Senior Chemist – Ferroelectric LCs for Silicon Photonics

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc.; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site in Boulder

Rapid advancement

Job summary

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc. in Boulder, CO is seeking a hands-on Senior Chemist to invent, synthesize, purify, and characterize ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal materials for next-generation silicon photonic modulators.

You will design molecules, build robust routes, and generate structure–property data to guide scale-up, working daily with synthetic chemists, photonic device engineers, and external partners.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry or MS with 5+ years of hands-on industrial synthesis.
• Proven multi-step synthesis, purification, and structure confirmation (NMR, LC-MS).
• Ability to plan a week of bench work and drive analog routes with minimal supervision.
• On-site in Boulder, CO.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize ferroelectric liquid crystals and related chromophores with large electro-optic coefficients.
• Independently plan and execute multi-step organic syntheses and optimize routes.
• Purify intermediates and final compounds using flash chromatography, prep HPLC, and crystallization.
• Build structure–property data and design rules for new analog series.
• Collaborate with CDMOs and external partners; document procedures clearly.

Skills

Organic synthesis

Purification methods

Structure elucidation

Education

Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry

M.S. with 5+ years industrial synthesis

Tools

NMR

LC-MS

HPLC

Job description

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc. in Boulder, CO is seeking a hands-on Senior Chemist to invent, synthesize, purify, and characterize ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal materials for next-generation silicon photonic modulators.

You will design molecules, build robust routes, and generate structure–property data to guide scale-up, working daily with synthetic chemists, photonic device engineers, and external partners.