About Arcturus

Arcturus is creating a new wire technology stack that uses carbon nanomaterials to overcome the materials limitations of metals where performance breaks down, at real operating temperatures. Our technology is designed to significantly improve the performance of electric motors for drones and robotics, heat sinks, and ultimately the entire energy grid. At its core, Arcturus is developing a new class of carbon nanomaterial-infused metal matrix composites for high-performance conductor applications.

Why you should join us

This is a ground-floor opportunity to help build something that has never been done before.

You would join as an early technical co-op and work closely with Arcturus’ technical team across nanomaterials, additive manufacturing, process engineering, and testing. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to learn quickly, contribute directly, and help build the experimental foundation for a first-of-its-kind materials platform.

Purpose

We are seeking a Research and Prototyping Engineer Co-op who can support the technical team across experiments, literature research, supplier research, sample preparation, fixture development, testing, and documentation.

This role is intentionally broad. You do not need to be an expert in every area, but you should be highly curious, organized, hands-on, and excited to work at the intersection of materials science, advanced manufacturing, and electrification.

The role

This role will work closely with Arcturus’ technical leads and senior engineers.

Nanomaterials

Build and maintain a carbon nanomaterial and powder supplier database, including vendors, material specs, pricing, lead times, and sample availability

Help organize a recipe matrix for carbon nanomaterial integration, including material type, loading level, feedstock, processing route, and resulting performance

Support basic nanomaterial handling, sample preparation, documentation, and experimental tracking

Additive Manufacturing

Help build and maintain chamber BOMs, equipment lists, vendor quote trackers, and component comparison tables

Support fixture and tooling development through CAD, ideally in Onshape or a similar CAD platform

Help organize a fixture CAD library for experimental setups, sample holders, coupons, and test hardware

Support additive manufacturing experiments through preparation, documentation, build tracking, and post-build sample handling

Process Engineering

Support flash sintering fixture iterations, including CAD updates, part sourcing, assembly, testing, and documentation

Help create and improve sample preparation SOPs for polishing, sectioning, mounting, cleaning, labeling, and tracking

Support cylinder coupon workflows, including sample preparation, processing, inspection, measurement, and documentation

Help translate experimental procedures into clear, repeatable work instructions and lab notes

Testing and Characterization

Support internal materials testing, including Raman spectroscopy, electrical characterization, mechanical characterization, polishing, microscopy, and other methods as needed

Help prepare samples and data packages for external testing, vendor evaluation, partner validation, and customer-facing demonstrations

Coordinate with external vendors and labs for quotes, sample shipments, testing status, and results tracking

Maintain clear technical documentation, including lab notes, test summaries, experimental results, and lessons learned

Basic qualifications

Currently pursuing or recently completed a BS, MS, or PhD in materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, manufacturing engineering, or a related technical field

Strong technical curiosity and willingness to learn across multiple disciplines

Comfortable working hands-on in a lab, shop, or experimental environment

Highly organized, detail-oriented, and reliable with documentation

Able to take direction, ask good questions, and execute quickly

Excited to work in a fast-moving startup environment where priorities can change quickly