Computational Chemist, Thermodynamics (Founding Team)

About Riven

Our mission is to leverage fundamental science and the exponential growth of computational power to revolutionize industrial chemistry. We are integrating autonomous laboratories, computational modeling, and AI to systematize the design, de-risking, and deployment of new chemical capabilities. Our work is deeply interdisciplinary and closes the loop between fundamental physics and industrial deployment.

We are starting with critical minerals because they underpin virtually every facet of modern life—including energy infrastructure, compute architecture, and defense systems—and are at the heart of a generational effort to reindustrialize the west. We intend to dramatically reduce the time and cost required to scale new mineral processing capacity.

About the role

As a Computational Chemist you will transform thermodynamic first-principles into high-fidelity predictions of industrial scale behavior. You will work closely with experts in hydrometallurgy, process modeling, machine learning, and autonomous experimentation to build thermodynamic models of unprecedented accuracy.

Riven is hiring a lean, interdisciplinary team and experience spanning multiple roles is welcome. Apply to whichever role is closest to your skillset.

Initial Responsibilities

• Own Riven's thermodynamic description of aqueous electrolyte and mineral systems.

• Design a multi-framework thermodynamic modeling architecture that merges ML and EoS approaches.

• Build an automated pipeline for regressing thermodynamic parameters against experimental data.

• Develop thermodynamic design-of-experiments approaches for optimally driving our automated lab.

• Connect the thermodynamics into multi-scale process models.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Geochemistry, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.

• Deep experience with solution thermodynamics in at least one framework (Pitzer, e-NRTL, MSE, SAFT, HKF, etc.), and understanding of the tradeoffs between them.

• Experience regressing thermodynamic parameters against experimental data, including critical assessment of the underlying measurements.

• Working familiarity with hydrometallurgical or comparable unit operations, and with heat and mass balance analysis.

• Comfortable with the tools and processes for building large software systems.

• Clear interdisciplinary communication and the curiosity to quickly learn and execute in new domains.

• Ability to prioritize, execute, and collaborate with a high degree of agency, a willingness to be wrong, and the ambition to build something that has never existed before.

• Trust, humor, rigor, and an excitement to work in a scrappy, interdisciplinary early-stage environment.

Bonus Points

• Background in critical minerals, mineral processing, or aqueous geochemistry.

• Experience working with f-block elements.

• Experience with process modeling and flowsheet development.

• Bayesian calibration, uncertainty quantification, or optimal experimental design.

• Experience working alongside automated or high-throughput experimentation.

• Published thermodynamic assessments, or contributions to open-source thermodynamic tooling.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is $160,000 – $200,000 per year.

Compensation decisions are made based on track-record, seniority, and skill set. Additional consideration can be given to candidates with exceptional experience.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition or disability.