Catalysis Scientist: Zeolite & Catalyst Development Hybrid

Braskem; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Flexible work schedules

Job summary

Braskem America seeks a motivated scientist to advance heterogeneous catalysis research within our Global Catalysis organization in Pittsburgh. You will contribute to catalyst synthesis, testing, and technology development for bio-based chemicals and polyolefins catalysis.

The role requires PhD-level expertise, independence, and collaboration across engineering, analytical sciences, and manufacturing, with opportunities to impact scale-up and technology transfer.

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science.
• 0–5 years of industrial and/or postdoctoral experience in catalysis research and development.
• Experience in catalyst synthesis, catalyst characterization, and catalyst performance evaluation.
• Hands-on experience with zeolite synthesis or other porous material synthesis techniques.
• Familiarity with post-synthesis modification methods for zeolites and porous materials.
• Experience with catalyst preparation and metal deposition methods.
• Familiarity with catalyst characterization techniques such as XRD, BET, TPD, TPR, chemisorption, SEM, TEM, ICP, XRF, Raman, FTIR, solid-state NMR.
• Experience designing and conducting laboratory experiments, including catalyst screening and reactor testing.
• Knowledge of reaction engineering, kinetics, reactor design, or process development.
• Exposure to scale-up, manufacturing support, or technology transfer activities.
• Strong data analysis and technical problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to catalysis research projects focused on developing new catalysts and processes to improve process performance and enable new product development.
• Design and execute experimental programs for the synthesis, characterization, and performance evaluation of heterogeneous catalysts.
• Analyze experimental data and correlate catalyst properties with catalytic performance.
• Support the development of zeolite-based and metal-supported catalyst systems through laboratory-scale research activities.
• Contribute to catalyst preparation activities including synthesis, modification, shaping, and metal deposition.
• Assist in catalyst scale-up and technology transfer activities by collaborating with internal teams and external partners.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, and documentation to communicate project results and recommendations.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including process engineering, analytical sciences, manufacturing, and business stakeholders.
• Contribute ideas for new catalyst concepts, experimental approaches, and research methodologies.
• Participate in technology exchanges and knowledge-sharing activities across the Global Catalysis organization.
• Support intellectual property development through invention disclosures, patent support, and documentation of technical advances.
• Maintain a strong commitment to safety, laboratory excellence, and continuous learning.

Skills

Heterogeneous catalysis

Catalyst synthesis

Catalyst characterization

Data analysis

Team collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science

Job description

Braskem America seeks a motivated scientist to advance heterogeneous catalysis research within our Global Catalysis organization in Pittsburgh. You will contribute to catalyst synthesis, testing, and technology development for bio-based chemicals and polyolefins catalysis.

The role requires PhD-level expertise, independence, and collaboration across engineering, analytical sciences, and manufacturing, with opportunities to impact scale-up and technology transfer.