--- title: 'Lead Carbon Nanomaterials Engineer at Arcturus' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-carbon-nanomaterials-engineer-arcturus-los-angeles-4h6pyaskvz4z' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-06' --- # Lead Carbon Nanomaterials Engineer at Arcturus - **Company:** Arcturus - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-04-29 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/arcturus/3a857d9e-b401-4899-ac3d-f7e9bf713cd1 ## Job description Lead Nanomaterials Engineer Los Angeles, CA (in-person) ## About Arcturus Arcturus is creating a new wire technology stack that uses carbon nanomaterials to overcome the materials limitations of metals where performance breaks down, at real operating temperatures. Our technology is designed to significantly improve the performance of electric motors for drones and robotics, heat sinks, and ultimately the entire energy grid. At its core, Arcturus is developing a new class of carbon nanomaterial-infused metal matrix composites for high-performance conductor applications. ## Why you should join us This is a ground-floor opportunity to help build something that has never been done before. You would join as a founding engineer and become Arcturus’ first nanomaterials engineer, with the chance to define the company’s carbon nanomaterials strategy from the beginning. As the founding nanomaterials engineer, you will work directly with the founder and CEO to shape the technical direction of the company, translate scientific insight into real product performance, and help build a category-defining materials platform from scratch. Purpose We are seeking a lead nanomaterials engineer who can set the technical direction for our carbon nanomaterials strategy and translate fundamental science into measurable, scalable improvements in conductor performance. This person will help define how carbon nanomaterials are integrated into metal matrix composites, including approaches related to covetics and other carbon-metal interface architectures, to unlock meaningful improvements in electrical, thermal, and mechanical performance. ## The role ## THIS ROLE REPORTS DIRECTLY TO THE CEO Materials strategy and integration - Own the nanomaterials roadmap R&D, including carbon nanomaterial selection, orientation morphology, purity, infusion percentages, functionalizations, etc. - Define integration approaches into aluminum and copper that improve electrical performance through process technology - Lead dispersion and interface engineering strategy, including verification methods and technical decision gates Characterization and scientific rigor - Build the characterization stack that links structure to performance, including Raman, SEM/EDS, and other methods as needed - Define metrics for dispersion quality, interface integrity, and degradation, then standardize how those measurements are made - Partner with engineering to translate scientific results into material specs, process windows, and acceptance criteria Reliability and durability - Own hypotheses and experiments for long-term stability, including thermal cycling, corrosion, oxidation, environmental exposure, and processing effects - Define accelerated aging and failure mode discovery plans aligned with real-world use cases - Leadership and driving IP disclosures. Help shape patent strategy - Help build and lead a small but world-class scientific team over time ## Basic qualifications - PhD or MS in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, or a related field - 8+ years of applied research leadership with demonstrated impact on products, processes, or commercialization - Deep expertise in carbon nanomaterials and strong intuition for process-structure-property relationships - Strong scientific writing skills, including clear technical documentation, experimental plans, and invention disclosures ## Preferred qualifications - Experience with carbon nanomaterial-metal composites, metal matrix composites, covetics, or carbon/metal interface chemistry - Familiarity with graphene, carbon nanotubes, graphene growth methods, including localized or laser-inducted graphene - Startup experience ## What we offer - Competitive cash compensation and meaningful equity - Scientific ownership with direct product impact - The chance to define the playbook for nanomaterial-enhanced conductors - Relocation support for candidates moving from outside the Los Angeles area ## About Arcturus ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Infusing carbon nanomaterials into metals to create a new class of electrical conductors that break past the limits of conductivity and strength at high temperatures. - **Entity Type**: Private (no public funding rounds disclosed; received a 1517 Flux Capacitor Fellowship in 2024) - **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, California, USA - **Founded**: 2005 (per Built In) - **Founders**: Amir Mashal (Founder & CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Advanced materials / manufacturing – specifically electrical conductor technology for energy transmission, electric vehicles, drones, robotics, data centers, and grid infrastructure. - **Target customers**: B2B / enterprise – utilities, aerospace, automotive, and industrial hardware companies. - **Mission or purpose**: Reinvent the conductor to modernize the energy grid, lower electrification costs, and enable next‑generation electric motors. ## Products & Services - **Carbon Nanomaterial‑Infused Metal Conductors**: A proprietary technology stack that embeds carbon nanomaterials into metals to maintain high conductivity at extreme temperatures, enabling lighter, stronger, and more efficient wires for power transmission, motors, and high‑performance electronics. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available - **Key Metric**: 31 total employees (Built In); 9 open job postings as of June 2026 (JobPin) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: 1517 Fund (awarded the Flux Capacitor Fellowship in June 2024) - **Growth Signals**: Actively scaling the engineering team (8–9 roles in research, process engineering, operations); hybrid/remote options; expanding from laboratory prototype toward industrial‑level production. ## Competitive Advantages - **Proprietary carbon nanomaterial‑metal infusion** – a difficult‑to‑replicate materials‑science breakthrough that addresses the fundamental limits of traditional copper and aluminum conductors at high temperatures. - **Integrated approach** solving materials chemistry, manufacturing scale‑up, and product design simultaneously, creating a moat around both the know‑how and the process. ## Strategic Focus - **Industrial scale‑up**: Proving the manufacturing process at industrial volume while maintaining material properties. - **Market entry**: Targeting the most demanding segments first – grid transmission, electric aviation, robotics, and high‑performance data center power delivery. ## Why Work Here - Hands‑on, garage‑style engineering culture focused on solving one of the hardest problems in materials science. - Hybrid work model (combination of remote and on‑site) with offices in Los Angeles and additional locations per Built In. - Opportunity to be a founding‑stage engineer in a company that has already demonstrated proof of concept and is now scaling toward production. - Strong emphasis on autonomy and impact: “If you’re an engineer reading this and that didn’t slow you down, we want to meet you.” ## Sources 1. [arcturus.io](https://www.arcturus.io/) 2. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/arcturus-1) 3. [jobpin.com](https://jobpin.com/companies/arcturus/) 4. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/arcturus](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/arcturus) ## Other roles at Arcturus - [Senior Additive Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-additive-manufacturing-engineer-arcturus-los-angeles-qkm790zf377x) — Los Angeles, CA - [Principal Additive Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-additive-manufacturing-engineer-arcturus-los-angeles-25kznj0t17jd) — Los Angeles, CA - [Executive and Operations Assistant Internship](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-and-operations-assistant-internship-arcturus-los-angeles-bs7wsb8980hs) — Los Angeles, CA - [Engineering Internship](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-internship-arcturus-los-angeles-nwk41sankf93) — Los Angeles, CA - [Project Arcturus: Open Application](https://feeny.ai/job/project-arcturus-open-application-arcturus-los-angeles-f4caekfhz669) — Los Angeles, CA - [Senior Research and Prototyping Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-and-prototyping-engineer-arcturus-los-angeles-rrpr7zhasy36) — Los Angeles, CA - [Senior Scientist / Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-engineer-arcturus-los-angeles-x96cn4zajwe7) — Los Angeles, CA - [Lead Additive Manufacturing Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-additive-manufacturing-engineer-arcturus-los-angeles-sd22tw9tq6hd) — Los Angeles, CA