Lead Analytical Scientist

About Charm

Our mission is to return the atmosphere to 280 ppm CO₂. We convert excess inedible biomass into carbon-rich bio-oil and inject it into underground storage for permanent carbon removal. At scale, we can use bio-oil to make fossil-free iron.

Our carbon removal efforts began in 2020 with initial purchases from customers like Stripe, Shopify, and Microsoft. Since then, we’ve scaled to thousands of tons of carbon removal, grown to over a hundred employees, and established three locations in San Francisco, Colorado, and Louisiana. Join us in 2026 as we work toward putting 10,000 tons of carbon back underground!

We're expanding our team of ambitious, creative, and hands-on problem solvers. We value psychological safety, collaboration, and continuous learning. We take calculated risks and treat mistakes as opportunities to improve. If you're excited about tackling big challenges, we encourage you to explore our company values.

Come help us reverse climate change. Gigatons or bust!

About the Role 

This position is a critical member of the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) team at Charm! You will lead development of the analytical lab where you and your team will deliver high impact measurements and data conclusions for Charm, including continuous development and refinement of measurement methods. These contributions tie you closely to key business outcomes in the form of: unlocking real-world carbon dioxide removals, discovering and characterizing new behaviors of Charm’s materials to enable product-market fit, and helping solve highly dynamic operations challenges experienced in the field.

This role is highly cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with fellow scientists, engineers, and other Charmers across the Engineering, Operations, Measurement/Reporting/Verification (MRV), and Development organizations. You will function as a subject matter expert on chemical principles + sampling methods and be responsible for planning, collecting, and evaluating samples captured throughout Charm’s business activities (biomass, pyrolysis, injection, etc). As required by various research campaigns, business/sales opportunities, or production anomalies, you will have the opportunity to influence the strategy around how Charm studies, quantifies, and ultimately solves problems using your subject matter expertise. This role will report to the Head of Engineering in Colorado.

• You will have the opportunity to stand up a brand new analytical lab at our Colorado campus, tailored towards Charm’s product portfolio and business goals
• You will develop methods for generating analytical understanding from our pyrolysis and injection programs.
• You will manage and improve Charm’s analytical data management plan, including creation and implementation of laboratory quality plans, QA/QC measures, and creation/revision of SOPs for sampling and data collection for in-house bio char and bio oil, and 3rd party bio oil(s). 
• You will create and maintain vendor relationships with third party labs that perform significant portions of our analytical work.
• You will manage our analytical chemistry lab, and advise Charm leadership of when to bring analytical capabilities in house through new equipment purchases, new personnel hires, etc.
• You and your team will be responsible for managing preventative maintenance, general upkeep, and equipment supplies to enable the analytical lab services to stay online.
• You will advise Charm leadership on how best to use analytical chemistry to de-risk our programs.
• You will directly manage Analytical Lab Technician(s) who perform tactical analysis activities and experiments using available lab equipment. You will also personally perform analysis on incoming requests as needed.

• A safety first approach to sampling and analysis
• A commitment to rigorous science
• Previous research lab experience, pilot plant, or test stand work in chemical, rocket, or heavy industries
• PhD with 5+ years of experience in industry preferred. MS in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field with 8-10 years of analytical chemistry experience in industry accepted
• Demonstrated leadership and mentorship to lab technicians on sample collection and analysis procedures
• Demonstrated practical ability to develop quantitative analytical methods
• Skills required to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot GC, GC/MS, LC/MS/MS, and other instrument systems
• Proven ability to manage and hold vendors accountable
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities and comfort with multi-tasking in a fast-paced, ever changing, ambiguous environment
• Ability to build out analytical capabilities in accordance with business needs, providing technical and financial justification for bringing analytical capabilities in house
• Comfort using digital communication and database tools to keep your team, internal Charm partners, and external partners up to date.

• Experience working around hazardous gases, combustibles, and/or high energy systems
• Familiarity with thermal conversion processes
• Experience with measuring metals including but not limited to X-Ray fluorescence, X-Ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma techniques
• Knowledge of gas and particulate sampling nuances
• Knowledge of fast pyrolysis, biomass characterization, etc.

What We Offer

· Stock options

· Health benefits (medical, dental, vision)

· Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 50% match on contributions up to 6%

· Paid time off, including parental leave

· A yearly professional development stipend

· Healthy snacks for onsite employees

· A chance to pivot into a role in climate!

Visa Sponsorship Policy

Since we are a small startup, certain accommodations for visa sponsorship may not be within our capability. At this time, Charm Industrial is only sponsoring E3 and TN visas.

Our Commitment

Charm Industrial is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based on skills, experience, and passion for our mission. Climate challenges require a wide range of perspectives and expertise, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We’re excited to grow our team with people who bring unique strengths and help us improve as a company.