Director of Synthetic Chemistry

Ohr•Lafayette, CO

8d•$215,000 - $275,000•Onsite

About The Position

Ohr is hiring a Director of Synthetic Chemistry to lead chemistry across energetics, mining and metals, and polymer programs. The role owns route selection across three distinct verticals that share a platform. Proposed routes must be developed and evaluated for delivered cost per kilogram, process hazards, and technical feasibility, with consistent standards for proposal, costing, assessment, and documentation. The Director will lead the synthetic chemistry team and carry the energetics program from a characterized 1 kg sample in early 2027 to a validated 10 kg/day pilot in 2029. This includes designing experiments to establish the pilot design basis and overseeing the subsequent review, HAZOP, and commissioning sequence. The role also sequences competing campaigns, maintains a candidate pipeline, makes build-or-buy decisions for intermediates, and defends cost models to the board and government customers. The position provides leadership for process safety, including reaction calorimetry, exotherm and quench design, hazard assessment as an input to route choice, and early consideration of laboratory siting and insurance. The Director will establish Ohr’s Colorado laboratory, including equipment specification, long-lead procurement, energetic-materials licensing scope, and compliance practices for export-controlled information and procurement-controlled reagents. The role represents chemistry in government program reviews and works with partner laboratories, CDMOs, and customers. The role is onsite five days per week in Lafayette, Colorado, with hands-on work in HazMat and energetics laboratories and travel of up to roughly 15%. At full strength, the team will have eight direct reports, including two senior technical anchors with sequencing authority in their verticals. Candidates must meet U.S. export-control eligibility requirements and be eligible to serve as an employee possessor of explosive materials. Relocation assistance is provided. Compensation is an annual base salary of $215,000–$275,000, commensurate with experience, plus equity.

Requirements

PhD in organic, process, or materials chemistry with 12 or more years of experience beyond the degree, or equivalent depth reached another way.
At least 3 years managing chemists against external delivery dates, including hiring and leveling a team from a standing start.
Personal ownership of a synthetic route that reached pilot scale.
Substantial depth in either energetics chemistry or metal extraction chemistry.
Process safety leadership experience, including reaction calorimetry, exotherm and quench design, HAZOP participation, and treating hazards as an input to route selection.
Experience selecting routes based on cost per kilogram and ability to explain a specific decision end to end.
Ability to manage ITAR- and export-controlled information and lead a team operating under those controls.
Strong writing and presentation skills sufficient to defend technical positions in government program reviews.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
Must be eligible to serve as an employee possessor of explosive materials under federal law and not be a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. § 842(i).
Able to work onsite five days per week and perform hands-on work in HazMat and energetics laboratories.

Nice To Haves

Delivery experience on government-funded, milestone-based development programs.
Experience standing up a laboratory from scratch, including equipment specification, licensing, long-lead procurement, and initial operating discipline.
Experience converting exothermic or corrosive batch chemistry to flow or continuous processes.
Experience with insensitive high explosives, work inside an ATF-licensed facility, or familiarity with DoW explosive safety standards.
Experience with hydrometallurgical reagents, chelating ligands, or solvent extraction chemistry.
Experience with condensation polymer chemistry where the product specification is a molecular weight distribution.
An active security clearance or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

Own route selection across energetics, mining and metals, and polymer programs, evaluating delivered cost per kilogram and hazards and setting standards for route proposals, costing, assessment, and documentation.
Lead the synthetic chemistry team, including hiring and developing chemists and establishing team standards.
Advance the energetics program from a characterized 1 kg sample in early 2027 to a validated 10 kg/day pilot in 2029; design experiments for the pilot design basis and oversee review, HAZOP, and commissioning.
Sequence campaigns competing for laboratory capacity and determine and communicate which work will be delayed.
Lead process safety, including calorimetry programs, exotherm and quench design, hazard-based route decisions, and early consideration of laboratory siting and insurance.
Maintain a candidate pipeline so product lines have alternatives if committed campaigns fail kill tests.
Make build-or-buy decisions for intermediates and defend cost models to the board and government customers.
Establish the Colorado laboratory, including equipment specification, long-lead procurement, energetic-materials licensing scope, and compliance regimes for export control and procurement-controlled reagents.
Represent chemistry at government program reviews and work with partner laboratories, CDMOs, and customers.
Manage a team of up to eight direct reports, with two senior technical anchors carrying sequencing authority within their verticals.