---
title: 'Materials R&D Lab Technician at Antora Energy'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/materials-r-d-lab-technician-antora-energy-san-jose-z70yg7zmkc6n'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-16'
---

# Materials R&D Lab Technician at Antora Energy

- **Company:** Antora Energy
- **Location:** San Jose, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-16
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/antora/jobs/6187768004

## Job description

Antora Energy delivers affordable, reliable energy to industry, data centers, and the grid. Our thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines.

We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and work with humility and openness. We are committed to building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to a future powered by abundant, clean, low-cost energy.

Position Summary

Antora Energy is seeking a Materials R&D Lab Technician to join our materials development team at our headquarters near San Jose, CA. In this hands-on role, you will partner directly with engineers to execute high-temperature experiments using benchtop furnaces and supporting lab equipment — work that is central to developing the novel materials inside Antora's thermal energy storage systems.

You will be responsible for setting up and running tests, operating instrumentation and data acquisition systems, and producing clear, thorough documentation of every experiment. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced hardware R&D environment, is meticulous about data quality, and takes pride in keeping a lab running smoothly.

Roles & Responsibilities

- Experiment execution: Set up, operate, and monitor benchtop furnaces and other high-temperature lab equipment according to test plans and procedures defined by engineers. Manage sample preparation, fixturing, and loading/unloading of test articles.
- Instrumentation & data collection: Install, configure, and operate DAQ systems, thermocouples, and other sensors to capture temperature profiles, environmental conditions, and material response data during experiments.
- Documentation & reporting: Maintain detailed lab notebooks and digital test records for every experiment. Compile data summaries, charts, and observations into clear reports for the engineering team.
- Equipment maintenance: Perform routine calibration, preventative maintenance, and minor repairs on furnaces, instrumentation, and lab tools. Flag equipment issues early and coordinate with vendors or internal teams for resolution.
- Lab operations: Keep the lab organized, stocked, and compliant with safety protocols. Track consumables and supplies. Support sample inventory and traceability.
- Safety: Follow all EH&S procedures for high-temperature work, chemical handling, and general lab safety. Participate in safety reviews and report hazards or near-misses promptly.
- Continuous improvement: Suggest and implement improvements to test setups, fixtures, data collection workflows, and lab organization. Contribute to the development of standard operating procedures.
- Collaboration: Work closely with materials development engineers to understand test objectives, troubleshoot experiments in real time, and adapt plans based on emerging results.

## Key Qualifications

- Associate's degree or higher in a technical field (e.g., Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Physics, Chemistry, or related discipline), or equivalent hands-on experience.
- 3+ years of experience working in a hardware R&D lab, test lab, or similar hands-on technical environment.
- Direct experience operating furnaces, kilns, ovens, or other high-temperature equipment.
- Familiarity with data acquisition systems (DAQs), thermocouples, and common lab instrumentation.
- Strong documentation habits — comfortable maintaining lab notebooks, writing test reports, and organizing data.
- Proficiency with spreadsheets, databases, and AI for basic data organization, plotting, and analysis.
- Detail-oriented, safety-conscious, and comfortable working independently once given clear direction.
- Ability to lift and handle lab samples and equipment (up to ~50 lbs)

Additional Qualifications Desired

- Experience with high-temperature materials such as carbon, graphite, ceramics, or refractory metals.
- Familiarity with CAD tools for interpreting engineering drawings and fixture designs.
- Experience with PLCs, Python, AI, or other tools for data acquisition or analysis.
- Exposure to Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology.
- Prior experience in a startup or fast-moving R&D environment.
- Familiarity with sample preparation techniques (cutting, grinding, polishing, mounting) using equipment such as table saws and bandsaws

Work Location:  Onsite - San Jose, CA

Salary Range:  $35-41/hr

Salary Basis:  Hourly

Please note that the salary range listed above reflects Antora Energy's estimated pay for this position. The actual salary offered will be within the posted range and determined based on several factors including but not limited to a candidate's experiences, credentials and expertise, as they pertain to the position's requirements.

In addition to a competitive base salary, Antora Energy’s Total Rewards program includes equity compensation in the form of stock options, a premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance, a 401K plan with employer contributions, flexible spending accounts, and an industry leading paid-time-off policy that features flexible and inclusive holiday observance, as well as paid volunteer time off.

#LI-Onsite https://diversityjobs.com/employer/top-diversity-employers?utm_campaign=TopEmployer&utm_medium=badge  When it comes to stopping climate change, we need everyone. We believe that having a diversity of backgrounds and experiences strengthens all of us, and we strive to create an environment where every one of us is empowered to create meaningful change.

## About Antora Energy

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Antora Energy manufactures and deploys modular thermal batteries that convert low-cost, intermittent clean electricity into reliable, always-on heat and power for global industrial facilities and data centers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B)
- **Headquarters**: San Jose, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2018
- **Founders**: Justin Briggs, Andrew Ponec, David Bierman

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Renewable Energy Power Generation, Thermal Energy Storage, Industrial Decarbonization
- **Target customers**: Large-scale industrial energy users (biofuels, refining, pulp & paper, steel & iron, chemicals, mining, concrete & lime, food & beverage) and data center operators (B2B, Enterprise).
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “We are here to power global industry with clean energy.” The company aims to make cheap, clean energy the standard that powers global industry.

## Products & Services
- **Thermal Battery System**: A modular, factory-built energy storage system that uses solid carbon (one of the safest, most stable materials on earth) to store surplus clean electricity as heat. It delivers always-on heat and power for industrial operations, scales from megawatts to gigawatts, and is designed for low cost, rapid deployment, and massive scale.
- **Project Big Stone**: One of the largest battery storage systems in the world, deployed in under 12 months for POET, the world’s largest biofuels producer. It delivers affordable, reliable energy and serves as a proof-of-concept for the company’s giga-scale deployment model.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$220.0M** across 10 rounds, including a $150M Series B led by Decarbonization Partners (Feb 2024). Annual revenue estimated at **$7.7M**.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Decarbonization Partners, National Science Foundation, California Energy Commission. Key partner: POET (biofuels).
- **Growth Signals**: 197 employees (+36.6% YoY), 31,700 LinkedIn followers (+42.9% YoY), active job postings up 140% YoY. The company is building gigawatt-hours of thermal batteries annually at its U.S. factory and has a presence in Spain.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary Technology**: Uses solid carbon thermal storage—a simple, safe, and low-cost material—to provide both heat and power, differentiating from chemical battery or molten salt solutions.
- **Modular & Factory-Built**: Modules are manufactured in a U.S. factory, enabling rapid deployment, seamless integration, and operational redundancy at any scale.
- **Speed to Market**: Project Big Stone advanced from an empty lot to energy delivery in under 12 months, demonstrating a fast deployment model that can be replicated globally.
- **Multi-day Storage**: Provides reliable energy for industrial operations where downtime is not an option, solving the intermittency problem of renewables.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale and Replicate**: Replicating the Project Big Stone model at factories and data centers across the U.S. and globally.
- **Giga-scale Manufacturing**: Expanding factory capacity to produce gigawatt-hours of thermal batteries each year, with a focus on American manufacturing.
- **Market Expansion**: Targeting hard-to-abate industrial sectors (steel, cement, chemicals) and data centers, while expanding internationally (e.g., Spain).
- **Cost Leadership**: Driving down costs to make cheap, clean energy the standard for global industry.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Work**: The company’s north star is to power global industry with clean energy, offering employees a chance to work on one of the most urgent climate challenges.
- **Culture**: Values include “Build with Humility & Openness,” “Team & Mission First,” and “Joy & Laughter Connect Us.” The company emphasizes kindness, collaboration, and learning from setbacks.
- **Work Environment**: Hybrid/remote-friendly with “Home Week” each quarter to bring in-person and remote team members together. Offices in San Jose, CA; Big Stone City, SD; and remote roles in the U.S.
- **Benefits**: Competitive salary, stock options, 401k match, 16 weeks paid parental leave, comprehensive medical/vision/dental, HSA with employer contribution, subsidized backup childcare/senior care/petcare, mental health support, on-site gym, healthy snacks, and volunteer time off.
- **Engineering & Impact**: Teams work on cutting-edge thermal storage, manufacturing, and field engineering. The company is growing fast (36% headcount growth) and offers the chance to shape a new industry.

## Sources
1. [antora.com](https://www.antora.com/)
2. [antora.com/company](https://www.antora.com/company)
3. [antora.com/careers](https://www.antora.com/careers)
4. [linkedin.com/company/antora-energy](https://www.linkedin.com/company/antora-energy)
5. [cbinsights.com/company/antora-energy](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/antora-energy)

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