Spring Co-op - Materials Science (6 months)

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, capable of producing 10,000 gallons of fuel per year for a fraction of the capital and time of alternative approaches. We are building a motivated, diverse, and collaborative team that is passionate about addressing the growing climate crisis and is committed to excellence in their work. In particular, we look for tenacious people who are energized by solving the hardest, highest impact problems that come their way.

Position Overview

Lydian is looking for a 6-month Materials Science R&D Co-op for Spring 2026 to develop, manufacture, and characterize high temperature materials for use in sustainable fuel reactor systems. You will interface with engineers and scientists across various domains in order to inform your experimental design and research priorities.

This is an hourly position based in Boston, MA and has a minimum commitment of 6-months.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute advanced R&D projects with guidance from Lydian engineers pursuing new paths for materials development
• Use advanced characterization techniques (XRD, SEM, electrical property measurements, oxidation/corrosion analysis) to develop understanding of materials and degradation mechanisms. Work with external partners who can perform some techniques under our guidance
• Build key reactor components using repeatable, scalable manufacturing techniques, including input and experimentation to explore improvements and alternatives to existing techniques
• Frequent use of high temperature furnace equipment to produce different materials
• Support other team members in materials compatibility experiments, materials selection, and characterization
• Assist in equipment setup, maintenance, and SOP generation.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. candidate in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Mechanical Engineering
• Hands-on, proactive mentality when it comes to lab work and pushing ideas forward
• Interest in high-temperature materials science. Experience in high temperature materials like refractory alloys, advanced ceramics, and superalloys preferred but not necessary.
• Interest in building, running, upgrading, and/or maintaining materials test equipment. Experience in basic prototyping, machining, fabrication, or similar is a plus.
• Experimental planning skills including methodical and efficient DOEs to achieve project goals
• Experience documenting experimental procedures, collecting data and performing statistical analyses of datasets
• Focus on safety and assessing/mitigating risks when running experiments in a lab
• Desire to work in a fast-paced environment and solve interesting technical problems
• Alignment with our mission, vision, and virtues

Company Culture And Benefits

• Paid lab/engineering-focused internship with a collaborative in-person technical team
• Challenging, meaningful work that can directly impact company success
• Opportunities for networking/exposure within the climate tech community
• Mentorship from a great team of engineers and scientists