Analytical Lab Specialist

Charm Industrial•Fort Lupton, CO

2d•$85,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Charm injects bio-oil underground for permanent carbon removal, and we need to understand how that bio-oil behaves once it meets rock, sediment, and brine. We are seeking a hands-on Lab Specialist to join our Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) team and own the experimental work that answers those questions. You will work with Charm's reservoir engineers and other technical leads to design experiments, build reactors and new experimental systems, and perform experiments to gather key data for business development. These systems may involve high pressure, high temperature, porous media, or vacuum systems. The data you generate will deepen our knowledge of bio-oil properties in the subsurface and support the regulatory applications we file as we expand our operational footprint into new jurisdictions. You will also support other critical MSE lab projects, including bio-oil and biochar analysis. This role calls for strong chemistry fundamentals and a real drive to design, build, troubleshoot, and run rigorous experiments. We are looking for an experimentalist who is energized by building things from scratch, gets satisfaction from generating high-quality data, and treats a failed system or experiment as a problem to solve rather than a dead end. This role is part of Charm's analytical team and reports to the Lead Analytical Scientist in Colorado. It is based onsite at our facility in Fort Lupton, CO.

Requirements

A safety-first approach to experiments, sampling, and equipment operation
A commitment to rigorous science
Bachelor’s degree is required in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Geology, or relevant scientific discipline
An experimentalist mindset: you like building reactors and experimental systems, running experiments, collecting data, and iterating on results
Hands-on experience designing, building, or operating laboratory testing equipment, ideally including high pressure and/or high temperature systems
Solid working knowledge of chemistry fundamentals
Strong equipment troubleshooting skills: you are comfortable diagnosing why a system or experiment isn't behaving as expected and iterating toward a fix
Analytical and critical thinking, including sound judgment about data quality and what a result does and does not tell you
Clear written and verbal communication, and a habit of partnering well with engineers, scientists, and outside labs
Comfort managing samples and coordinating with third-party labs, including tracking, documentation, and reporting
Comfort using digital communication, database tools, and AI tools to keep your team and external partners up to date
Ability to prioritize and work through ambiguity in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment
Willingness to travel occasionally to third-party labs or Charm field sites for sample collection and onsite support (up to 10% of time)

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MS or PhD) and/or 4+ years experience preferred
Experience with subsurface, geochemistry, or reservoir-adjacent testing
Experience with complex organic fluids such as bio-oils, petroleum fractions, heavy oils, or reactive mixtures
Experience with corrosion or metallurgy testing
Experience with oil and gas topside infrastructure (oil-water separation, blending tanks, filtration, process piping, pumps, and similar)

Responsibilities

Work closely with our reservoir engineering team to understand testing needs for exploration and permitting of new wells
Co-design experiments with Charm's reservoir engineers for reservoir compatibility studies that feed regulatory submissions and/or support formation characterization and tracer analysis studies
Design, build, and run laboratory experiments and test systems, including high pressure and high temperature systems
Take an experimental concept from a teammate and turn it into an executed test that generates real, usable learnings
Manage field samples (brine, sand, bio-oil, and other materials) at our Colorado lab, including registration, tracking, and storage
Manage third-party lab relationships: send samples, track turnaround, review results, and travel occasionally to third-party labs and Charm field sites for sample collection
Build and follow repeatable, well-documented test protocols so that outside labs and colleagues can execute them consistently
Keep experimental data organized and reported through our electronic databases so results are traceable and easy for teammates to use
Flex to support other MSE lab projects (for example, filtration studies or other bio-oil characterization work) as priorities require

Benefits

Equity ownership through stock options
100% employee healthcare premiums covered
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with multiple plan options
Employer-funded HSA contributions for eligible HDHP plans
Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 50% match on contributions up to 6%
Paid leave, including parental and medical leave
PPE and workwear allowances
Annual professional development stipend
Employee recognition programs that celebrate impactful work and team contributions
Opportunities for internal growth, career development, and transition into climate from a range of industries and backgrounds