Sr. Manager, Materials Design & Manufacturing

Job Description

Job Description

Company overview

Lydian is developing the lowest cost sustainable fuels from waste CO₂, water, and renewable electricity to decarbonize the aviation industry. Our breakthrough technology replaces oil and gas refining with fully electrified, modular, and flexible reactor systems that produce fuel with 95% lower emissions than traditional jet fuel.

Since our founding in 2021, Lydian has achieved key milestones in record time, including the production of our first liquid fuel from our pilot system. Lydian is backed by the world's top energy transition investors including Congruent Ventures, Galvanize Climate Solutions, Union Square Ventures, Voyager Ventures, Grok Ventures, and Overture. We have also earned support from the US Department of Energy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and have been recognized by Forbes 30u30 and by Silicon Valley Bank's 50 by 2050 List which recognizes the top fifty energy transition companies based on potential impact and scale.

Position Overview

Lydian is seeking a Senior Manager, Materials Design & Manufacturing to establish and scale the first production processes and supply chain for the critical materials and components that enable our reactor and module platforms. This role owns the translation of materials R&D into repeatable, production-ready processes, the design of early production lines (internal and external), and the operational systems required to support near-term execution and long-term scale. You will work closely with manufacturing partners and internal engineering teams to ensure materials development remains aligned with core technical programs, mechanical designs, and operating modes.

You will build and manage a multidisciplinary team across manufacturing engineering, quality, and materials science, while setting the operational rigor required for FOAK production and beyond.

This role is based onsite in Charlestown, MA and requires in-person collaboration five days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish the first production processes and supply chain for critical materials and components, spanning internal production and external partners.

• Design, refine, and scale early production lines and processes in collaboration with manufacturers, fabricators, and equipment vendors.

• Lead the translation of materials R&D into stable, manufacturable, scalable production processes.

• Apply design-for-manufacturing principles to guide materials development and reduce downstream risk.

• Ensure materials efforts remain aligned with core technical programs, mechanical designs, and operating modes.

• Implement best practices for quality control, process monitoring, and acceptance criteria suitable for FOAK production.

• Establish rigorous inventory management, traceability, and material flow systems.

• Build, manage, and mentor a multidisciplinary team spanning manufacturing engineering, quality, and senior materials scientists.

Who You Are

• You are an operationally focused technical leader who enjoys building production systems from early development through scale-up.

• You are detail-oriented, rigorous, and comfortable making decisions with long-term consequences.

• You think in multi-year horizons and avoid optimizing solely for short-term prototypes.

• You are effective working with both internal teams and external manufacturing partners.

• You can lead experienced technical contributors while staying close enough to the work to exercise strong judgment.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field preferred

• 12+ years of experience in materials science, chemical engineering, or advanced manufacturing

• Experience standing up early production lines or supply chains for complex or novel materials

• Proven ability to translate R&D into repeatable manufacturing processes

• Hands-on experience working with equipment vendors or contract manufacturers

• Familiarity with quality systems, inventory management, and early-stage production operations

• Experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams

• Alignment with our mission, vision, and virtues

Company culture and benefits

• Challenging, collaborative, and meaningful work and an important voice in company development

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience

• Meaningful equity compensation

• Flexible PTO and expectation that all employees take significant time off to rest, recharge, and enjoy life outside work

• Excellent health insurance with 100% of healthcare, vision, and dental premiums covered

• 401(k) with company match