Analytical Chemist: Toxic Compound Analysis (GC/LC-MS)

Precise Systems, Inc.; Maryland; On-site; USD 77,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and AD&D coverage

Disability insurance

Retirement plans

Holiday pay

Employee-managed leave

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Precise Systems seeks a Chemical Agent Analytical Chemist with 3-5 years of lab experience to support hazard assessment of toxic compounds. You will evaluate synthesis routes, properties, and stability using GC, LC-MS, and related methods, analyzing samples from vapor to tissue and preparing calibration standards.

The role requires meticulous documentation, independence, and teamwork across biology, chemistry, and engineering disciplines, with a focus on safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Chemical/Environmental Engineering, or a closely related field.
• 3-5 years of practical laboratory experience.
• Hands-on experience utilizing mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and liquid chromatography.
• Proven experience in sample preparation techniques, particularly for complex matrices.
• Strong general laboratory skills and direct experience with laboratory equipment maintenance.
• Meticulous documentation in laboratory notebooks, authorship of technical reports, and drafting of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Ability to function effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills for audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
• Effective time management skills; self-starter; attention to detail.
• Ability to independently design and execute experiments; strong critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Routinely participate in instrumental analysis and testing and controlled environmental-exposure experiments of known and suspected toxic compounds.
• Analyze samples from a range of matrices-including vapor, soil, water, and tissue-for target compounds and degradation products using analytical instrumentation and methods such as:
• Gas chromatography with flame photometric detection (GC-FPD)
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
• Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)
• Tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
• Thermal desorption
• Pyrolysis
• Prepare analytical standards from known and suspected toxic compounds to support instrument calibration and calibration-verification requirements.
• Determine and evaluate chemical physical properties, including vapor pressure, solubility, density, viscosity, surface tension, flash point, thermal stability, partition coefficient, and acid dissociation constant.
• Develop, revise, and maintain laboratory procedures, test plans, research documentation, and technical reports.
• Support laboratory management activities, including equipment and supply inventory, chemical tracking, waste-disposal coordination, and maintenance of laboratory procedures and records.

Skills

Analytical Chemistry

Mass spectrometry

Chromatography

Documentation

Team collaboration

Education

B.S./M.S. in Chemistry

Tools

GC

GC-MS

LC-MS

LC-MS/MS

Thermal desorption

Pyrolysis

Job description

Precise Systems seeks a Chemical Agent Analytical Chemist with 3-5 years of lab experience to support hazard assessment of toxic compounds. You will evaluate synthesis routes, properties, and stability using GC, LC-MS, and related methods, analyzing samples from vapor to tissue and preparing calibration standards.

The role requires meticulous documentation, independence, and teamwork across biology, chemistry, and engineering disciplines, with a focus on safety and regulatory compliance.