Job Title: Flow Chemist or R&D Process Chemist (Scientist I – Principal Scientist - Sr Scientist)
Job Type: Permanent, Full-time
Work Schedule: Onsite, In Office
Sector: Alternative Energy / Biotechnology
Location: San Diego, CA (Sorrento Valley area)
NES Fircroft is a leading global technical recruitment company providing professional contract and permanent staff to a diverse world-wide client base within the energy industry. Our client, an innovative start-up focused on advancing chemical process development, has a permanent opportunity for a Flow Chemist or R&D Process Chemist to be based in San Diego, California.
Position Summary
This role offers the opportunity to lead optimization of chemical reactions and conversion into flow systems. The successful candidate must know how to create a flow set up in lab setting to design, run, and test several experiments. They will play a key role in developing R&D chemistry while collaborating closely with engineering teams for process scale-up. The position requires expertise in both batch and flow chemistry, reaction kinetics, and heterogeneous catalysis to support commercialization of cutting-edge technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Exemplify excellence in lab safety and chemical hygiene practices.
• Optimize proprietary chemical reactions to determine conversion and yield limitations.
• Improve reactions across multistep chemical synthesis schemes for enhanced conversion and yields.
• Determine reaction kinetic rates, kinetic behaviors, and inherent limitations.
• Build experimental solutions to overcome equilibrium or thermodynamic hurdles in reactions.
• Convert batch reactions into flow reactions for improved overall performance.
• Design and assemble gram-scale flow reactor systems using lab equipment (e.g., syringe pumps, check valves, and coiled tubing).
• Calculate all critical reaction metrics and KPIs for tech transfer and scale-up.
• Design, document, and validate flow reactions for process development.
• Perform reactions using corrosives, flammable materials, and gases under pressure.
• Apply analytical methods to identify and quantify reactants, products, and byproducts.
• Strengthen chemistry data management and project communication within the R&D team.
• Organize, present, and share data, challenges, and strategies with global teams.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Identify and evaluate appropriate metal catalysts for heterogeneous reactions.
• Onboard and commission equipment for catalyst preparation.
• Design and build integrated flow reactor arrays for continuous production of compounds and intermediates.
• Implement methods for preparing metal catalysts on solid supports.
• Develop novel bimetallic catalysts through diverse preparation techniques.
• Characterize in-house catalysts thoroughly and document results for technology transfer.
  Qualifications

Key Responsibilities

• Exemplify excellence in lab safety and chemical hygiene practices.
• Optimize proprietary chemical reactions to determine conversion and yield limitations.
• Improve reactions across multistep chemical synthesis schemes for enhanced conversion and yields.
• Determine reaction kinetic rates, kinetic behaviors, and inherent limitations.
• Build experimental solutions to overcome equilibrium or thermodynamic hurdles in reactions.
• Convert batch reactions into flow reactions for improved overall performance.
• Design and assemble gram-scale flow reactor systems using lab equipment (e.g., syringe pumps, check valves, and coiled tubing).
• Calculate all critical reaction metrics and KPIs for tech transfer and scale-up.
• Design, document, and validate flow reactions for process development.
• Perform reactions using corrosives, flammable materials, and gases under pressure.
• Apply analytical methods to identify and quantify reactants, products, and byproducts.
• Strengthen chemistry data management and project communication within the R&D team.
• Organize, present, and share data, challenges, and strategies with global teams