Senior Analytical Chemist
RenewCO2
Operations
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
INR 600k-1,800k / year
RenewCO2 develops electrochemical processes that convert CO₂ emissions into chemicals and fuels, including formic acid, monoethylene glycol, ammonia, and sustainable aviation fuel precursors. Our process provides an energy-efficient, selective conversion pathway, with cost economics projected to be competitive with those of conventional fossil-based production. This combination is what allows climate technology to operate at industrial scale.
The RenewCO2 leadership team includes experts in electrochemical catalysis and industrial systems, including Dr. Anders Laursen, Dr. Karin Calvinho, and Dr. Chock Karuppaiah, along with industry leaders such as Arne Ballantine (Founder, Ohmium; former Bloom Energy CEO) and Srushti Parhar (ex-Bloom Energy, software industry veteran). Additional leadership team members bring deep expertise from the chemicals and oil & gas sectors across U.S. and Japanese markets and will actively mentor and support selected candidates.
Role Overview
We’re hiring a Senior Analytical Chemist to stand up the analytical backbone of our CO₂ electrolyzer R&D program (commissioning instrumentation, developing quantification methods for the gas and liquid product slates our cells produce, and owning calibration, maintenance, and chemical safety practices for the lab). You’ll define how we measure performance and how we work safely while doing it. The methods, SOPs, and safety protocols you build will set the standard the team works to as we scale.
Type: Full-time, in person at our office and laboratory in Chikkaballapur (Bengaluru region).
Roles and responsibilities:
- Specify, install, and commission analytical instrumentation - GC, HPLC, IC, NMR, and supporting hardware - including vendor selection, sampling configuration, and integration with our electrolyzer setups
- Develop, validate, and document quantification methods for the full product slate from CO₂ reduction: formic acid and formate salts, monoethylene glycol, alcohols, light hydrocarbons, gas-phase products, and emerging targets as the catalyst pipeline evolves
- Build and maintain calibration curves, run QC/QA, and establish detection limits, accuracy, and reproducibility benchmarks the team can trust
- Own instrument calibration, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and uptime — and define the protocols others will follow
- Lead chemical safety evaluation across the lab: hazard assessments for new reagents and electrolytes, compatibility reviews for cell materials and waste streams, SDS curation, and PPE / handling guidance for the team
- Author and maintain SOPs for analytical methods, instrument operation, sample handling, calibration, and safety — and keep them living documents as the work evolves
- Quantify products from gas and liquid streams; calculate Faradaic efficiency, selectivity, and carbon balance; flag anomalies before they propagate into decisions
- Support catalyst, MEA, and process teams with method adaptations as new products and operating regimes come online, including pilot-scale optimization
- Set up lab notebook practices and data workflows that scale beyond a single chemist; communicate findings in written reports and technical reviews; train others on the methods and safety practices you establish
Required Qualifications
- 4+ years of hands-on analytical lab experience with primary ownership of GC, HPLC or IC (installation, method development, calibration, and maintenance, not just operation)
- Demonstrated method development from scratch: you’ve taken a new analyte or matrix and built a validated quantification method, not just run someone else’s
- Deep familiarity with calibration practices, QC standards, detection and quantification limits, and method validation
- Comfort selecting and commissioning new instruments (vendor evaluation, installation oversight, IQ/OQ/PQ, getting a tool from crate to production-ready)
- Working knowledge of chemical safety practices: SDS interpretation, hazard and compatibility assessment, waste handling, and authoring SOPs that people will actually follow
- Sharp instinct for when a result doesn’t make physical sense, and the discipline to investigate before reporting
- Ability to operate independently, manage multiple instruments and projects in parallel, and set the standard for lab practice
- Clear written and verbal communication
Preferred Qualifications:
- M.Sc. or PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
- Experience setting up an analytical lab from scratch or substantially building one out
- Familiarity with MS detectors, headspace sampling, or specialized configurations relevant to dilute aqueous and mixed gas matrices
Prior experience with electrochemical product quantification, fuel cell or electrolyzer diagnostics, or CO₂ reduction product analysis - Coding for data analysis and automation
Working at an Early-Stage Startup
RenewCO2 is an early-stage company. Priorities shift as the technology and commercial opportunities evolve, internal processes are still being established, and engineers are expected to exercise sound judgment without close supervision. Candidates who do their best work in highly structured environments with clearly defined paths are unlikely to find this role a good fit. Candidates who are comfortable with ambiguity, take initiative on incomplete information, and work effectively alongside colleagues across functions are likely to thrive here.
Compensation: Starting compensation ranges from ₹6-18 LPA. Final offers are calibrated to demonstrated capability, hands-on expertise, and scope of contribution rather than years of experience alone.
Why Join RenewCO2
- You stand up the analytical lab — instruments, methods, calibrations, SOPs, and safety practices that become standard as we grow
- Direct ownership of the data that drives our R&D and scale-up decisions
- Mentorship from the founders, both of whom come from experimental electrochemistry
Equal Opportunity Statement
RenewCO2 is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.