Director of Process Engineering

About the job
Job Description – Director of Process Engineering
The Opportunity
Avadain’s electrochemical graphene flake manufacturing technology has the potential to make the world cleaner, better and more prosperous. We are seeking an experienced, creative, driven and self-motivated Director of Process Engineering to help scale a breakthrough platform and power a new industrial revolution.
This is a full-time, remote role with travel as needed. Please note, Avadain cannot employ CA residents.
Company Background
Graphene, a Nobel Prize-winning material, has the potential to transform manufacturing. In its pure form, it is the thinnest material ever discovered, with extraordinary strength, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. It is nearly transparent, and its mechanical strength exceeds that of any other measured material.
Graphene is primarily used as an additive material capable of transforming thousands of products across large, high-growth industries. Its performance depends on three core physical properties: large surface area, few atomic layers and virtually no defects. Together, these properties enable graphene’s exceptional electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and thermal transfer—the intrinsic characteristics of true graphene that give it its “wow” factor.
Today, more than 400 companies worldwide manufacture materials described as “graphene,” though many are sub-optimal alternatives such as graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, nanoplatelets, nanoparticles, carbon black, activated carbon, graphitic material or even carbon soot. This has created confusion and disappointment among end users. Tens of billions of dollars of graphene-enhanced, high-value products are waiting for true graphene to enter the market.
Avadain is a four-year-old, early-stage licensing company with globally patented technology to manufacture LTDF graphene flakes through optimized electrochemical exfoliation and expansion. Avadain is scaling this technology for mass production and plans to license its modular manufacturing platform to create widely distributed LTDF graphene production capacity located close to end users. Avadain does not plan to manufacture graphene itself.
Avadain is working with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and NORAM Engineering to scale its technology to mass production while providing graphene flake samples to support evaluation, application development and licensing.
Key Responsibilities
· Ensure timely production of graphene flake samples to support licensing, customer evaluation and application development.
· Provide technical support to Avadain’s Director of Graphene Applications and collaborate on customer-driven product requirements.
· Lead process scale-up and ongoing process innovation for mid-scale production units in partnership with outsourced engineering and design teams.
· Translate licensee needs and operational considerations into clear requirements for engineering, design and commercialization partners.
· Support production line engineering, construction, commissioning and start-up operations at licensee locations.
· Develop and maintain product quality specifications, process control strategies, capital expenditure estimates and manufacturing cost-per-kilogram analyses as scale-up progresses.
· Manage key supply chain relationships and recommend production design modifications when needed to improve reliability, scalability or cost.
· Contribute to Avadain’s intellectual property strategy by identifying potential patents and trade secrets and reviewing invention disclosures.
· Manage process modifications required to address customer requirements for new graphene flake product extensions.
· Participate in the licensing process with manufacturers and end users, serving as a credible technical representative for Avadain.
· Serve as the technical liaison with licensees throughout evaluation, implementation and scale-up.
· Identify optimal graphite supply sources and support negotiation of supply agreements.
· Support optimization of product storage, packaging and transportation requirements.
Qualifications and Experience
· MS or PhD in Chemical Engineering or a closely related technical field.
· 5-10+ years of hands-on experience in electrochemical manufacturing operations, with strong working knowledge of carbon nanomaterials production and characterization.
· Demonstrated success leading teams responsible for scaling emerging technologies from development through pilot, mid-scale or commercial production.
· Experience collaborating effectively in both start-up and large corporate environments.
· Willingness to operate as both a strategic leader and hands-on individual contributor in a dynamic, fast-moving start-up environment.
Role Details
Title: Director of Process Engineering
Reports to: CEO until a CTO is appointed
Start Date: As soon as possible
Location: Remote, with travel as needed
Compensation: Negotiable, commensurate with experience, plus equity opportunity
Reporting to the CEO, the Director of Process Engineering will be a key member of Avadain’s executive team. The successful candidate will bring strategic judgment, deep technical expertise and a proven track record in process development, manufacturing scale-up, supply chain coordination, quality control strategy and analytical development. This leader will also apply strong knowledge of advanced materials and nanoscience to help commercialize Avadain’s breakthrough graphene technology.
This is a rare opportunity to help unlock the world-changing potential of graphene by building the production capacity needed to serve thousands of high-value applications. Success in this role, combined with Avadain’s growth, may create opportunities for expanded leadership responsibility and increased equity value.

Work arrangement
Yes