R&D Lab Technician

At Rain Carbon Inc., we're dedicated to assembling exceptional teams, nurturing talent, and fostering personal and professional growth. Join us in a safe, supportive environment where you can realize your full potential with the tools, guidance, and opportunities to thrive.

Our global offices facilitate seamless operations, complemented by state-of-the-art production facilities in Belgium, Canada, Germany, India, Poland, and the USA where we cultivate enduring partnerships and ensure market success through consistent quality and customized solutions. With an unwavering commitment to reliability and responsibility, we foster a culture of excellence across all levels of our organization.

Background

Rain Carbon Inc. (RAIN), a global leader in upcycling of industrial byproducts to high value carbon materials, has announced a 30,000 sq. ft. industrial facility in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to serve as the location for the new RAIN Innovation Center for Energy Storage Materials, marking another significant step in the company's commitment to advancing sustainable energy storage material solutions. The R&D center consists of a demonstration facility, allowing pilot-scale processing of carbon and carbon precursor materials, and laboratories dedicated to carbon material analysis with state-of-the-art analytical and physicochemical characterization equipment.

This R&D center will facilitate the testing and application development of RAIN’s LIONCOAT® thermoplastic precursor products used to tailor the surface chemistry, structure, and processing behavior of battery anode materials. In addition, the facility will support the development and commercialization of new, innovative energy storage material solutions based on natural and synthetic graphite as well as silicon-carbon composites for lithium-ion batteries. The center will also house product innovations for carbonaceous materials tailored to emerging energy storage technologies such as solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.

Purpose of the job:

•    Characterize battery anode materials through precise physical, chemical, structural, and surface analyses to support R&D and quality control.
•    Correlate powder and microstructural properties with processing behavior and product specifications to guide material selection, process optimization, and product development.
•    Ensure data accuracy and traceability via meticulous documentation, standardized workflows, and adherence to SOPs.
•    Drive process improvement by enhancing characterization methods, maintaining contamination controls, and collaborating across teams to advance battery anode material development.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Powder Materials Characterization: 
•    Material intake & sampling: Receive and verify battery anode-related powder materials (e.g., graphite, petroleum coke, specialty carbon blends) against specifications, record lot metadata, and perform representative sampling and homogenization for testing and retention.
•    Physical & structural analysis: Conduct particle size and shape analysis, surface area and porosity measurements, density and flow property evaluations, and moisture/volatile content determination, ensuring all procedures follow validated SOPs.
•    Chemical & impurity profiling: Analyze elemental composition, impurity metals, and ash content via ICP-OES and related techniques; perform XRD, Raman, and combustion analyses to determine phase composition, carbon structure, graphitization, and residual contaminants.
•    Data integrity & quality control: Record results in ELN/LIMS with full traceability, maintain calibration of analytical instruments, implement contamination control measures, and provide timely characterization reports to support R&D and production decisions.
Advanced physicochemical characterization
•    Microstructure & morphology assessment: Evaluate particle morphology, cross-sections, porosity distribution, and surface features using microscopy and image analysis; correlate microstructure with shaping, coating, densification, and downstream processing behavior.
•    Structural & crystallographic analysis: Perform and interpret XRD, Raman, and related methods to assess graphitization degree, crystallite order/disorder, interlayer spacing, and phase composition of graphite, coke-derived carbons, and composite anodes.
•    Surface & compositional analysis: Assess surface chemistry, coating quality, impurity distribution, and residual contaminants using combustion analysis, elemental analysis, ICP-based methods, and other relevant techniques.
•    Data analysis & reporting: Process physicochemical datasets using Python/Excel-based tools, generate standard plots (particle size distributions, XRD peak analysis, Raman ID/IG trends, BET/porosity summaries, impurity charts), and compile results linking material attributes to process history and product specifications.
Data, documentation, and quality
•    Data capture & traceability: Record all experimental and analytical results in ELN/LIMS with complete sample genealogy (material lot → processing step → analytical result), ensuring time-stamped entries, instrument IDs, operator notes, and linked raw files for full reproducibility.
•    Data processing & KPI generation: Use Python- or Excel-based analysis templates to clean and validate datasets, perform baseline corrections, and generate standardized plots such as particle size distribution curves, XRD diffractograms, Raman peak fits, BET/porosity summaries, and impurity trend charts. Calculate core KPIs—including d10/d50/d90, tap/pressed density, BET surface area, ash, and impurity levels—ensuring consistent methodology across projects.
•    Procedure adherence & continuous improvement: Follow validated SOPs and checklists rigorously, while identifying opportunities for workflow optimization and automation. Apply 5S principles for laboratory and data organization to maintain a safe, efficient, and audit-ready work environment.
•    Experiment tracking & turnaround: Support Design of Experiments (DOE) by managing sample IDs, analytical queues, test schedules, and completion logs to ensure timely turnaround of results. Flag anomalies early, coordinate retests, and maintain alignment with project milestones and reporting timelines.

Job requirements:

•    Education: MS in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field; or BS with 2–5+ years of relevant industry or research experience.
•    Laboratory expertise: Proven, hands-on experience in powder and carbon material characterization, sample preparation, and operation of analytical instruments such as particle size analyzers, BET systems, density testers, XRD, Raman, ICP-OES/MS, and combustion analyzers.
•    Physicochemical characterization: Strong understanding of battery anode material characterization methods, with the ability to interpret crystallinity/graphitization, morphology, surface area, porosity, density, and impurity data for technical decision-making.
•    Programming & data analysis: Moderate proficiency in Python (preferred) or Matlab/R, including experience with NumPy/Pandas, curve fitting/optimization, statistical analysis, and data visualization using Matplotlib/Plotly.
•    Documentation & communication: Strong recordkeeping and disciplined documentation skills, with the ability to translate characterization findings into actionable technical recommendations.
•    Data management systems: Experience with ELN/LIMS platforms, barcode-based sample tracking, and structured data/file version control practices to maintain traceability and reproducibility.

Rain Carbon Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive environment. Rain Carbon Inc. prohibits discrimination in all employment-based practices and all applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability, or other protected status.