Sulfate Fertilizer Products Technical & Market Lead
PetsApp, San Leandro, California, United States, 94579
About PHNX Materials
PHNX Materials refines coal ash waste into a sulfate-based fertilizer, and a cement substitute (SCM). Our cost-effective, scalable technology delivers a triple win: providing a low cost fertilizer, helping power producers manage coal ash liabilities, and providing concrete companies a cheaper, greener alternative to cement. Founded by Stanford and Tesla alumni, PHNX is on a mission to unlock this abundant domestic natural resource.
Position Overview This is a senior role for someone with deep real-world experience in sulfate-based fertilizers and inorganic salts who will own product quality, product definition, and market direction for PHNX’s sulfate product line.
You will work directly with the founding team to define what we sell, what quality we must hit, how we control impurities, and which markets we pursue first. You will set the quality bar, establish the technical basis for customer acceptance, and drive the practical decisions required to scale from pilot production to commercial operations.
Key Responsibilities
Set and own product quality targets
for sulfate-based products, including purity, moisture, particle size distribution, caking behavior, flowability, and storage stability
Lead the impurity strategy : identify, prioritize, and manage contaminants (metals, insolubles, chlorides, organics, gypsum-related carryover, etc.) and define acceptable ranges by end market
Define the “spec that matters” for each target market and customer, including
which impurities are truly limiting
vs what is negotiable
Establish
test methods, QC protocols, and sampling plans
that are credible to customers and scalable for production
Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions when product quality drifts, including process changes and operational controls
Lead market selection
across agricultural, industrial, and specialty applications based on spec requirements, qualification difficulty, and achievable margins
Translate customer requirements into
clear product definitions
and a roadmap for “pilot‑grade” to “commercial‑grade” milestones
Define customer‑facing claims and documentation (COA templates, SDS inputs, handling guidance) aligned with real buyer expectations
Own customer qualification strategy : sample plans, trial programs, required data packages, and path to repeat orders
Guide offtake structures, distribution pathways, packaging requirements, and logistics constraints tied to product form and stability
Serve as the technical authority in customer conversations on quality, impurities, handling, and storage
Drive decisions on unit operations that affect product quality, including crystallization, filtration, drying, conditioning, anti‑caking approaches, storage, and packaging
Make the hard tradeoffs
between purity, yield, cost, and throughput, and align the team around those decisions
Act as the key technical and commercial thought partner as PHNX transitions from pilot operations to first commercial deployment
Qualifications We are open on background, but this role requires deep domain authority. You may come from:
Fertilizer manufacturing (especially sulfate‑or nitrogen‑based products)
Industrial production of sulfate salts or inorganic chemicals
Agricultural inputs, fertilizer product management, or distribution with strong technical depth
Process engineering and industrial scale‑up of bulk chemical products
You likely have:
Direct experience producing and shipping sulfate-based products to real customers
Strong, practical knowledge of
how impurities show up, how to remove or control them, and how buyers evaluate risk
Familiarity with quality systems: specs, COAs, sampling, lab methods, and acceptance criteria
A track record of making decisions under technical and commercial constraints
Comfort operating in ambiguity and driving clarity in early‑stage environments
What We Offer
Opportunity to shape a critical product pathway at an early‑stage industrial company
Direct access to the founding team and influence over technical and commercial direction
Flexible structure based on fit, ranging from advisory to hands‑on involvement
Real impact on how a waste‑derived product competes in established markets
If you have deep experience with sulfate-based fertilizer products and want to help build something new at industrial scale, we would love to speak.
PHNX Materials is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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Position Overview This is a senior role for someone with deep real-world experience in sulfate-based fertilizers and inorganic salts who will own product quality, product definition, and market direction for PHNX’s sulfate product line.
You will work directly with the founding team to define what we sell, what quality we must hit, how we control impurities, and which markets we pursue first. You will set the quality bar, establish the technical basis for customer acceptance, and drive the practical decisions required to scale from pilot production to commercial operations.
Key Responsibilities
Set and own product quality targets
for sulfate-based products, including purity, moisture, particle size distribution, caking behavior, flowability, and storage stability
Lead the impurity strategy : identify, prioritize, and manage contaminants (metals, insolubles, chlorides, organics, gypsum-related carryover, etc.) and define acceptable ranges by end market
Define the “spec that matters” for each target market and customer, including
which impurities are truly limiting
vs what is negotiable
Establish
test methods, QC protocols, and sampling plans
that are credible to customers and scalable for production
Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions when product quality drifts, including process changes and operational controls
Lead market selection
across agricultural, industrial, and specialty applications based on spec requirements, qualification difficulty, and achievable margins
Translate customer requirements into
clear product definitions
and a roadmap for “pilot‑grade” to “commercial‑grade” milestones
Define customer‑facing claims and documentation (COA templates, SDS inputs, handling guidance) aligned with real buyer expectations
Own customer qualification strategy : sample plans, trial programs, required data packages, and path to repeat orders
Guide offtake structures, distribution pathways, packaging requirements, and logistics constraints tied to product form and stability
Serve as the technical authority in customer conversations on quality, impurities, handling, and storage
Drive decisions on unit operations that affect product quality, including crystallization, filtration, drying, conditioning, anti‑caking approaches, storage, and packaging
Make the hard tradeoffs
between purity, yield, cost, and throughput, and align the team around those decisions
Act as the key technical and commercial thought partner as PHNX transitions from pilot operations to first commercial deployment
Qualifications We are open on background, but this role requires deep domain authority. You may come from:
Fertilizer manufacturing (especially sulfate‑or nitrogen‑based products)
Industrial production of sulfate salts or inorganic chemicals
Agricultural inputs, fertilizer product management, or distribution with strong technical depth
Process engineering and industrial scale‑up of bulk chemical products
You likely have:
Direct experience producing and shipping sulfate-based products to real customers
Strong, practical knowledge of
how impurities show up, how to remove or control them, and how buyers evaluate risk
Familiarity with quality systems: specs, COAs, sampling, lab methods, and acceptance criteria
A track record of making decisions under technical and commercial constraints
Comfort operating in ambiguity and driving clarity in early‑stage environments
What We Offer
Opportunity to shape a critical product pathway at an early‑stage industrial company
Direct access to the founding team and influence over technical and commercial direction
Flexible structure based on fit, ranging from advisory to hands‑on involvement
Real impact on how a waste‑derived product competes in established markets
If you have deep experience with sulfate-based fertilizer products and want to help build something new at industrial scale, we would love to speak.
PHNX Materials is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr