Principal Scientist, Adsorbent Chemistry

Berkner Group has been retained to execute this search. If Berkner Group contacted you directly, please respond to the recruiter who reached out to you. If you are applying through this job posting and your background is a strong match, a member of the Berkner Group team may contact you to discuss the opportunity.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Principal Scientist to lead the development, optimization, and scale-up of adsorbent chemistries for advanced separation technologies. This role will focus on resin activation, surface functionalization, and immobilization processes to enable high-performance adsorbent materials for industrial applications.

The successful candidate will combine deep expertise in polymer and surface chemistry with a strong understanding of process development and technology transfer. This individual will work cross-functionally with applied biology, process engineering, analytical chemistry, and manufacturing teams to translate laboratory-scale innovations into robust, scalable manufacturing processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of adsorbent materials, including resin activation, surface modification, and functionalization chemistries.
• Develop and scale covalent immobilization strategies for proteins, and other functional molecules onto solid supports.
• Evaluate and optimize a range of support materials
• Design and execute experiments to characterize adsorbent performance
• Establish structure-property relationships to guide adsorbent design and process optimization.
• Develop robust, reproducible, and scalable manufacturing processes for adsorbent production.
• Partner with process engineering teams to transfer laboratory methods into demo and commercial-scale operations.
• Define critical process parameters, critical quality attributes, and in-process controls for adsorbent manufacturing.
• Author and review technical reports, SOPs, batch records, specifications, and technology transfer documentation.
• Collaborate closely with analytical teams to develop and validate characterization methods.
• Support intellectual property generation, including invention disclosures, patent applications, and scientific publications.
• Mentor and develop junior scientists while contributing to technical strategy and project prioritization.
• Serve as a technical leader within multidisciplinary project teams and communicate progress to senior leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field with 5+ years of relevant industrial experience; or M.S. with 8+ years of experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in resin activation and functionalization chemistries.
• Experience designing and executing independent research programs in adsorbent, surface, or materials chemistry.
• Strong experimental design, data analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
• Please note: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scaling adsorbent manufacturing processes from laboratory to pilot or commercial production.
• Knowledge of heterogeneous reaction engineering and solid-liquid processing operations.
• Experience with immobilized proteins, enzymes, peptides, antibodies, or biomolecular ligands.
• Familiarity with technology transfer, process validation, and quality systems.
• Experience supporting external manufacturing partners, contract development organizations, or toll manufacturers.
• Knowledge of design of experiments (DOE), statistical process control, and process modeling tools.
• Experience working in critical minerals, hydrometallurgy, bioprocessing, or advanced materials industries.

Key Competencies

• Scientific rigor and attention to detail
• Strong technical leadership and influence
• Data-driven decision making
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment
• Strong collaboration and project management capabilities

Success Metrics

Within the first 12 months, this individual will be expected to:

• Develop and optimize scalable adsorbent functionalization processes.
• Improve adsorbent performance metrics, including capacity, selectivity, and stability.
• Establish reproducible manufacturing methods and associated documentation.
• Successfully transfer at least one adsorbent process from laboratory to pilot scale.
• Build strong partnerships across research, engineering, analytical, and operations teams.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to lead a breakthrough program redefining U.S. supply chain resilience in critical materials.
• A mission-driven, high-trust team operating at the intersection of innovation, national security, and sustainability.
• High Impact & Visibility: direct interaction and reporting to executive leadership.

Compensation & Benefits 

The starting annual pay range for this position is $125,000 to $150,000, commensurate with educational background and work experience. 

Benefits include:

• 401(K)
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans (or equivalent) 
• Flexible Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Sick Leave
• Company Holidays