Senior Synthetic Chemist – Sorbent Innovation Lead (80–100%) — Climeworks
- Location
- Opfikon
- Contract
- full-time
- Posted
- 41 days ago
Role overview
You will take scientific ownership of early-stage material innovation, connect synthesis decisions with performance data and help identify the most promising sorbent concepts for further development.
- You will take scientific ownership of early-stage material innovation, connect synthesis decisions with performance data and help identify the most promising sorbent concepts for further development.
- Synthetic chemistry expertise: You have strong hands-on experience in synthetic organic or inorganic chemistry.
- You have experience in porous, functionalized, polymeric or amine-based.
Key requirements
- Synthetic chemistry expertise: You have strong hands-on experience in synthetic organic or inorganic chemistry.
- You have experience in porous, functionalized, polymeric or amine-based.
- Experience with other sorbent-relevant materials is a plus.
- Relevant experience: You bring at least 5 years of experience in synthetic chemistry, material synthesis or material development, including applied R&D, start-up, industrial or technology development experience.
- Chemistry background: You hold an advanced degree in organic, inorganic, synthetic, materials chemistry or a related field. A PhD is a plus.
- Scientific ownership: You are comfortable leading your own workstreams, interpreting data critically and translating findings into clear recommendations.
- Clear communication: You communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders and are proficient in English.
- Our promise: At Climeworks, you are accepted for who you are, and we are committed to building an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
- If this sounds like you, don’t hold back.
- Let’s tackle one of humankind’s greatest challenges together. What we offer:
- Time Off: Enjoy 25 paid vacation days every year, plus public holidays.
- Flexibility: Work how it suits you best. We offer a hybrid work setup and up to 4 weeks of remote work annually within any EU country.
Application process
- In this role, you will apply deep synthetic chemistry expertise to design, synthesize and evaluate next-generation sorbent materials for Direct Air Capture.
- We encourage all qualified applicants to apply – regardless of background, identity, or experience.
- Studies show that women and individuals from minority backgrounds often only apply for jobs when they meet 100% of the listed criteria.
- If you see a match between your profile and what we’re looking for, we encourage you to apply.
Company and context
- You will play a central role in coordinating across stakeholders to ensure alignment of research priorities, technical development and broader organization goals.
- The role is ideal for a hands-on chemist who enjoys driving technical work independently while collaborating closely with experts across characterization, engineering, scale-up, legal, and external innovation. This role is a strong fit if you:
- You are a hands-on synthetic chemist, ideally with experience in material synthesis or functional material development.
- You enjoy working as an individual contributor and technical expert, while effectively coordinating with cross-functional stakeholders.
- You want to stay close to lab-based experimentation, synthesis, characterization, and scientific problem-solving.
- You are motivated by early-stage R&D and material innovation, with a passion for dynamic, discovery-driven environments. What you will do:
- Design and synthesize new sorbent materials: You develop and improve sorbent chemistries for Direct Air Capture, with a focus on performance, durability, cost and scalability.
- Evaluate material performance: You plan experiments, analyze characterization and adsorption data, and connect synthesis decisions with structure-property relationships.
- Identify promising concepts: You screen internal and external sorbent concepts against clear technical, commercial, regulatory, scalability, and IP-related criteria.
- Drive hands-on laboratory work: You run safe, well-documented synthesis and testing campaigns, maintain structured material data, and translate results into recommendations.
Additional details
- The role is ideal for a hands-on chemist who enjoys driving technical work independently while collaborating closely with experts across characterization, engineering, scale-up, legal, and external innovation. This role is a strong fit if you:
- You are motivated by early-stage R&D and material innovation, with a passion for dynamic, discovery-driven environments.
- Collaborate and coordinate across disciplines: You work closely with experts in characterization, engineering, scale-up, legal, patents and external innovation to move the most promising sorbent concepts forward.
- Chemistry background: You hold an advanced degree in organic, inorganic, synthetic, materials chemistry or a related field.
Notes and original content
- The role is ideal for a hands-on chemist who enjoys driving technical work independently while collaborating closely with experts across characterization, engineering, scale-up, legal, and external innovation.
- This role is a strong fit if you:
- What you will do:
- Requirements:
- A PhD is a plus.
- Let’s tackle one of humankind’s greatest challenges together.
- What we offer:
- Individual compensation depends on your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the team.
- Formalities:
Questions about this listing
What salary does Climeworks offer for this role?
Climeworks lists CHF 101'500 - 154'000 gross per year for this position in Opfikon. This is the salary published in the original listing (or, when the employer omits a figure, a realistic estimate for the role and sector) — the calculator on this site converts it to your actual net take-home once cross-border tax and social contributions are applied.
Is this a full-time role, and what type of contract does Climeworks offer?
This listing is a full-time position. The contract type shown here comes directly from the employer's original posting; always confirm exact hours, notice period and probation length with Climeworks during the application process, since these details can vary by role even within the same contract category.
Do I need a cross-border work permit for a role in Zürich?
EU/EFTA residents living in the border zone of the country adjoining Canton Zürich can apply for a G permit; the Swiss employer files it with that canton's migration office after the contract is signed. Border-zone rules and processing times vary by neighbouring country and canton, so confirm the specifics with Zürich's cantonal migration office or with HR during the application.
How do I apply for this position at Climeworks?
Use the "Apply now" button on this page — it links directly to Climeworks's original listing at climeworks.recruitee.com, so your application goes straight to the employer's own applicant-tracking system. Frontaliere Ticino does not collect or forward applications itself.
