Position OverviewZero Carbon Systems seeks an experienced Analytical Chemistry Lead to help lead our team of chemists developing and optimizing CO₂ 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 CO₂ 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, CO₂ loading, and CO₂ 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, CO₂-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.
$130,000 - $150,000 a year
