Senior Energetics Development Scientist

Ohr; Colorado; On-site; USD 155,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Ohr in the Denver/Boulder area is seeking a Senior Energetics Development Scientist to own energetic chemistry from bench to pilot. You will design experiments, convert batch steps to continuous flow, and lead analytical work across energIics programs with safety first.

You will collaborate with international teams, manage ITAR/export information, and help scale to a 10 kg/day pilot by 2029 while maintaining rigorous safety and compliance in a high-hazard environment.

Qualifications

• PhD or BS with substantial post-graduate/industrial experience in energetic materials synthesis and handling.
• Deep understanding of insensitive high explosives chemistry, nitro-group chemistry and amination processes.
• Familiarity with energetic material sensitivity, thermal stability, and compatibility considerations.
• Hands-on experience converting batch reactions to flow or continuous processes.
• Experience working with international technical teams or external partners, and directing work you do not personally execute.
• Ability to manage ITAR- and export-controlled information.
• Process safety and risk management judgment, strong documentation habits, and comfort in high-hazard manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Own reaction design, data quality and technical progression for energetic materials from route selection through scale-ready development.
• Direct design of experiments and own the kinetic/thermodynamic dataset for pilot design.
• Convert batch exothermic steps into continuous flow systems with strict inventory limits.
• Demonstrate control of crystal size/morphology across specifications from bench to pilot.
• Lead analytical assessment using DSC, TGA, XRD, SEM, NMR and FTIR.
• Support crystallization and milling process development and formulation into energetic formulations.
• Develop and maintain process documentation, SOPs and work instructions for energetics synthesis.

Skills

Energetics synthesis

Continuous processing

Nitro-group chemistry

Amination processes

ITAR/export control

Process safety

Documentation habits

HazMat handling

Education

PhD in organic chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science

BS in chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science

Tools

DSC

TGA

XRD

SEM

NMR

FTIR

Job description

The future must be created.

01 THE ROLE

Chemistry is the invisible layer under every critical system, and the supply chain behind it has become a weapon. Ohr makes the molecules that matter most, from the atom up: energetics, propellants, rare-earth extractants and the ignition chemicals already in production today.

As a Senior Energetics Development Scientist, you own our energetics chemistry from bench to pilot. The legacy route to TATB depends on a chlorinated precursor sourced entirely from foreign manufacturers and leaves chloride in the finished material, where it becomes a long-term corrosion risk inside sensitive munitions. Our route starts from a precursor we make ourselves, is chlorine-free, and runs continuously rather than accumulating hazardous intermediate. The program goes from a 1 kg characterized sample in early 2027 to a validated 10 kg/day pilot plant in 2029. This role reports to the Director of Synthetic Chemistry and is the technical anchor for the energetics vertical.

THE KIND OF PEOPLE THIS WORK DEMANDS

Our mission demands more than great science. It requires a particular kind of team - visionary builders, hustlers, scientists, operators. Together, we carry both the technical depth to make the chemistry work and the commercial instinct to make the business thrive. People are our engine. Collaboration is our multiplier.

02 WHAT YOU'LL DESIGN AND BUILD

• Own reaction design, data quality and technical progression for TATB and related insensitive high explosives, from route selection through scale-ready development
• Direct the design of experiments that downselects the production pathway, including work carried out at partner laboratories, and own the kinetic and thermodynamic dataset that becomes the pilot design basis
• Convert conventional batch exothermic and corrosive steps into continuous flow systems that never accumulate hazardous intermediate above the design inventory limit
• Demonstrate control of crystal size and morphology across at least two target specifications, and carry that control from the bench into the pilot skid
• Lead analytical assessment using DSC, TGA, XRD and SEM, alongside NMR, FTIR and quality and impurity testing
• Support process development for crystallization and milling, and formulation into polymer bonded explosives, including qualification work against PBXN-7 and PBXN-12 and legacy systems such as PBX-9502 and LX-17
• Develop and maintain process documentation, SOPs and work instructions for energetics synthesis

• Carry the chemistry into the engineering sequence: design reviews, HAZOP closure, safety loop verification, and the step-up from bench batches to sustained pilot production
• Act as subject matter expert on energetics assessment and IP landscaping
• Uphold and exemplify excellence in laboratory safety, chemical hygiene and responsible research practice

03 WHAT YOU BRING WITH YOU

You want real ownership. You are comfortable making technical decisions where not everything is predefined, and taking responsibility for whether a chemistry program succeeds. Academic, industrial or startup background all work here, as long as you are looking for a role where your judgment sets direction and your chemistry leaves the lab. You likely have:

• A PhD in organic chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science with a minimum of 5 years of post‑graduate experience focused on energetic material synthesis and handling, or a BS in chemistry, chemical engineering or materials science with a minimum of 10 years of the same
• Deep understanding of the chemistry of insensitive high explosives, with a proven track record in nitro‑group chemistry and amination processes
• Familiarity with energetic material sensitivity, thermal stability and compatibility considerations
• Hands‑on experience converting batch reactions to flow or continuous processes
• Experience working with international technical teams or external partners, and directing work you do not personally execute
• The ability to manage ITAR- and export‑controlled information
• Process safety and risk management judgment, strong documentation habits, and comfort in high‑hazard manufacturing environments

Strong plus

• Polymer bonded explosives formulation and casting
• Familiarity with DoW explosive safety standards, for example DoW 4145.26 and MIL specifications
• An active security clearance, or the ability to obtain one
• Continuous crystallization and particle engineering
• Operating experience inside an ATF‑licensed facility, including magazine and quantity‑distance practice
• Scale‑up from bench through pilot on a program with government milestones attached to it

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

AFTER 3 MONTHS

• The pathway downselect is made and defended, with the kinetic dataset behind it, and it holds as the design basis for the pilot skid

AFTER 6-12 MONTHS

• A 1 kg characterized sample is delivered for formulation testing in PBXN-7 and PBXN-12, with the full characterization package behind it
• Bench control of crystal size and morphology is demonstrated across two target specifications, with no accumulation of hazardous intermediate above the design inventory limit

HOW YOU'LL WORK

• Onsite, five days per week, in a fast-moving and highly collaborative R&D environment
• Hands‑on in HazMat and energetics laboratories with flammable, corrosive and other hazardous materials
• Up to roughly 10% travel to support collaborators, partners or facilities

04 REQUIREMENTS

This role involves access to data and systems subject to U.S. export control regulations, including ITAR. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual as defined under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

This role also involves access to explosive materials. Candidates must be eligible to serve as an "employee possessor" of explosive materials under federal law, meaning they are not a prohibited person as defined under 18 U.S.C. § 842(i).

05 COMPENSATION

This is an onsite role based in the Denver-Boulder Metro Area (Lafayette, CO), with travel up to 15% to laboratories, partner facilities, and test sites. Relocation Assistance provided. The annual base salary range for this position is $155,000 - $205,000, commensurate with experience, plus equity. Final compensation will be determined based on skills, experience, and qualifications.

Be a creationary.