Polyolefin Catalyst Researcher: Synthesis & Scale-Up

Braskem; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Teladoc

Pet Insurance

Flexible work schedules (9/80)

Job summary

Braskem is seeking a highly motivated Researcher to join the U.S. Polyolefin Catalysis team at the Pittsburgh Innovation & Technology Center.

You will contribute to discovery, development, and scale‑up of heterogeneous polyolefin catalysts, translating business needs into innovative catalyst solutions and supporting technology transfer from lab to pilot and industry stages. Preference given to candidates with Ziegler–Natta catalyst development and polymerization engineering experience.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required with postdoctoral or industrial catalyst synthesis experience.
• Experience with Ziegler–Natta catalyst development for polyolefins preferred.
• Hands-on synthesis, planning, troubleshooting, and safe handling of hazardous materials.

Responsibilities

• Conduct catalyst synthesis and polymerization experiments to develop and scale catalyst programs.
• Perform FTO and technology landscape analyses to aid discovery and IP planning.
• Transfer technology from lab to pilot and manufacturing with cross-functional collaboration.
• Maintain rigorous experimental records and safety standards in the lab.
• Mentor and train junior researchers and technicians in synthesis and analysis.

Skills

Catalyst synthesis

Polyolefin polymerization

Reaction engineering

Data analysis

Mentoring

Safety practices

Communication

Teamwork

Education

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

Job description

Braskem is seeking a highly motivated Researcher to join the U.S. Polyolefin Catalysis team at the Pittsburgh Innovation & Technology Center.

You will contribute to discovery, development, and scale‑up of heterogeneous polyolefin catalysts, translating business needs into innovative catalyst solutions and supporting technology transfer from lab to pilot and industry stages. Preference given to candidates with Ziegler–Natta catalyst development and polymerization engineering experience.