Metallurgical Engineering Intern
Summary
Metallurgical Engineering Intern at a rare earth metals startup, assisting reactor operations and alloy production to convert magnet waste into high-purity metals. Work involves high-temperature/vacuum processing, ICP-OES, SEM-EDS, and LECO analysis, collaborating with metallurgists and technicians on-site in Alameda, CA.
Making the Metals Powering the World
Solcoa is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths — the metals of power and motion. We've developed a new chemistry that converts rare earth oxides into high-purity metals — the materials inside every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, and data center — cleaner, cheaper, and faster than any conventional process. Now we're scaling it to thousands of tonnes of annual production.
The Role — Metallurgical Engineering Intern
Join our process team and help turn rare earth magnet waste into high-purity metals. You'll support our reactor operations, assist with alloy production, and keep our documentation tight—working with metallurgists, chemists, and technicians to move quickly from lab scale to production.
What You'll Do
Assist with high-temperature and high-vacuum reactor operations.
Help characterize feed materials and products using ICP-OES, SEM-EDS, LECO O/N.
Run furnace cycles, collect process data, and summarize results to inform design iterations
Maintain organized logs of process parameters, equipment conditions, and sample tracking
Support equipment maintenance: vacuum systems, induction coils, thermocouples, and gas handling
Contribute to safety-first culture and continuous improvement on the facility floor.
What You Bring
Required
Pursuing a BS/MS in Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
Exposure to pyrometallurgy, electrometallurgy, or high-temperature processing (coursework or labs).
Hands-on experience from labs, foundry work, internships, or personal projects (furnaces, casting, heat treatment)
Detail-oriented, disciplined documentation, and reliable follow-through
Comfortable in a fast-paced, hardware-centric environment and willing to get your hands dirty
On-site availability; able to start soon
Preferred
Experience with vacuum or inert-atmosphere furnace operation
Familiarity with rare-earth metallurgy, molten salt electrolysis, or reactive metal processing
Basic thermodynamic analysis skills (Ellingham diagrams, phase diagrams, FactSage/HSC a plus)
Welding or basic machining experience (mill/lathe)
Python/MATLAB for data analysis
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive compensation.
Insurance provided.
Support relocating to the Bay Area.
Company-provided lunch daily.
J1 Visa sponsorship available if needed.