Chemist - Catalytic Hydrogenation

Cranleigh Scientific; Oxford; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EMI share-option scheme

Private healthcare

Enhanced maternity leave

Auto-enrolment pension

25 days' annual leave

Job summary

HydRegen, an Oxford-based biotechnology company developing innovative biocatalytic technologies, is expanding its Chemistry R&D team and seeking a Chemist to advance hydrogenation technology into industrial processes. This role offers exposure to catalysis design, reactor-scale development and collaboration with customers to turn laboratory research into commercially viable solutions.

You will work with chemists, biologists and process engineers to optimise catalysts, conditions and scale-up

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Catalysis, or Chemical Engineering.
• Experience with catalytic hydrogenation or related reaction development.
• Experience with pressurised laboratory reactors is advantageous.
• Industrial experience not essential; academia candidates welcome.

Responsibilities

• Designing and running catalytic hydrogenation experiments using pressurised reactors and autoclaves.
• Optimising reaction conditions, catalysts and reaction pathways.
• Analysing experimental results and supporting process development and scale-up.
• Contributing to customer-funded R&D projects and HydRegen's technology platform.

Skills

Catalysis

Reaction development

Pressurised reactors

Education

PhD in Chemistry / Catalysis / Chemical Engineering

MSc in Chemistry or related field with industrial experience

Tools

Laboratory reactors

Job description

Completed a PhD involving catalytic hydrogenation? Interested in seeing your research move beyond the laboratory and into real industrial applications?

HydRegen is a growing Oxford-based biotechnology company developing innovative biocatalytic technologies to make chemical manufacturing more sustainable.

Following recent investment and growing interest from industry partners, HydRegen is expanding its Chemistry R&D team and looking for a Chemist to help develop and optimise its hydrogenation technology.

This is an opportunity to take your experience in catalysis and reaction development into an industrial R&D environment, working on real customer challenges and helping turn promising chemistry into commercially viable processes.

What makes this opportunity interesting?

You'll work alongside scientists specialising in chemistry, biology and process engineering, with responsibilities including:

• Designing and running catalytic hydrogenation experiments using pressurised reactors and autoclaves.
• Optimising reaction conditions, catalysts and reaction pathways.
• Analysing experimental results and supporting process development and scale-up.
• Contributing to customer-funded R&D projects and HydRegen's technology platform.

What experience will you need?

We're particularly interested in candidates with a PhD in Chemistry, Catalysis, Chemical Engineering or a related discipline, involving practical experience of catalytic hydrogenation or closely related reaction development.

Experience with pressurised laboratory reactors would be particularly relevant.

Previous industrial experience isn't essential. Candidates coming directly from academic research are welcome, as are those with an MSc and strong relevant industrial experience.

Benefits:

• EMI share-option scheme
• Private healthcare
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Auto-enrolment pension
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays

Cranleigh STEM & Sustainability is supporting HydRegen with this appointment.