get hired at
Solcoa
A new way to make rare earth metals, without China's playbook
- —
- BCVGCMFJD+3
- Alameda
- AI
Open roles at Solcoa
6 positions we're tracking, re-checked daily
- apply ↗
Mechanical Engineer (Alameda)
alameda, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
Research Engineer (Alameda)
alameda, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
Pilot Plant Operator (Alameda)
alameda, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
R&D Technician (Alameda)
alameda, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
Head of Government Relations (Washington, D.C.)
alameda, usaSeniorfirst seen today - apply ↗
Technical Recruiter (Alameda)
alameda, usaMid-levelfirst seen today
Know when Solcoa is hiring before anyone else
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
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- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
What Solcoa is building
Solcoa makes the metal that goes inside a permanent magnet. Everyone talks about rare earth mining and magnet factories. The narrow step in between gets less attention: turning a refined oxide powder into neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) or samarium metal. The standard route is molten-salt electrolysis, which is energy hungry and gives off fluoride gases and perfluorocarbons. China has spent decades scaling it, and that is exactly the race Solcoa refuses to run. The company uses halide-free chemistry in modular reactors it builds itself in Alameda 'in weeks.' Feedstock is refined oxides and scrap, sourced from France, the US and Malaysia. Solcoa says the process is faster, uses less energy and costs less than electrolysis, and it is clean enough to run in a Bay Area industrial building. It isn't only a lab claim. Solcoa already makes more than 10 tonnes a year of NdPr and samarium metal in Alameda and is shipping it. Solcoa One scales that to 500 tonnes a year in Nevada. The company says that is enough NdPr for magnets in up to a million EVs. Target markets are EVs, robotics and defense. Hooman Reza Nezhad's pitch fits in one line: 'You will not beat China by copying China.' He points out that America's last genuinely new primary-metal process was titanium in the 1940s.
Why this matters
The deadline is real and it's close. DFARS 252.225-7052 already bars Chinese-origin magnets from US defense supply chains, and from January 1, 2027 the restriction reaches back to the metallization step. According to the company's announcement, China controls about 95% of global rare earth metallization capacity. Felicis cites the IEA's projection that demand for magnet-grade rare earth metal grows 4-7x by 2040, and says the Pentagon committed $1.2B in loans in June 2026 to rebuild the segment. As Felicis's James Detweiler puts it, 'Western production of magnet-grade rare earth metals rounds to zero.' Anyone who has metal in hand before 2027 has a buyer.
Investors: Bain Capital Ventures (Alysaa Co), Gigascale Capital (Mike Schroepfer), Felicis (James Detweiler), Long Journey, J.P. Morgan (debt), Angels: Dylan Field
Hiring outlook
The round explicitly funds a new plant and more reactor manufacturing, and the Ashby board has nine open roles right now.
Working at Solcoa
Solcoa is a AI company based in Alameda, USA. For a AI company this size, the reality is opportunity to shape your role based on the company stage.
Most Solcoa jobs are based in Alameda, USA.
How to actually get hired at Solcoa
Why applying the normal way doesn't work
Solcoa has an ATS but the real pipeline is referrals → sourced → recruiter picks → cold apps. You can still get through, but know where you stand.
Who to contact at Solcoa
- Who decides
- the hiring manager
- Best channel
- LinkedIn or direct email
What to show them
A one-page scale-up risk register for going from a 10-tonne pilot line to a 500-tonne plant: which failure modes grow non-linearly (heat management, atmosphere control, feedstock variability between French, US and Malaysian oxide), what you'd instrument first, and what you've actually run at pilot scale yourself.
A cold email that works at Solcoa
What Solcoa screens for
Bain Capital Ventures led a $45M equity seed into a company that is barely a year old. Pairing it with $30M of J.P. Morgan debt tells you this is a plant financing, not a science bet. Gigascale's Mike Schroepfer (former Meta CTO) backed it because the metal already exists: 10 tonnes a year shipping from Alameda. Felicis framed it as 'invention, not imitation.' The window is concrete. Solcoa One has to run by July 2027, and the defense metallization rule starts January 1, 2027, so every hire in the next six months works straight on the critical path. Pilot plant and mechanical roles are where you get the most leverage.
Don't send a generic CV to Solcoa. Mirror the job posting's language to get past automated screening.
Don't make these mistakes
Don't open with geopolitics. Hooman has been giving the 'break China's grip' speech to investors and reporters all year, so hearing it back from you proves nothing. Also don't treat him as a kid who needs mentoring. He deferred the University of Toronto on a Thiel Fellowship and holds a patent on a molten-salt reactor for pulling metal out of Martian regolith. He knows electrolysis well enough to have chosen against it. With Artem, skip the 'passionate about sustainability' framing and talk about reactors, yields and uptime.
Mistakes that kill Solcoa applications
At people, a copy-paste CV is immediately obvious. It's an instant no.
Lead with their problem, not your ambition. Solcoa is focused on The deadline is real and it's close — show you understand that.
Don't apply and wait. The median AI application gets no response ever. One follow-up at day five roughly doubles reply rates.
Applying to Solcoa? Get the contact, not the form.
The Solcoa interview process
We don't yet have verified candidate reports for Solcoa. What follows is the typical process for a -person AI company, so treat it as a model, not confirmed detail.
Interview stages
- 1
Recruiter Screen
Phone or video · 30 min
What it testsBasic qualification and logisticsUsually run byRecruiter or HR - 2
Hiring Manager Interview
Video call · 45 min
What it testsRole fit and experience deep-diveUsually run byHiring manager - 3
Technical/Functional Round
Video call · 60 min
What it testsSkills assessment and problem-solvingUsually run byTeam members - 4
Final Round
In-person or video · 60 min
What it testsCulture fit and cross-functional alignmentUsually run bySenior leadership
Solcoa take-home assignment
Solcoa includes a take-home exercise in their interview process. For AI roles, this typically involves a practical problem that takes 2-4 hours. Focus on clean, working code over premature optimization. They're evaluating how you think and communicate, not just the solution.
Solcoa interview timeline
At 14 days, Solcoa's process is about average than typical for AI (14 days at this size).
Interviewed at Solcoa?
Tell us how it went: stages, questions, timeline. Takes 90 seconds and it's how this page stays accurate for the next person.
Solcoa jobs, frequently asked questions
How many jobs does Solcoa have open?
Solcoa currently has 6 open roles, last verified September 28, 2026.
Does Solcoa hire remotely?
Solcoa doesn't have remote openings at the moment. All roles are in Alameda, USA.
What roles is Solcoa hiring for?
Solcoa is hiring across Engineering, Other, Design. The most recent opening is Mechanical Engineer (Alameda).
How do I apply for a job at Solcoa?
Apply directly through the links above, or read our guide on how to actually get hired at Solcoa.
Does Solcoa respond to cold emails?
We're still collecting cold email data for Solcoa.
Who is the hiring manager at Solcoa?
At this size, hiring is usually run by the hiring manager.
How competitive is it to get hired at Solcoa?
Expect 100-250 applicants in the first two weeks for AI roles at this size. Apply within 72 hours for best odds.
How many rounds is the Solcoa interview?
4 stages: Recruiter Screen, Hiring Manager Interview, Technical/Functional Round, Final Round.
Is the Solcoa interview hard?
It concentrates on technical depth and system design rather than abstract puzzles. The stage candidates find hardest is Technical Interview.
Does Solcoa give a take-home task?
Yes, Solcoa includes a take-home assignment.
How long does Solcoa take to get back to you?
Around 14 days across the full process.
What should I prepare for the Solcoa interview?
Prepare for technical depth and system design. A -person startup wants proof you can ship, not that you can whiteboard.
Where is Solcoa based?
Solcoa is headquartered in Alameda, USA.
Get Solcoa roles before they're posted
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
From $5.99/week, cancel any time.
- live
- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
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