Process Flow Chemist

Job Description

Job Title : Process Flow Chemist or R&D Process Chemist (Scientist I – Principal Scientist)

Job Type : Permanent, Full-time

Work Schedule : Onsite, In Office

Sector : Alternative Energy / Chemical Process Development

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.
• Lead interactions with CROs, in parallel with in-house experiments, to accelerate process development and generate analytical datasets.
• 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 :

Qualifications

Required :

Working Conditions / Environment

Why Work Here

This is an excellent opportunity to join an innovative start-up at the forefront of chemical process development. The successful applicant will receive a competitive compensation package, annual bonus, comprehensive medical benefits, PTO, holidays, and more. Candidate must have authorization to work in the U.S. without a visa or ongoing work permit. For more information on this opportunity or others, please contact Mishu Ventura.