Material Development Engineer

Do you want your materials expertise to directly influence industrial production, sustainability, and the energy transition? Are you motivated by experimenting, optimizing, and understanding how materials behave in real processes - not just on paper? At Midsummer, we are looking for a Materials Engineer who wants to work hands-on with process development for input material to thin film solar cells and push material performance from raw input to finished product. About the role As a Materials Engineer at Midsummer, you will work with powder processing, sintering and testing of sputter targets, with a strong focus on waste reduction and circularity. You will take care of the equipment and, if needed, improve it, and communicate with suppliers and collaboration partners. You will be involved in the full materials workflow - from raw material selection and preparation to compaction, processing, characterization, and implementation in production. The work is experimental and iterative, with freedom to design tests, analyze results, and define next steps. The role combines hands‑on laboratory and pilot‑scale work, materials characterization, and data analysis, always with the goal of creating robust, scalable processes. You will collaborate closely with technicians, operators, production engineers, and innovation engineers. Travel may occur within Sweden and internationally. Main tasks Develop and refine materials and processes for thin‑film solar cell manufacturing, including design and execution of experiments tied to production challenges

Maintain and adapt production equipment to ensure stable processing and improved material yield.

Perform risk analyses to ensure personal and environmental safety

Maintain and develop supplier contacts including pricing, quality, lead times and ESG compliance, and collaborate with external research partners and suppliers

Characterize materials using techniques such as SEM, XRD, and other relevant tools, analyze data, and identify root causes of material‑ and process‑related issues

Translate laboratory results into scalable, production‑ready processes, and document and communicate findings across innovation, production, and engineering

This is you You are driven by curiosity and strongly result oriented. You are comfortable switching between theory and practice, enjoy working experimentally, and are motivated by seeing your work implemented in real production. You think analytically, but you are also pragmatic. You take initiative, enjoy troubleshooting, and are not discouraged when experiments require iteration. You like working in close collaboration with others, but you are equally comfortable taking full ownership of your own technical areas. Required qualifications University degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Materials Chemistry, Materials Physics or similar

Strong interest in applied materials development and industrial processes

Experience or strong interest in experimental work and materials characterization

Ability to independently plan experiments and evaluate results

Fluency in English, both written and spoken

Preferred qualifications Experience with powder processing, sintering, or high‑temperature materials

Experience working close to manufacturing or pilot‑scale environments

Familiarity with statistical analysis of experimental data

Experience with sustainable materials development and material efficiency

Knowledge of EU REACH regulations

About Midsummer Midsummer is a Swedish company and a leader in innovative solar cell technology, specializing in flexible CIGS thin‑film solar cells and the proprietary production machines used to manufacture them. With production carried out in‑house within the EU, we offer the most sustainable renewable energy solution on the market, featuring the world’s lowest carbon footprint and solar cells that are 98% recyclable and contain 63% recycled materials. By owning the entire value chain, from processed raw materials and manufacturing to the finished product, we ensure high quality and transparency at every stage. Our lightweight and flexible panels suit most roof types, support low load‑bearing buildings, and enable quick and secure installation without roof penetration, making long‑term and durable solar integration possible.