Mechanochemistry R&D Lead: Lab-to-Pilot Scale-Up

HTA-FR; Freiburg; Hybrid; CHF 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

HEIA-FR invites applications for a 18-month, 80–100% fixed-term position leading mechanochemical process development. You will design and run transformations from lab to pilot-scale, establishing datasets and scalable transfer rules for industrial adoption.

The role requires a Master’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering with organic synthesis experience, strong English skills, and a collaborative, rigorous approach to research and data management.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in chemistry or chemical engineering with experience in organic synthesis.
• Strong interest in pursuing interdisciplinary research involving synthesis, process development, characterization, and chemical engineering.
• Ability to conduct cutting-edge R&D with initiative, creativity and a problem-solving mindset.
• Rigorous, autonomous and well-organized experimental work, with careful data documentation.
• Enthusiasm, resourcefulness and teamwork skills; readiness to be on the look-out for improvements and ability to approach and solve problems in a creative way.
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills, basic communication skills in French and/or German is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Benchmark representative mechanochemical transformations and industrially relevant targets.
• Run design-of-experiments campaigns on the new Dyno®-mill technology.
• Characterize products and map process parameters to critical quality attributes.
• Contribute to predictive modelling and identify scale-invariant parameters and transferable operating windows.
• Scale up to pilot plant with the industrial partner, verifying robustness and reproducibility.
• Consolidate results in a standardized scale-transfer workflow and guidelines for industrial adoption.
• Interact with the consortium, present at conferences, and uphold lab safety and good scientific practice.

Skills

Organic synthesis experience

Interdisciplinary research

R&D initiative and problem solving

Data documentation

Teamwork

English communication skills

Education

Master's degree in chemistry or chemical engineering

Tools

Dyno®-mill equipment

Job description

HEIA-FR invites applications for a 18-month, 80–100% fixed-term position leading mechanochemical process development. You will design and run transformations from lab to pilot-scale, establishing datasets and scalable transfer rules for industrial adoption.

The role requires a Master’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering with organic synthesis experience, strong English skills, and a collaborative, rigorous approach to research and data management.