Hybrid Device Engineer na Active Surfaces

About Us

At Active Surfaces, our mission is bold: to unlock clean energy in places traditional solar can’t reach. Our technology, born from nearly a decade of materials science research at MIT, enables ultra-lightweight, flexible solar modules that install on rooftops, walls, and industrial surfaces once considered off-limits. With our platform, the built environment itself becomes a source of clean power.

Since our founding, we’ve rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting startups in climate tech, building a category-defining company that merges breakthrough science with advanced manufacturing. After closing an oversubscribed funding round with leading global investors and partnering with blue-chip firms, we are scaling quickly to support the growing pipeline of commercial projects lined up through 2026.

With additional funding and commercial announcements on the horizon, we’re expanding our team to support this next phase of rapid growth. These key hires will join a world-class group with deep expertise in semiconductor and perovskite research, roll-to-roll manufacturing, and commercial leadership across the energy sector.

This is an opportunity to join an early-stage, fast-paced team building at the edge of what’s technically possible to unlock large-scale solar deployment. We’re not just developing breakthrough products—we’re also shaping a high-performing, values-driven culture that will define how we grow.

We tackle hard problems first to front-load the hardest work to minimize wasted cycles and accelerate learning. We think creatively and stay curious to thrive in ambiguity and push the boundaries of innovation. We thrive on feedback, using it to grow quickly as individuals and as a team. We act today, not tomorrow, moving with urgency and a bias toward action. And we trust the team and are trustworthy, communicating openly and showing up reliably for one another.

If you share our values and want to shape the future of solar alongside us, we want to meet you!

About the Job

As a Device Engineer, you will be a key player in our R&D efforts to advance solar thin-film devices. Your expertise in thin-film semiconductor materials, preferably in perovskites and organic photovoltaics (OPVs), will be vital in driving the development of our next-generation solar products. Reporting to the Director of Research and working with the Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO), you will take a leading role in developing, testing and vetting semi-conductor materials, to be integrated into our solar device products.

This role is eligible for visa sponsorship.

This job will be located full-time on site in Woburn, MA.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and development activities to drive the innovation of next-generation solar thin-film devices

• Prototype, test, and optimize semiconductor device architectures; semiconductor, metallic and dielectric thin-film materials, leveraging your expertise in thin-film, with a focus on Perovskites and OPVs

• Prototype, test and optimize semiconductor and metallic and dielectric thin-film materials on novel manufacturing processes

• Ensure the successful integration of new materials into working, high efficiency devices and vet overall manufacturing compatibility

• Work closely with Director of Research and the rest of the R&D team to ensure successful integration of improvements into all research and manufacturing workflows

• Analyze and interpret experimental data to guide decision-making and identify areas for improvement

• Assist in the scaling-up of promising materials for manufacturing and commercialization

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry or a related field.

• 5-6 years of hands-on experience in device engineering, preferably in the field of solar energy, optoelectronics, or semiconductor device design (or a strong desire to learn)

• Strong background in thin-film semiconductor technology and experience in the manufacturing, characterization and optimization of solar cells or similar heterojunction devices (e.g. OPVs, OLEDs, TFTs, or thin-film sensors)

• Extensive laboratory experience, adept at planning and conducting experiments, analyzing data and driving optimization.

• Experience working with a wide variety of R+D development tools used in optoelectronic thin-film device optimization (SEM, TEM, Powder XRD, GIWAX, AFM, XPS, PLQE, TRPL, UV-Vis, Fluorescence, Bright and Dark Field Microscopy, and a variety of electrical measurements)

• Demonstrated ability to work with multiple materials and openness to exploring new material systems and manufacturing methods

• Passionate about innovation and able to bring creativity to the development of solar devices

• Eager to contribute and learn in a collaborative and dynamic and fast paced start-up environment

Bonus Points

• Expertise in perovskite solar cells and/or organic photovoltaics (OPVs).

• Experience with R2R coating technology (slot-die, blade coating or related)

• Experience with cleanrooms and gloveboxes

• Experience in using laser spectroscopy or building spectroscopic systems for studying and improving optoelectronic materials and systems

• Experience with various coding languages (Python, MATLAB, LabView) along with knowledge or willingness to learn R+D electrical system control and scripting (eg. Keithley 2400/2600 GPIB (IEEE-488), Ethernet or USB control)

• A willingness to ‘tinker’, or experiment to drive value and generate new ideas

• Experience with setting electrical breadboard test systems

• Experience with prototyping hardware (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32)

• Experience with mechanical design (Solidworks, Autodesk) and prototyping (3D Printing or basic metal machining or CAM)

• Experience with electrical layout (Altium, EZCad)

Perks

• Top-tier health and dental insurance (90% covered)

• 15 days vacation, 5 days personal leave (20 once seniority is reached)

• Commute reimbursement (75%)

• Wellness program ($50/month)

• Cell Phone Reimbursement ($50/month)

• 401K Matching (up to 5%)