Lead R&D Scientist - Lab & Pilot Operations

Position: Lead R&D Scientist – Lab & Pilot Operations

Reporting to : VP of R&D

Location: Des Plaines, IL

Company Overview: Aether Fuels is an advanced climate technology startup revolutionizing the sustainable fuels industry with its breakthrough catalysts, equipment, and process flows. Aether’s mission is to enable a net-zero world through sustainable liquid fuels by economically producing sustainable hydrocarbon fuels at scale from flexible combinations of waste carbon streams.

Job Overview

We are seeking a hands-on Lead R&D Scientist – Lab & Pilot Operations to support the development and scale-up of advanced fuel-production technologies and effectively lead and manage a small team of R&D Scientists/Engineers. This role sits at the interface of laboratory R&D, analytical characterization, and pilot plant execution.

The successful candidate will design and execute experiments, operate and troubleshoot lab and pilot equipment, generate high-quality analytical data, and convert results into clear technical conclusions and next-step recommendations.

If you have deep technical knowledge and hands-on experience across catalyst testing, advanced hydrogen and carbon conversion processes, as well as analytical skills, and thrive in collaborative, agile environments, this is your opportunity to drive the energy transition.

Responsibilities:

• Design, plan, and execute structured experimental programs and designed experiments (DOE) in laboratory and pilot plant environments to evaluate catalysts, process conditions, equipment configurations, and operating windows.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of R&D Scientists and Engineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Prepare test objectives, run plans, sampling plans, and data sheets; execute experiments safely and reproducibly; and document deviations, observations, and operating changes in a disciplined manner.
• Operate lab-scale reactors, bench units, and pilot plants, including startup, shutdown, line-out, steady-state monitoring, sampling, troubleshooting, and post-run cleanup.
• Own day-to-day analytical characterization of gaseous and liquid streams generated in R&D work, including routine use, calibration, troubleshooting, and interpretation of data from GC-based methods and related techniques.
• Perform and interpret hydrocarbon characterization methods, including GC, PIONA, and SimDis. Support additional methods such as GC/MS, gas analysis, and other fuel or catalyst characterization techniques as needed.
• Report, validate, and analyze operating and analytical data; identify trends, anomalies, and root causes; and prepare concise technical reports, presentations, and recommendations for next steps.
• Maintain accurate documentation, including SOPs, test procedures, daily logs, calibration records, analytical methods, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment files, and inventory records.
• Troubleshoot process, mechanical, and analytical issues in laboratory and pilot systems and implement corrective actions with appropriate documentation.
• Execute or support modifications to lab and pilot systems under approved procedures and management-of-change practices, including updates to tubing, fittings, valves, instruments, sample systems, and related hardware.
• Work closely with R&D, engineering, and external partners to communicate results, improve experimental setups, and translate R&D findings into robust operating knowledge for scale-up.
• Support safe work execution through SOPs, MOCs, pre-startup reviews, and participation in HAZOP, FMEA, or similar process safety reviews when needed.
• Maintain laboratory and pilot assets in a safe, organized, and inspection-ready condition, including chemicals, consumables, spares, and analytical standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field; advanced degrees are highly desirable
• 8 to 12 years of experience in R&D, process development, pilot plant operations, refining, petrochemicals, renewable fuels, or closely related process industries. Advanced degrees may reduce the required years of experience.
• 2+ years of people management experience preferred
• Demonstrate strong leadership, mentoring, and organizational skills
• Demonstrated hands-on experience designing and executing experimental programs and DOE-type test plans in laboratory and pilot plant environments.
• Hands-on analytical characterization experience with gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon streams, including routine operation, calibration, troubleshooting, data review, and interpretation for GC, PIONA, and SimDis. Candidates should be able to independently generate and defend analytical results.
• Practical experience operating, troubleshooting, and improving laboratory reactors, pilot plants, and associated utilities, instruments, and sample systems.
• Ability to read and work from SOPs, PFDs, P&IDs, and operating procedures, and to maintain high-quality experimental and operating records.
• Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills, including preparation of clear reports, summaries, and presentations for engineering and management audiences.
• Strong commitment to laboratory safety, process safety, and disciplined execution in dynamic experimental environments.
• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 10% for site visits, start-ups, and stakeholder meetings.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in catalysis, syngas, hydrogen, reforming, upgrading, Fischer-Tropsch, gas processing, or related reaction systems.
• Experience with additional analytical tools or methods such as GC/MS, micro-GC, gas analyzers, surface area analysis, fuels testing, or method development.
• Familiarity with data acquisition systems, historians, LIMS, or structured data-management workflows.
• Working knowledge of JMP, Minitab, Python, or similar tools for process interpretation and data analysis.
• Hands-on experience with minor skid or rig modifications, instrument changes, and practical troubleshooting of valves, fittings, pumps, heaters, controls, and field instrumentation.
• Familiarity with MOC, PSSR, HAZOP, and FMEA processes.

Aether Fuels is an equal opportunity employer and offers competitive compensation and benefits. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status.