Independence Day

It's Independence Day in the United States, which is a national holiday. We'll see you on Monday. 

 

Job posting: Senior Process Development Engineer/Chemist, Evonik, Allentown, PA

Via LinkedIn, this position: 

As a Senior Process Development Engineer, you will:

• Lead research, development, and scale-up of next generation, sustainable, and complex products across various assets.
• Design and execute experiments using reaction engineering, chemistry, and chemical engineering fundamentals, leveraging tools like DOE, chemical analysis, and data modeling, while encouraging diverse perspectives in problem-solving and decision-making.

Education and Experience

• MS or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum of 7 years of industrial experience in a chemical laboratory research setting
• Experience in manufacturing or pilot plant settings strongly preferred

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 16 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 16 research/teaching positions. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

To see trending, go to Andrew Spaeth's visualization of previous years' list.

On July 2, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 17 research/teaching positions and two teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a link to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet. 

Postdoctoral position: computational biology, Han Lab, University of North Texas, Denton, TX

From the inbox: 

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas is seeking to hire a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join Dr. Yanxiao Han’s computational biological laboratory. The Han Lab is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to interdisciplinary research at the interface of molecular biophysics, hormone signaling, and therapeutic design. 

The primary focus of the lab is on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), particularly those involved in cardiovascular and hormone signaling pathways. Using multiscale simulations—combining molecular dynamics, enhanced sampling, and kinetic modeling—the team investigates how neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and hormones such as estrogen interact with β-adrenergic and estrogen-related GPCRs. 

These studies aim to uncover the molecular basis of GPCR cross-talk and its impact on sex-specific cardiovascular function and disease. The lab is also interested in AI-driven design of peptides and proteins for therapeutic applications. This includes previously developed novel peptide drugs inspired by natural toxins to selectively target ion channels, as well as engineering antimicrobial peptides using machine learning and structural modeling approaches. This position offers an exciting opportunity to work on the mechanistic study of GPCR-mediated signaling, the rational design of next-generation biologics for precision medicine, and beyond.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in biophysics, computational biology, chemistry, pharmacology, or a related field
• Strong background in molecular dynamics simulations and/or protein modeling
• Experience with enhanced sampling methods, multiscale modeling, and/or kinetic modeling is highly desirable
• Interest in translational applications, including peptide/protein therapeutics or cardiovascular drug development
• Experience mentoring students in a collaborative research environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Development and application of AI-driven methods in computational biomedical/biological related research
• Experience collaborating with experimental (wet-lab) researchers
• Strong communication skills

Full link here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Have a great weekend

Well, this was a short and fun week for me. I hope that you had a better meal in Minneapolis than I did, but hey, gotta go with what works. Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday. 

C&EN: "Veolia opens PFAS removal plant in Delaware"

Via C&EN, this news (article by Craig Bettenhausen): 

Wilmington, Delaware—At a water treatment plant outside Wilmington, Delaware, last week, officials cut the ribbon on a facility that will remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the water consumed by more than 100,000 Delaware residents. The facility, one of the largest of its kind in the US, is part of an emerging business in getting the unwanted fluorochemicals out of drinking water.

The complex represents a $35 million investment by Veolia, which operates the public water utility for the area. State and company officials at the event said the utility will ask for a 44% rate increase to make the investment pay off and cover the plant’s operation and maintenance. For an average household, they said, that will mean about $19 more each month. In similar infrastructure upgrades across the country, the actual rate increase is usually smaller than the utility’s initial proposal.

The installation consists of 42 filter tanks, each about the size of a shipping container, in a building about the size of a hockey rink. Larry Finnicum, Veolia’s mid-Atlantic regional president, said each tank is filled with granulated activated carbon (GAC), a filtering media provided by Calgon Carbon. Finnicum said Calgon’s GAC was the top performer in pilot tests on the plant’s source water, but the design of the tanks allows operators to switch filter media if better materials emerge or water conditions change.

Mohamed Ateia Ibrahim, an environmental engineer who studies PFAS treatment and substitution, tells C&EN that the upgrade is significant from the standpoints of public health and compliance. “The project uses GAC, which is a primary solution for water utilities taking proactive actions against PFAS,” he says. “It is a proven and reliable technology, but it also comes with persistent challenges that the water treatment industry continues to face.”

It will be interesting to see how successful this facility is (i.e. does it turn into an enormous boondoggle?) and if it stays relatively inexpensive for areas that have serious PFAS contamination, I predict that this will be the first of many... 

Job posting: Senior/Principal Synthetic Materials Chemist, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

Via Bluesky, this position: 

We are seeking an outstanding synthetic materials chemist to establish both an independent research program and a develop a user program with capabilities on offer to the external user community at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), a DOE-funded user facility. The successful candidate will be a synthetic chemist working in an area of interest to the Soft, Biological, and Composite Nanomaterials Thrust at CINT. Of particular interest are synthesis, characterization, and applications of polymers and/or nanoparticles, but outstanding candidates working to synthesize other materials that have synergistic opportunities will be considered.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Lead the development of new synthetic techniques in materials chemistry
• Collaborate with other researchers at the laboratory, around the country, or around the world
• Lead or collaborate in the development of new projects from a variety of funding agencies
• Communicate results through high impact journals and conference presentations

Due to the nature of the work the selected applicant must be able to work onsite in Albuquerque, New Mexico Relocation will be provided for those that qualify.

Salary Range:

$114,000 - $227,500

Qualifications We Require:

• PhD in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field, plus 2 or more years post degree experience
• Significant experience in the synthesis of nanomaterials
• Record of technical achievement as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications in high profile journals
• Able to acquire and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

How many fluorines make a PFAS?

the compounds in question
Credit: C&EN

Via Chemical and Engineering News, this funny news (article by Britt Erickson): 

The US Environmental Protection Agency is doubling down on efforts to
decrease a backlog of new pesticide active ingredients waiting for EPA approval to enter the marketplace. Since April, the agency has proposed registering four of them—cyclobutrifluram, diflufenican, isocycloseram, and trifludimoxazin.

All four pesticides contain a fully fluorinated methyl or methylene group, raising concerns that they will persist in soil and water for many years. Environmental groups argue that the chemicals are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the definition recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2021. PFAS are notoriously difficult to remove from the environment, and some of them are toxic at extremely low levels. 

The proposed active ingredients have half-lives of over 3 years, which means that half of what is sprayed today will still be contaminating soil and water in 3 years, at the time of the next US presidential election, Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said during a meeting of the EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) on June 17. Donley is a member of the PPDC, representing the environmental group’s perspective.

“It’s like PFAS pollution on steroids these past few months,” he said, referring to the EPA’s plan to approve the four pesticides. The EPA’s pesticides office “appears to have absolutely no plan to account for the fact that actives are getting more persistent and fluorinated breakdown products are essentially going to be around forever.” 

The proposed pesticide active ingredients can degrade into trifluoroacetic acid, which persists in the environment for more than 100 years, Donley noted.

Of course, there actually IS an apparent definition of PFAS: 

The EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs considers PFAS to be chemicals containing at least two saturated, fully fluorinated carbons, either CF₂ or CF₃. The OECD defines PFAS as any chemical with at least one saturated CF₂ or CF₃. The European Union has adopted a definition that is closer to that recommended by the OECD.

I am rather shocked that a legal definition of PFAS is about the number of saturated CF₂ or CF₃ and that is set so low. I mean, perfluorooctanoic acid has, I dunno, fifteen of them? But what do I know, I'm not a PFAS expert, I'm just a dumb organic chemist. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 9 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 9 research/teaching positions. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

On June 25, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 10 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a link to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet. 

C&EN: "Chairs of 36 US chemistry departments call to restore funding"

In this week's C&EN, this news (article by Max Barnhart): 

A coalition of 36 chemistry department chairs from US universities has published an open letter in Science highlighting their concern over recent federal policy decisions impacting science (2025, DOI: 10.1126/science.adx8085).

The letter calls out decisions to decrease overhead rates, reduce funding for science, lay off program managers at scientific agencies, and restrict efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion as detrimental to chemistry research in the US. It states that “failing to support the scientific enterprise will erode decades of progress in research and innovation, ceding leadership in key technological areas to global competitors.”

The authors of the letter are listed alphabetically, and the letter states that the authors’ opinions do not reflect those of their home universities.

Amanda Morris, chair of the chemistry department at Virginia Tech, took the lead in drafting and organizing support for the letter. “We didn’t want the letter to be political,” she says. “We wanted to make an economic stance for why chemical research is critical to the United States and our world prowess as a scientific leader.”

The letter cites American Chemistry Council data that say the chemical industry contributes over $600 billion annually to the US economy and supports over 4 million jobs. But maintaining stable research funding for academic labs is critical for sustaining this economic output, according to the letter’s authors.

Peter B. Armentrout, chair of the chemistry department at the University of Utah and signee of the letter, says that recent policy decisions “may have cost savings in the short term, but it’s going to cause long-term damage to the ability of the United States to perform scientific research and to lead in scientific research.”

It's a good thing to push all the buttons to see what works. Best wishes to them, and to all of us. 

Job posting: Director of Formulation Chemistry, Monarch, Oakland, CA

Via ACS Chemistry Careers: 

Director of Formulation Chemistry

You’ll translate our hit Monarch repellent compounds from milligram-scale discoveries into pilot and manufacturing scale formulations. You’ll optimize solvent systems, work on controlled release systems, and ensure robust, reproducible processes for field trials and commercial production. 

Key Responsibilities

• Lead bench-to-pilot scale-up of candidate compounds, focusing on solvent selection, solvent recovery, controlled release, and other critical scale-up variables
• Design and execute experiments to assess solubility, stability, and volatility 
• Troubleshoot formulation issues and iterate quickly under real-world constraints
• Collaborate cross-functionally with predictive-modeling, behavioral assay, and computational chemist groups 

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field
• 3+ years’ hands-on scale-up or process chemistry experience
• Deep understanding of solvent properties, controlled release phenomena, and formulation principles 

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 6 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 6 research/teaching positions. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

On June 18, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 9 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a link to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet. 

Job posting: Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami, FL

From the inbox: 

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida International University invites applications to fill a full-time and permanent Teaching position starting in August 2025.  The position requires a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry or related field and experience teaching undergraduate students. At FIU we encourage faculty to incorporate innovative teaching methods into their classroom such as but not limited to active learning methods and use of simulations in our general chemistry courses. Duties of the position will include teaching in the area of general chemistry at the undergraduate level.  The ideal candidate is expected to continue to take an active role in curriculum reform efforts, developing potential online/hybrid courses, and pursuing educational grants. The candidate is expected to have departmental administration and committee duties as a full-time teaching faculty and is expected to have full-time presence on campus.  The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, with over 40 faculty from 13 different countries, has dynamic and growing Ph.D. programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry supporting over 100 graduate students, as well as a vibrant undergraduate program with over 100 B.A. and B.S. graduates each year. 

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply to Job Opening ID 534949 at careers.fiu.edu and provide a cover letter, C.V. and teaching philosophy. Candidates will be requested to provide names and contact information for at least 3 references who will be contacted as determined by the search committee. To receive full consideration, applications and required materials should be received by June 29, 2025. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Have a great weekend

Well, this was a boring and wild week. I hope that you had more of a boring week than my wild week, but hey, it's Friday and I am very much looking forward to this weekend. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I will see you on Monday. 

"Unknown contaminant" (?) causes nitric acid tank release of NOX in Ohio

Via Ohio TV station WXIX, this chemical news: 

VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX) - Residents in Vinton County are back in their homes after they were evacuated due to a chemical release at a southeast Ohio explosives manufacturing facility.

Emergency crews issued an evacuation order within a three-mile radius of the Austin Powder Red Diamond Company in McArthur Wednesday morning after a 5,000-gallon tank with nitric acid released 3,000 gallons of nitric oxide into the atmosphere.

According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, an “unknown contaminant entered the nitric acid tank,” causing the chemical reaction to occur.

Although the release was stopped, the lingering chemical plume prompted an evacuation of the small Village of Zaleski and several roads surrounding the Austin Powder Plant. Residents were able to go home at 4:40 p.m.

I too do not know what the contaminant was, but I'm guessing it was water or air. No fun for the local birds for sure. 

Job posting: Director of Research & Development, ELANTAS North America, St. Louis, MO

Via ACS Chemistry Careers, this position: 

ELANTAS North America is seeking a Director of Research & Development (R&D) to lead the creation, alignment, and execution of strategies for R&D programs, policies, and procedures. This role is based on-site in St. Louis, MO, and requires travel to other US facilities.

As a critical resource, the Director will collaborate with Global R&D teams and Business Line Directors to align development, lab testing, and technical services resources with business priorities.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Develops and recommends organization-wide technical research policies and programs needed to support profitable growth of the organization.
• Establishes & administers procedures pertaining to the discovery of new products, the alteration & improvement of existing products, and to the design of procedures and specifications of these products.
• Recommends budget requirements and takes action to guarantee effective research and development performance within approved budgets.

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry
• Minimum of 10 years related experience.
• Experience leading New Product Introduction (NPI) processes.

Via their website, this bit of info: "ELANTAS North America, Inc. is a premier global supplier of specialty resins for applications in the electrical and electronic industries." Best wishes to those interested. 

Now I've seen it all: NJ municipal workers steal pool chemicals for their own business

Via Patch:

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Tuesday, Secaucus Recreation Department employees John Schwartz, Frank Flanagan, Joseph Ferrara and Megan Wofsy-Flanagan were all arrested by Secaucus Police. All four are accused of stealing chemicals from the town pool and re-using them for their private pool maintenance business.

...Secaucus Police detectives used surveillance and undercover police officers to investigate. Police allege all four stole various pool chemicals purchased by the town and stored at the Secaucus town pool on Koelle Boulevard. Thefts sometimes occurred on a daily basis when these individuals were both on the clock and off the clock of the town’s payroll. They stole chemical amounts valued in the thousands, said police.

They would use the stolen chemicals to service pools for Crystal Clear Pool and Spa Management, said police, charging customers thousands of dollars. These private pools were located in Secaucus, but also in towns in Hudson, Bergen, Morris and Somerset counties. Also, some of these four town employees would work for their private company while getting paid on the clock by the town of Secaucus, allege police and the town.

Read the whole sorry article. I often joke with my management about the difficulty in fencing chemicals, but I guess I was wrong! 

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List: 4 research/teaching positions

The 2026 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List has 4 research/teaching positions. 

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

On June 11, 2024, the 2025 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 4 research/teaching positions and one teaching position. 

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search? Here's a link to the first open thread. 

Don't forget to click on "load more" below the comment box for the full thread. 

Are you having problems accessing the Google Sheet because of a Google Documents error? Email me at chemjobber@gmail.com and I will send you an Excel download of the latest sheet.