Computational Scientist

Rivan Industries; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Significant share options

Extensive relocation support

Extra £6000 per year for living close to HQ

Job summary

A pioneering synthetic fuel company in Greater London seeks a computational scientist to develop process models for its Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. The role requires 3-7 years of experience in process modelling and a strong background in chemical engineering. The candidate will work cross-functionally to validate models and develop simulation tools. With a salary of £70-80k and significant share options, this position offers extensive relocation support for those willing to work in-person.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of experience in process modelling, computational science, or chemical/process engineering R&D.
• Proven experience with MATLAB, Aspen Plus/HYSYS, and/or COMSOL.
• Strong background in heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, and first-principles modelling.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine process models for Rivan’s lime-based DAC process.
• Perform heat and mass transfer calculations, dynamic simulations, and optimisation studies.
• Build and maintain modular simulation tools for assessments.

Skills

Process modelling

Computational science

Chemical/process engineering R&D

MATLAB

Aspen Plus

Python

Heat and mass transfer

First-principles modelling

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s in Chemical Engineering

PhD in related field

Tools

Aspen Plus/HYSYS

COMSOL

ANSYS Fluent

Job description

Rivan Industries (Rivan.com) is a synthetic fuel company designed to decarbonise heavy industry. We aim to make synthetic fuel cheaper than fossil fuels and sustain life on earth by keeping the CO2 locked underground.

We’ve design and manufacture modular synthetic fuel plants consisting of a DAC system, an Alkaline Electrolyser, and a Sabatier Reactor, vertically integrating with off-grid DC solar and the European gas-grid. Here’s our entire business plan. We’ve recently deployed the UK’s largest synthetic fuel plant and are planning to 1000x this scale in the next 2 years.

Moving atoms around takes time. Bits are faster. We’re looking for a computational scientist to take the reins by building models and simulations on top of our operational data to direct where we spend our next resources. We need a curious mind that wants to find every integration pinch point, performance ceiling, and fragile operation before it becomes an issue. If you want to be the puppet master that underpins one of the potentially most impactful products of a generation, apply below.

The role:

• Develop and refine process models for Rivan’s lime-based Direct Air Capture (DAC) process, integrating thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport phenomena
• Perform first-principles heat and mass transfer calculations, dynamic process simulations, and optimisation studies.
• Work cross-functionally with experimental and design teams to validate models against empirical data, refine process understanding, and inform plant operation and scale-up.
• Build and maintain modular simulation tools (e.g. MATLAB, Aspen Plus, COMSOL, or custom Python models) to support techno-economic and performance assessments.

Core skills:

• 3–7 years experience in process modelling, computational science, or chemical/process engineering R&D
• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Process Systems Engineering or related field (PhD advantageous).
• Proven experience with MATLAB, Aspen Plus/HYSYS, and/or COMSOL, ANSYS Fluent, or Python.
• Strong background in heat and mass transfer, reaction engineering, and first-principles modelling (PDEs, reaction kinetics, etc.).
• Experience in model validation with lab or pilot data; understanding of solid–gas systems (calcination, hydration, carbonation); and past-demonstration of system optimisation preferred.

Specifics:

• £70-80k Salary depending on experience
• Significant share options as part of the early team
• In-person work at our HQ in Bermondsey, South-East London
• Extensive relocation support, including £6000 per year extra to live close to our HQ