Senior Chemist
About the Company
Plastics have become indispensable for nearly every major industry, but conventional plastics impose an unsustainable burden on the environment. Plastic production currently accounts for 8% of global oil and gas use and nearly 5% of GHG emissions. More than 250 million tons of plastic waste accumulates annually, the vast majority of which will persist for centuries.
ReSource’s proprietary technology produces the first bioplastic made from truly sustainable feedstocks that outperforms incumbent materials without the environmental burden or health risks. We are commercializing an industrially scalable process for producing FDCA, a naturally occurring chemical that replaces the petrochemical monomer PTA used in polyesters such as PET. Polyester represents a >$100B industry, with applications spanning packaging, bottles, and fibers. Polyesters made using FDCA have superior gas barrier, thermal, and mechanical properties, enabling better performance with less material—including increased shelf life for perishable goods. They are also 100% recyclable and degrade much faster than conventional polyester if released into the environment.
Beyond polyesters, FDCA is a platform molecule for a wide range of other polymers and specialty chemicals. ReSource produces FDCA from CO₂ and inedible biomass, removing two-thirds of conventional process steps and dramatically reducing production costs to enable rapid scale-up and high-volume applications. Bioplastics made using ReSource FDCA have the potential to eliminate >250 Mton yr⁻¹ GHG emissions.
The company is based in Oakland, CA, and was founded on technology developed at Stanford University. Backed by leading investors including Khosla Ventures, Fathom Fund, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, ReSource is preparing to commence pilot and demo-scale production. To date, the company has raised >$25M, including nearly $9M in R&D grants from the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.
About the Role
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Chemist to join our team of scientists and engineers. The ideal candidate is an innovative thinker with a passion for problem-solving and an ability to drive the development of robust chemical processes.
Responsibilities
- Scale-up and optimization of key chemical process steps
- Delivering products to partners and customers on schedule
- Validation of analytical methods to quantify product purity
- Coordinating activities with technical service providers
- Creating clear and concise technical documents and reports
- Contributing to process hazard assessments (PHAs) and mitigation
Qualifications
- PhD in Chemistry or related field with >2 years of industry experience
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines under pressure
- Strong documentation, analytical, and project management skills
- Demonstrated mentoring, team collaboration, and leadership abilities
Prior chemical process scale-up experience will be highly preferred.