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• Lead Process Chemist

• Permanent
• Full time
• EC2A1AJ, London, England, United Kingdom

Epoch Biodesign
Epoch Biodesign is a well-funded, venture-backed start-up using biology to make every type of plastic recyclable. Using a unique combination of AI, synthetic biology and green chemistry, we are scaling enzymatic recycling processes to transform unrecyclable plastics into new sustainable materials and chemical building blocks. These processes yield substantial reductions in carbon emissions and prevent waste from entering landfill or the environment. They also generate disruptive unit economics, allowing us to scale our solutions quickly to solve this urgent challenge. We’re already working with major players across polymer manufacturing, fashion and automotive, and are scaling up to our first demo production facility in 2025.

We're seeking an experienced and innovative computational biologist to lead our Computational Biology program. This is a key role in the organisation, so there is an opportunity to make a real difference. We're all passionate about sustainability and the environment.

Epoch Biodesign’s head office is in London.

Find out more at www.epochbiodesign.com

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced Lead Chemist to drive product development, organic synthesis, and analytical capability for polymer depolymerisation and repolymerisation at an industrial scale. This individual will play a critical role in developing and optimising chemical pathways for breaking down plastics, designing new products from recovered materials, and establishing advanced analytical methods for process monitoring and quality control.

The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in large-scale chemical manufacturing (preferably with large scale chemical manufacturing and down stream work ups)

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead product development efforts by designing and optimising chemical processes for depolymerised plastics, creating new applications for recovered materials
• Drive organic synthesis R&D, focusing on reaction mechanisms, catalyst development, and process improvement for scalable polymer depolymerisation
• Develop and implement analytical methodologies (e.g., GC-MS, HPLC, NMR, FTIR, TGA) to monitor reaction efficiency, product composition, and material recovery
• Optimise reaction conditions to improve yield, selectivity, and sustainability in depolymerisation processes.
• Ensure seamless scale-up from laboratory synthesis to pilot plant and full-scale production
• Establish quality control and analytical protocols for consistency and reproducibility in polymer recycling operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including process engineers, production teams, and regulatory specialists, to implement and improve chemical recycling solutions
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies in polymer degradation, catalyst development, and process intensification for continuous innovation
• Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, and regulatory standards in all product and process development activities

Required Qualifications:

• PhD or Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, Polymer Science a related discipline.
• 10+ years of industrial-scale experience in process chemistry, preferably in polymer chemistry, catalysis, or chemical recycling (not from a startup environment)
• Expertise in process chemistry including catalyst development and reaction mechanism analysis.
• Hands-on experience with analytical instrumentation, such as GC-MS, HPLC, NMR, FTIR, and TGA, for reaction monitoring and product characterisation
• Preferably with proven ability to develop products from depolymerised materials and integrate them into commercial applications

Top 4 Required Skills:

1. Product Development & Polymer Chemistry – Strong expertise in developing new products from depolymerised plastics and optimising chemical recycling technologies
2. Organic Synthesis & Catalysis – Deep understanding of reaction mechanisms, catalyst design, work up optimisation and scalable chemical processes for polymer breakdown
3. Analytical Method Development – Proficiency in chromatography, spectroscopy, and other techniques for characteriSing depolymerisation products and monitoring reaction efficiency
4. Industrial Process Scale-Up & Collaboration – Experience translating lab-scale chemistry into full-scale industrial applications, having run large scale reactions, working with engineering and production teams

Benefits:

Epoch Biodesign offers a comprehensive benefits program. At the moment this includes:

• A generous allowance of 30 days paid holiday (plus the usual 8 bank holidays)
• Meaningful EMI Share Options
• A non-contributory pension of 9% employer contribution
• Optional company covered private medical insurance with Vitality
• Group Income Protection
• Group Critical Illness
• Flexible working around the core times of 10am to 4pm
• Cycle to work scheme
• The opportunity to be part of building something remarkable

On-the-job perks

• Complementary fresh fruit, coffee, tea and snacks
• Onsite gym
• Various staff social activities

And we are always in the process of reviewing and implementing further on-the-job perks!