Job Details

ABOUT US:

ACP Technologies is an agile, innovative, and growth-oriented company looking to add an Analytical Laboratory Manager to support the development, scale-up, and commercialization of our proprietary mesophase pitch process and related carbon material technologies. This is a unique opportunity to lead analytical laboratory operations in support of groundbreaking technology for novel commercial, defense, and advanced materials applications. Position reports directly to senior technical management.

ACPT is known for its innovative work with carbon materials, including mesophase pitch, isotropic pitch, graphite, carbon fiber, and carbon-carbon composites. These products are used in next generation lithium-ion batteries, rockets, military vehicles, and equipment. These programs are supported by contracts from the DOD and DLA. ACPT recently built a pilot plant in collaboration with ExxonMobil which is where this position will be located.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Successful candidates should be experienced in analytical chemistry, laboratory management, quality control, method development, data interpretation, and analytical testing in petroleum, coal tar, carbon, or advanced materials environments. Primary responsibilities include:

• Manage day-to-day operations of the analytical laboratory.
• Run and oversee analytical testing on petroleum pitch, coal tar pitch, mesophase pitch, isotropic pitch, coke, graphite, carbon materials, process intermediates, and related samples.
• Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve analytical methods and laboratory equipment including TGA, microcarbon residue testing, softening point analysis, GC/MS, GC, FTIR, microscopy, viscosity, ash, sulfur, density, quinoline insolubles, toluene insolubles, particle size, and other petroleum, coal, pitch, and carbon material analytical methods.
• Supervise laboratory technicians, chemists, interns, or other analytical staff as needed.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and well-documented analytical results for R&D, pilot plant, production, engineering, and customer-facing programs.
• Develop, validate, improve, and maintain analytical methods, standard operating procedures, calibration procedures, and laboratory work instructions.
• Interpret laboratory data and communicate results clearly to engineering, R&D, program management, pilot plant, production, and leadership teams.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, calibration schedules, preventive maintenance records, instrument logs, and quality documentation.
• Support troubleshooting of process, product quality, and scale-up issues through analytical data review, root cause analysis, and recommendations for additional testing.
• Ensure laboratory work is performed safely, consistently, and in accordance with applicable company procedures, customer requirements, and industry standards.

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Coordinate analytical testing priorities with R&D, engineering, pilot plant, production, and program management teams.
• Prepare technical summaries, certificates of analysis, data packages, reports, and PowerPoint presentations to communicate laboratory findings.
• Assist with experimental design, sample plans, test matrices, and analytical protocols for internal and external development programs.
• Work with outside laboratories, universities, customers, suppliers, and partners when specialized testing or third-party verification is required.
• Maintain inventory of laboratory supplies, chemicals, gases, solvents, standards, reference materials, and consumables.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laboratory safety procedures, chemical hygiene practices, SDS requirements, waste handling requirements, and company policies.
• Train laboratory personnel on equipment operation, analytical methods, sample preparation, documentation practices, calibration requirements, and safe work procedures.
• Review and approve analytical data for accuracy, completeness, and consistency before results are released internally or externally.
• Participate in regular meetings with internal teams, partners, and customers to ensure that key requirements, limitations, and goals are identified and met.
• Due to the start-up environment of the company, job duties are always changing. Candidates should have flexibility to pivot tasks and curiosity to learn new subjects and skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

APPLICANT MUST BE A US CITIZEN AND ELIGIBLE FOR A MILITARY SECURITY CLEARANCE

No H1B, F1 or other visa candidates and no green card holders will be considered.

• BS in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Petroleum Engineering, Environmental Science, or a closely related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in analytical chemistry, laboratory operations, quality control, R&D testing, petroleum testing, coal testing, chemical manufacturing, or materials characterization.

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• TGA, Microcarbon residue testing, Softening point analysis, GC/MS, FTIR, Sulfur analysis
• Sample preparation for petroleum, coal, pitch, coke, and carbon materials
• Instrument calibration and troubleshooting
• Method development and validation
• Laboratory safety
• Quality control
• Excel
• Team leadership

WHAT WE OFFER:

ACPT offers a casual, friendly work environment, medical, dental, and vision insurance, HSA, 401(k) with a 6% match, and more!

Benefits offered:

• Paid time off
• 401(k) with 6% match
• Sick time
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Life insurance

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Job Type:

Full-time, up to 50 hours/week

Schedule:

24/7 Operation

Pay:

$25-$35 /hr

Ability to commute/relocate:

Ashland, KY: Reliably commute or willing to relocate

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

ACP Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

ACP Technologies complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and is committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.