Senior Analytical Chemist

Company Description

Trillium Renewable Chemicals develops technology to produce acrylonitrile and acetonitrile from renewable feed stocks such as glycerol. These drop-in intermediates are used in acrylic and carbon fibers, nitrile rubber, ABS plastic, specialty chemicals, and other materials found in apparel, transportation, toys, sporting goods, household furnishings, and water treatment.

Trillium has raised Seed, Series A, and Series B financing, received multiple U.S. Department of Energy awards, and was named a C&EN Top 10 Startup. We have built Falcon, a demonstration-scale chemical plant, and Falcon's Nest, a catalyst and analytical laboratory, at the INEOS Nitriles manufacturing site in Port Lavaca, Texas.

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on analytical chemist to own the analytical work supporting Falcon and Falcon's Nest. This is a senior individual-contributor role, not a people-management position. The right person can develop a practical method, troubleshoot the instrument and sample, and deliver reliable data in time to guide plant and technical decisions.

• Own analytical readiness for plant campaigns and laboratory experiments, including sampling plans, methods, standards, consumables, instrument status, calculations, and reporting.
• Develop, validate, and troubleshoot quantitative GC methods for renewable feed stocks, reactive process streams, intermediates, impurities, and products.
• Generate defensible composition, conversion, selectivity, yield, and product-quality data on the schedule needed by the operating and engineering teams.
• Operate, maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot GC systems and related sample-introduction equipment; use complementary techniques such as Karl Fischer titration and FTIR as needed.
• Work onsite with Trillium engineers, INEOS operators and technical personnel, and external laboratories during startup, plant operation, and troubleshooting.
• Document methods, calibrations, limitations, raw data, calculations, and conclusions clearly and maintain essential standards, spares, and consumables.
• Handle hazardous samples and laboratory waste safely and support the site's industrial safety culture.

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, analytical chemistry, or a closely related field.
• At least 5 years of hands‑on analytical chemistry experience in chemical manufacturing, industrial R&D, a pilot plant, or a similar applied industrial setting.
• Strong GC capability, including quantitative method development, calibration, sample preparation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and interpretation of complex chromatograms.
• Experience working safely with hazardous chemicals and process samples in an industrial safety environment.
• Ability to work full time onsite, support occasional extended or nonstandard startup hours, and obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).