Aerosol Science Lead

OMEGA, Inc.; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company is seeking an Applied Research Scientist Lead to guide innovation in aerosol particle science. This role involves hands-on research, project development, and leading a skilled team in a collaborative environment focused on technical excellence. Ideal candidates will have an MS/PhD with several years of relevant experience, particularly in aerosol instrumentation.

Benefits

Medical

Vision

401(k)

Flexible Spending Account

Qualifications

• 4+ years hands-on aerosol metrology experience or 6+ years with MS.
• Direct experience with design and development of CPCs.
• Ability to analyze aerosol test data.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical development in aerosol science with CPC focus.
• Deliver high-quality research and inform product roadmaps.
• Supervise and mentor a team of aerosol scientists.

Skills

Aerosol particle science

Research and development

Technical communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Computational modeling

Design of experiments

Education

MS or PhD in Physics, Engineering, Atmospheric Science, or Electro-Optics

Tools

FEA

COMSOL

Job description

Do you want to be part of a business that genuinely values entrepreneurialism , innovation and individual accountability? We focus on our customers and are proud of the difference our technology makes. We partner with some of the biggest manufacturing companies in the world and our technical innovations are used to enhance well-known brands across multiple industries.

Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) sets the standard for cleanroom contamination monitoring. With more than 60 patents, we create the technology that enables our customers to make fact-based decisions, improve process yields and comply with ever-changing regulatory requirements.

The Role:

We are seeking an applied research Scientist Lead with expertise in aerosol particle science, to drive hands-on research and innovation within a growing interdisciplinary team. This role will help shape innovations that influence our business strategy and deliver world-class solutions to our clients.

This position will lead significant technical initiatives, ensuring technical excellence, alignment with corporate goals, and will contribute to the development of the R&D department. As a member of the research staff, this position will report to the Research Director and will lead R&D efforts in aerosol particle counting while collaborating with microbiology and liquid teams. While primarily an individual contributor role, this position includes supervising a small, high-performing team of interdisciplinary researchers on aerosol particle counting development, guiding their development and ensuring strong alignment with goals.

The role will focus on industrial research projects, with a path toward productization solutions and validating their efficacy in simulated and customer environments. Beyond research, this position is involved throughout the entire lifecycle from applied research to product, translating complex challenges to impactful solutions for customers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead technical development in aerosol science, with a focus on condensation particle counters (CPCs), particle counting, and metrology instrumentation
• Deliver high-quality research into novel concepts and technologies, informing product roadmaps and readying R&D organization for NVI
• Identify, evaluate and de-risk emerging technologies and methods to advance aerosol measurement capabilities
• Translate customer needs and real-world applications into tangible metrics for evaluation during research and development
• Guide and/or execute computational modeling and simulation (e.g., FEA, COMSOL) to optimize instrumentation performance
• Collaborate cross-functionally as subject matter expert with manufacturing, product management, quality, and service teams as required in support of ongoing quality and delivery
• Collaborate with Project Management Organization (PMO) to ensure effective project planning and execution aligned with business strategies and goals
• Supervise and provide day-to-day guidance and technical mentorship to a small team of aerosol scientists and engineers. Coordinate project assignments, support professional development, and foster a collaborative, inclusive team environment that encourages innovation and accountability

Required Qualifications:

• MS or PhD in Physics, Engineering, Atmospheric Science, or Electro-Optics with at least 4 years of relevant experience, of hands-on aerosol metrology, or least 6 years relevant experience with MS in scientific field
• Direct experience with the design and development of CPCs and other aerosol instrumentation
• Skilled in computational tools for fluid and particle modeling
• Ability to lead design of experiments (DOE) and analyze aerosol test data
• Experience in writing technical specifications and managing R&D from concept to commercialization
• Strong technical communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

Desired Qualifications:

• Familiarity with cleanroom and contamination control environments, especially in semiconductor or pharmaceutical settings
• Knowledge of ISO 21501-4 and other aerosol measurement standards
• Experience in ISO 9001 or ISO 17025 accredited labs
• Experience managing a small team of engineers

The Details

Location – This is an “in-office” position 75% – 100% of the time. The remainder of the time you may work from home. These percentages are targets with the actual schedule to be determined in conjunction with the manager’s expectations for the position. The location of this position is in Boulder, CO, moving to Niwot, CO in 2025. Relocation may be offered for this role, but local candidates will receive first consideration.

2025 Benefits At-a-Glance

Our benefit package is provided through our parent company, Spectris.

• Medical
• Vision
• 401(k)
• Flexible Spending Account

Pay Range

How we determine what we pay (compensation philosophy)

Particle Measuring Systems determines pay for positions using local, national, and industry-specific survey data, for the Boulder, Colorado area. We will evaluate external equity, which is the relative marketplace job worth of jobs directly comparable to jobs within our company.

For new hires, we make competitive offers between the minimum and the midpoint of the range. There may be times when we will offer above the midpoint. The decision to do so will be based on the applicant’s level of experience, education, and specialized knowledge and skills. Additionally, we consider the external market rate, the amount we have budgeted internally, and the compensation rates of the employees within the company doing the same position.

Particle Measuring Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.