Engineering Lab & Quality Technician - Material Science​/Metals Testing

Job Title:

Engineering Lab & Quality Technician – Material Science / Metals Testing

Location:

Wood Dale, IL

Website:

Sun Metalon is building the industrial infrastructure platform for metal circularity — transforming contaminated waste streams into clean, high-value metal with zero CO₂ emissions.

Join a mission-driven team redefining industrial recycling at the intersection of hardware, process innovation, and real-world manufacturing. Help shape how this platform scales — from our Wood Dale facility today to deployments worldwide — with a team that values impact, operational excellence, and no tolerance for waste in any form.

We’re not making new metal. We’re making metal new.

Be part of a mission‑driven team that is redefining industrial metal recycling and reducing CO₂ emissions across the global metal industry. Work at the intersection of material science, hardware design, and process‑scale innovation in a fast‑moving start‑up environment that values impact over optics. Help shape how our proprietary metal‑processing technology is validated and refined through rigorous lab‑scale testing, with a direct line from your work to real‑world customer deployments.

Join a growing U.S. and international team with a focus on sustainability, technical rigor, and lean, no‑waste execution.

Sun Metalon Inc. is seeking an Engineering Lab & Quality Technician to serve as a critical link between our Research & Development lab and commercial production operations in Wood Dale, IL. This dual‑focus role provides essential technical support by executing hands‑on proof‑of‑concept R&D tests on customer‑supplied metals while simultaneously driving rigorous quality control (QC) across the production floor. The technician is responsible for the integrity of both lab‑scale process validation and real‑world product quality, ensuring data‑driven decision‑making throughout the material processing lifecycle.

This position requires a versatile individual capable of transitioning seamlessly between the precision of an R&D environment and the fast‑paced demands of production QC. As a member of a scaling start‑up, you will actively build and refine the operating procedures for both lab and quality workflows. This is a hands‑on technical role intended for candidates with a high school diploma plus significant experience or a technical associate degree;

advanced engineering degrees are not required.

• Execute comprehensive quality control (QC) testing within the production environment, including the sampling, measurement, and inspection of metal products to ensure strict adherence to engineering and cleanliness specifications.
• Assemble, configure, and operate proprietary lab equipment for R&D proof‑of‑concept trials, maintaining controlled and repeatable test conditions for customer‑supplied materials.
• Generate and manage integrated technical reports that correlate R&D lab results with production‑floor QC data to identify trends, out‑of‑spec conditions, and opportunities for process optimization.
• Perform routine maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting for both R&D lab machinery and production QC instrumentation to ensure equipment readiness and data accuracy.
• Document detailed observations and quantitative data (temperature, pressure, mass, density, and visual condition) from both experimental trials and standard production runs.
• Drive the development of standardized operating procedures (SOPs) and checklists for both laboratory testing and production‑line quality inspections as the company scales.
• Collaborate with Material Science Engineers and the Production team to translate QC findings into actionable insights for improving commercial product quality and R&D test designs.
• Follow safety protocols for high‑temperature equipment, electrical systems, moving parts, and handling of metal samples (including sharp, hot, or contaminated pieces).
• Maintain a clean, organized lab environment and contribute to lab‑specific documentation such as work instructions, SOPs, and test‑setup records.

• Comfort splitting time between the R&D lab and the production…