Website eShocan
eShocan
Company : eShocan
Job Title: Materials Laboratory Manager Materials & Joining
Location: Newark, CA
Job Type: Contract (1 Year)
Benefits: Healthcare, 401K, Paid Time Off (PTO)
Client: eShocan
Job Description
We are looking for a Materials Laboratory Manager to lead Materials Testing & Characterization for a high-impact automotive engineering team. The ideal candidate brings technical excellence, strong leadership capabilities, and thrives in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment. This role will manage a team of engineers and technicians and oversee lab operations supporting material development, failure analysis, product design, and quality initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Lead all aspects of materials testing, prototyping, and characterization within the lab.
Oversee failure analysis activities to support product development and resolve field issues across programs.
Work cross-functionally with R&D, CAE, quality, and production teams to support material selection, process optimization, and testing.
Drive development of new materials and joining processes using both experimental and first-principles approaches.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, lab safety practices, and 5S/lean manufacturing initiatives.
Author and maintain test methods, specifications, and material reports.
Improve testing capabilities by integrating advanced material testing tools and analysis techniques.
Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, and quality standards across all lab operations.
Required Qualifications
Minimum 5 years of experience in materials engineering, materials testing, or materials R&D.
Strong understanding of metallic materials, process-structure-property relationships, and material behavior.
Hands-on experience with:
Tensile, bend, compression, microhardness testing
Cross-sectioning, polishing, and optical microscopy
SEM/EDX, fractography, microstructure analysis
DMA, DSC, TGA, FTIR, fatigue and environmental testing
Experience conducting root cause analysis and failure investigations.
Proven ability to lead teams and lab operations, manage priorities, and mentor junior staff.
Familiarity with Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) tools is a plus.
Experience in spot weld characterization and corrosion testing is desirable.
Education Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or related discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s or PhD in Materials or Metallurgical Engineering.
Prior experience managing materials laboratories and engineering teams in an R&D or production environment.