance and mentoring to technicians and less experienced engineers/scientists
• Interfaces 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 skills
• Demonstrated ability to work and lead effectively in a team environment
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Demonstrated 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 materials
• Demonstrated root cause analysis of material system through microstructure, literature searches and focused additional experiments
• Strong 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.

About the Location

Every day is a new and exciting challenge at the Alcoa Technical Center in New Kensington, PA, just north of Pittsburgh. We develop new technologies with our Breakthrough Technologies team that has the potential to impact the life of millions of people and foster the sustainable footprint from Alcoa to the world. It was here where we developed the technology recently announced in partnership with Rio Tinto, called ELYSIS™, where we will produce aluminum with ZERO emission of greenhouse gases. In fact, we will actually be generating oxygen to our atmosphere during the aluminum production process– a revolution to the aluminum industry!

We are values led, vision driven and united by our purpose of transforming raw potential into real progress.  Our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity include providing trusting workplaces that are safe, respectful and inclusive of all individuals, free from discrimination, bullying and harassment and that our workplaces reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.   

As a proud equal opportunity workplace and affirmative action employer, Alcoa is dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of a person’s gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, nation of origin, disability, veteran status, language spoken or any other characteristic or status protected by the laws or regulations in the places where we operate.  

If you have visited our website in search of information on U.S. employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Alcoa Recruiting via email at gssrecruiting@alcoa.com.  

This is a place where you are empowered to do your best work, be your authentic self, and feel a true sense of belonging. Come join us and shape your career!  

Your work. Your world. Shape them for the better.