Analytical Chemistry Lead
About Zero Carbon Systems
Zero Carbon Systems (ZCS) is a clean energy and direct air capture company on a mission to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon future. We are developing and deploying breakthrough technologies designed to reduce atmospheric CO2 at scale, addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Backed by mission aligned investors and led by a team of passionate innovators, ZCS sits at the intersection of cutting edge science and real world impact. We are building a diverse, collaborative, and driven team of individuals who share our commitment to excellence, creativity, and the belief that the work we do today will shape the world of tomorrow.
If you are energized by meaningful work and want to be part of a company where your contributions directly advance the clean energy transition, we would love to hear from you.
Position Overview
Zero Carbon Systems seeks an experienced Analytical Chemistry Lead to help lead our team of chemists developing and optimizing CO capture technologies. The ideal candidate will combine deep analytical expertise with practical experience evaluating sorbent formulations, reaction intermediates, and process samples within small-scale development and larger pilot-scale conditions. This role is central to ensuring reliable, high-quality analytical data that drives innovation and process efficiency in next-generation carbon capture systems.
As a startup, we are looking for a flexible team member who can contribute across multiple areas of technology development. This role will manage a small group of chemists and collaborate closely with the synthetic team, process and mechanical engineers, and senior leadership. It is ideally suited to someone who thrives in a fast-moving R&D-to-pilot environment and can balance the need for innovative analytical techniques with low cost, high-frequency data generation. This is a full-time, on-site position based in Brighton, CO and reports to the VP of Materials.
Responsibilities Include:
- Conduct analytical testing of R&D formulations, process liquids, and off-gas streams to quantify CO capture capacity, degradation products, and impurity profiles.
- Ensure data quality, organization, and availability to all teams across ZCS. Assist in database buildout, data handling method development, and deployment of software and digital architectures to serve these purposes.
- Develop, validate, and implement fast-turnaround analytical methods for basic process information such as organic concentration, density, viscosity, CO loading, and CO capacity in aqueous samples.
- Develop, validate, and implement analytical methods to characterize amine-based sorbents and other materials using techniques such as HPLC, GC, MS, FTIR, NMR, titration, and other methods of solution analysis.
- Support R&D studies by monitoring reaction kinetics, material stability, and mass balance across lab and pilot-scale systems.
- Provide analytical data for mechanistic studies, material screening, and process optimization.
- Collaborate with process engineers and chemists to interpret results and recommend operational or formulation adjustments.
- Maintain and calibrate analytical instrumentation and ensure compliance with laboratory quality and safety standards.
- Prepare clear technical reports, SOPs, and data summaries for internal teams and external partners.
- Participate in cross-functional reviews and contribute to project planning by identifying analytical bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.
- Collaborate with modelers and data scientists to store results in a database and reduce data to correlations and predictive tools.
- Manage a team of analytical chemists.
Requirements Include:
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum 7+ years of analytical chemistry experience, including at least 3 years in industrially relevant R&D or process environments including but not limited to carbon capture, gas separation, or chemical process industries.
- Strong background in quantitative and instrumental methods including FTIR, NMR, UV-Vis, Titration, GC, HPLC, and Viscometry.
- Experience analyzing amine-containing materials, CO-containing materials, and degradation pathways for organic materials.
- Familiarity with solid, liquid, and vapor phase techniques for understanding mass distribution and molecular identification throughout complex systems.
- Excellent data interpretation, troubleshooting, and analysis documentation skills.
- Proficiency with a wide range of analytical equipment from various well-known suppliers.
- Strong, clear communication style with the ability to interface across R&D, engineering, operations, and senior leadership.
- Experience leading analytical labs tasked with supporting both regular internal process-derived samples for QA/QC and one-off research projects.
- Experience managing and tracking multiple samples and setting up systems for rapid, accurate turnaround of analytical results.
- Experience working in a project-driven environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with project management.
- Experience with new-to-the-world R&D-to-pilot scale operations supported by both established and newly developing analytical techniques.
- Exposure to small-team startups or R&D environments where priorities shift quickly.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to work on-site regularly, moving between the analytical lab, wet lab, and operations floor in Brighton, CO.
Zero Carbon Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Your Right to Work
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.
$130,000 - $150,000 a year
Compensation details: 130000-150000 Yearly Salary
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