Headquartered in West Sacramento, Origin Materials is the world's leading carbon negative materials company. Origin’s mission is to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials. Over the past 10 years, Origin has developed a platform for turning the carbon found in non-food biomass into useful materials, while capturing carbon in the process. Origin’s patented drop-in core technology, economics and carbon impact have been validated by trusted third parties and are supported by a growing list of major global customers and investors. Origin’s first plant is expected to be operational in 2022 with a second, full-scale commercial plant expected to be operational by 2025 and plans for additional expansion over the next decade. For more information, visit www.originmaterials.com.
Origin Materials believes in protecting its employees and the community and, as such, requires employees who come on site to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Origin provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Our People
We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. When you take a job at Origin, you do more than switch companies or advance your career. You become part of the Origin community: an inclusive group of hardworking, uniquely talented people who drive innovation.
Benefits and Perks
You will work with great people. You will be joining a close-knit group of A+ players who like to hustle, create, and work hard because we believe in Origin’s mission: to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials.
You will make a difference. We’re working on big things, so every person has the opportunity to make an impact.
You will grow. There are endless opportunities at Origin to learn and improve. You’ll be surrounded by great minds and presented with big challenges. And you and your teammates will push one another to overcome those challenges.
You will enjoy excellent benefits. We offer a wide range of insurance including Medical and Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life, as well as a 401k, EAP, and generous leave.
You will have flexibility. We don’t believe in one size fits all when it comes to work location and schedule. We care about safety and efficiency so work where and when you are at your best. Also, we recognize our team works hard so we want you to take time off when you need it. That’s why we have a flexible time off policy.
About the Position
Origin is currently pursuing the development of plastics, such as PET, and other materials, such as carbon black, from biorenewable sources. Research Scientists lead R&D and Engineering projects involving the foundational research and product development of compounds derived from Origin’s process. They help bring Origin’s innovative technology out of the lab and into commercial operation. You will be responsible for experimental process design and implementation and will work closely with the R&D team and the Technical Directors of Research and Engineering. This involves design and construct bench-scale equipment, conducting experiments, performing detailed analysis of results, and writing technical reports. The successful candidate has a PhD or 5+ years of industry experience, has conducted lab and pilot scale experiments, and understands how to improve process efficiency, reduce cost, and improve sustainability. Scientists will mentor chemists and laboratory technicians in operating the equipment and gathering data efficiently and safely while keeping assigned units and areas clean. Employees must follow safe work practices including use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Advancement to higher levels within this career track will be possible as the complexity and number of tasks which are performed autonomously increase.
You will be responsible for:
Lab Work:
Generate sound hypotheses based on mastery of first principles and the scientific method Use knowledge of biomass conversion to platform chemicals, carbon-materials, powders, fillers, pyrolysis, nanomaterials, and to develop new concepts, products, and process configurations for the synthesis, upgrading, and production of biomass-derived solid materials. Develop structure/property relationships for biomass-derived materials Selection, purchase, installation, and operation of bench-scale reactors, dryers, kilns/furnaces, mills, and other specialty equipment for synthesis and upgrading of powders and solids Selection, purchase, installation, and operation of analytical instruments for characterization of solid intermediates and products derived from biomass. Oversee offsite analysis as well. Analytical techniques may include: Gas physisorption for surface area and pore size analysis, particle size analysis, electron microscopy, moisture content analysis, solid state NMR, pycnometry, porosimetry, etc. Develop, plan, and obtain critical engineering data for process scale-up Investigate and determine critical parameters to be addressed for commercialization Assist in developing commercial operations, which may include testing of new equipment, troubleshooting, participating in safety and hazard assessments, and other tasks within your skillset Deploying technology from lab and pilot scale to commercial operations in collaboration with the Engineering and R&D departments Provide in-depth technical consultation to commercial and pilot implementation teams Lead troubleshooting of existing processes when observations deviate from the known procedure Evaluate the chemical and physical properties of various substances Develop best practices and innovative solutions to improve reproducibility, quality of results, and operational safety of bench-scale units Coordinating external analysis as necessary Mentoring chemists and laboratory technicians to aid in research and development efforts
Reporting:
Maintaining an electronic notebook detailing all data measured, observations, and steps performed Document for reproducibility Communication of technical concepts to non-technical colleagues and stakeholders Collecting, analyzing, and processing raw data using standard software techniques Applying first principles knowledge to explain observations via the creation of models Presenting and reporting research results in projects, program reviews, technical committees, as well as patents, peer-reviewed journals, and conferences
About You You: Have a passion for science and life-long learning Can safely manage the physical demands/working environment Are able to safely handle hazardous materials Are able to wear a respirator for 1+ hour a day Place safety at the top of your priority list Are comfortable working with flammable / hazardous chemicals and wear appropriate PPE Your Experience:
Have to Have it:
Education and professional experience:
A Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science or a closely related science discipline where the curriculum includes the study of synthesis of thermochemical conversion of biomass conversion to platform chemicals, nanomaterials (e.g. heterogeneous catalysis; carbon-based, polymer-based or other nanoparticles; CNTs; carbon black; etc.), and/or particle technology Experience performing calculations to fit and predict experiment results, strong understanding of statistics and error analysis Ability to handle multiple complex projects simultaneously with excellent problem-solving skills Strong commitment to operational excellence in the lab, office, and chemical plant environment Strong teamwork and collaboration skills Strong communication skills (oral and written) An excellent track record of productive and creative research demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or issued patents
Skills:
Value a safety culture. You have respect for and are comfortable working with hazardous chemicals Flexibility to work on a wide variety of experimental procedures Collaborate and communicate within your department and across the company Follow procedures with keen attention to details and approach problems with critical thinking
Bonus:
A track record of successful scale-up experimentation or projects Able to apply process modeling expertise to support R&D project teams throughout the technology development process Programming data logging and acquisition (such as in DAQfactory or similar software) Proficiency in programming for data analysis (such as with MATLAB, Python, etc.)