Lead Synthetic Chemist – Energetics & Process Innovation

Approach Venture; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early-stage equity

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Approach Venture in Waltham, MA is seeking a Synthetic Chemist to lead hands-on chemistry development at the front end of the pipeline.

You will design and execute experiments, optimize routes, and investigate mechanisms to prepare safe, scalable processes for pilot‑scale production. Collaboration with process development and automation teams is essential, with opportunity for early-stage equity.

Qualifications

• Bachelors/Masters/PhD in Chemistry or related field required.
• 5+ years of synthetic chemistry or related R&D experience.
• Hands-on benchtop synthesis experience.
• Experience designing and optimizing reactions, not just following procedures.
• Strong understanding of reaction chemistry and lab practices.
• Experience with NMR, HPLC, GC-MS, or FTIR.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate independently in a hands-on lab.
• Willingness to lift up to 50 pounds and work on-site.
• Eligible for U.S. export-control requirements and security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute laboratory experiments to develop and characterize chemical reactions.
• Develop, evaluate, and optimize synthetic routes and reaction conditions.
• Use DoE and parametric studies to understand key reaction variables.
• Investigate reaction mechanisms, impurities, and failure modes.
• Generate reliable data to inform reaction design and scale-up.
• Develop and apply analytical methods to evaluate performance and product characteristics.
• Use NMR, HPLC, GC-MS, FTIR to support chemistry development.
• Collaborate with process development teams as chemistry moves toward pilot-scale systems.
• Evaluate thermal behavior, stability, and process hazards during development.
• Troubleshoot reactions and laboratory equipment as needed.
• Identify opportunities to simplify chemistry and workflows.
• Document results clearly and communicate recommendations across teams.

Skills

Benchtop synthesis

Experimental design

DoE & parametric studies

Reaction development

Analytical methods

Problem solving

Independent work

On-site work

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Chemistry or related field

Tools

NMR

HPLC

GC-MS

FTIR

Job description

Approach Venture in Waltham, MA is seeking a Synthetic Chemist to lead hands-on chemistry development at the front end of the pipeline.

You will design and execute experiments, optimize routes, and investigate mechanisms to prepare safe, scalable processes for pilot‑scale production. Collaboration with process development and automation teams is essential, with opportunity for early-stage equity.