Memorial Day; back tomorrow

Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
Credit: ABC News

Today is Memorial Day in the United States; it's a national holiday.

Back tomorrow.

Have a great weekend

Well, I've been having a relaxing week, having been off for part of it. I hope you have a great weekend, especially if you have a long weekend. We'll be back on Tuesday morning. 

Chemical Activity Barometer up 1.2% in May

From the American Chemistry Council: 

The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), rose 1.2% in May on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis following a 1.0% increase in April. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer rose 18.6% in May (3MMA).

The unadjusted data show a 1.0% increase in May following a 0.9% gain in April. The diffusion index reached 100% in May. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relative to the total number of indicators monitored. The CAB reading for April was revised upward by 0.91 points and the reading for March was revised upward by 0.16 points. The May data are provisional and subject to revision.

"The latest CAB reading is consistent with marked expansion of commerce, trade and industry," said Kevin Swift, chief economist at ACC.

In May, production-related indicators were positive. Despite some recent weakness in housing – a reflection of higher interest rates and prices as well as labor and supply-side constraints – trends in construction-related resins and related performance chemistry were solid. Aided by strength in automotive markets, resins and chemistry used in other durable goods were strong. Gains in plastic resins used in packaging and for consumer and institutional applications were positive. Performance chemistry for industry was largely positive. Exports were positive, while equity prices gained, reaching new records. Product and input prices were positive, as were inventory and other supply chain indicators.

 Good news for both chemists and the broader economy. 

42 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Common Organic Chemistry is resolving some technical difficulties, but has ported over the list to Google Drive for now. There are 18 new positions for May 25 and 24 new positions for May 20. 

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

Job Hunting in Unprecedented Times, by HappyChemist (Part 3)

(This is the third part of a three part series written by HappyChemist, who was hired in industry during the pandemic. It has been lightly edited. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here - CJ)

Step 3: Virtual On-site Interview

Make sure to set-up your interview space as suggested above and prepare for a very long day! In my experience these can last anywhere from one to three days depending on the format, but most of them were just one very long day and in some cases a half a day. Really it seems to depend on the size of the company, the companies with larger investments into R&D seemed to have longer on-site interviews. No matter the length, bring your lunch (or snacks) and plenty of water! I never had the chance to eat a full lunch so I just always brought several small snacks. Water is a must, you are going to be doing A LOT of talking so you’ll want some sort of drink, just make sure it is spill proof. Organize your desk so that everything is at the reach of your extended arm. Paper, pencils, pens, notepads, post-its, drinks, snacks, tissues—these are all must haves. Make sure to mute, or even better, turn off your phone. 

In my experience no matter the length, the on-site interviews were nearly all formatted the same. The day always started off with me giving a research seminar followed by rolling/rotating interviews (described in more detail below). The seminars ranged in time from 20 min to 45 min with 5-15 minutes allotted for questions after. Most of my seminars were recorded so plan for that just in case, don’t share anything you don’t wish to be recorded. Usually there was a brief introduction, then I shared my screen and gave my presentation, which was then followed with questions. I usually only got 1-2 questions, but most of the interviewers saved their technical questions for their actual interview with me. 

Immediately following the seminar, the rolling/rotating interviews would kickoff. These consisted of back-to-back interviews with a 30–60-minute lunch break in there somewhere. Each interview lasted about 30 minutes with anywhere between 1-3 interviewers at a time. Sometimes I got a small break between each interview but not always, plan in advance for this eventuality. Usually for the interviews I either got one code for the whole day and the interviewers would rotate in and out of the meeting, or I got a meeting code for each separate meeting. If you have different meeting links, mind the time and do not be afraid to say you have to go to another meeting with the next interviewer. Your current interviewer(s) will understand that you have to move on and you do not want to keep the next ones waiting. Just don’t be so focused on watching the time that you come across distracted. 

All the rolling interviews were similar, with each interviewer introducing themselves. After that, the first half of the interview revolves around technical questions from the seminar and the last half focusing more on generic interview questions, several of which you will have already answered in the initial phone and video screens (most common listed above). Just roll with it, even if you are being asked the same question over and over. At the end you will be given time to ask questions, so come prepared for a few. For your own sanity, at the end of the day when you wrap up with the hiring manager don’t forget to ask when you can expect to hear back from them about next steps. When you are done with every single one your interviews, be it by phone or on-site, definitely follow up within 24 hours, thank them for their time. I think this is especially important in completely virtual formats because they aren’t actually getting to meet you face to face. So, any time you get to show off how you’d be as a co-worker is important. 

Tips for following up:

• DO thank them for their time and remind them of your interest in the position.
• DO keep it short and to the point. I always strive for five sentences or less. 
• DO mention something you may have learned about the company or role that you are excited about.
• DO mention that you are looking forward to hearing from them. 
• DON’T be surprised if you don’t get a response. It is likely you won’t get one until the day they give you their decision. 

If you haven’t heard from them on the exact date they said they would follow up, DON’T email them yet. These decisions almost always take longer than planned, so give it an extra 3-7 days and then follow up. The only time you should reach out at or before this time is if you have gotten another offer or something has happened to your resume that might influence their decision to hire you.

Don’t be surprised if some interviewers are less than what you think is professional. At companies I interviewed with there were 1-3 people who were interviewing me while completely distracted. I actually had an interview where the person was actively working in lab, another where they were getting their home security system installed during the interview, one who told me they had another meeting they were attending at the same time, and one who was soothing a screaming child. Roll with it. Though, it can be quite awkward if they are the only person interviewing you. Thankfully, in most cases there were others also present who could run the show. I can forgive the person soothing their child because you cannot plan for that, for all the others with planned distractions…I cannot help but wonder if they were also distracted when they were interviewing my competitors? And if not, how their distractions during my interview played into their rating of me? Unfortunately, I will never know. 

A little unsolicited advice to the interviewers…if you cannot give an interview your full time and attention, do not sit in on it. Let someone who can give their full time and attention do it. To the interviewees: do not take it personally, sometimes s**t really happens.

After 7 months of applying to jobs in industry, I have officially formally accepted a job offer as an organic chemist! Somebody pinch me because I still feel like I’m dreaming. I hope this article was helpful to any of you who are just starting to look for jobs or are struggling in this virtual format. It can be quite stressful, but you are not alone and you can do it. Most of all, remember to be true to yourself, and show them why you are the best person for the job! GOOD LUCK! You are going to need it. 

Thanks to HappyChemist for their work in describing this most unusual of processes. - CJ

Job posting: Research Engineer, Bosch Research, Cambridge, MA

From the inbox, a position with Bosch: 

Job Description

The Research Engineer will develop atomistic computational material tools which are used to develop and improve functional material properties for usage in PEM fuel cells and other Bosch applications such as sensors, semiconductor devices, and coatings. These tools will enable mechanistic understanding of materials at the atomistic level, rapid material screening, elucidation of degradation mechanisms or possible mitigation strategies, and quantitative analysis of process kinetics in polymer and metal materials of interest. To support this activity, he or she may need to perform quantum chemistry, DFT or molecular dynamics simulation of organic materials (polymers and molecules) or inorganic materials (alloys, semiconductors, oxides, etc). 

Primary responsibilities:

• Research in computational material science studying a wide variety of materials for electrochemical, sensor, semiconductor devices, and coating materials
• Atomistic method and tool development and quantitative property prediction for existing or hypothetical materials
• Screen materials for further experimentation, and interpret simulations to provide concrete takeaways for product development
• Collaboration with experimentalist and modeling partners worldwide

Basic Qualifications

• PhD from a top university in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering
• Direct experience with atomistic simulation tools in high performance computing clusters
• Direct experience with quantum chemistry, DFT, and/or molecular dynamics

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency for quickly learning new skills or field of study
• Experience and record of innovation in the atomistic space; particularly in identification of new use cases for atomistic simulation in products
• Experience in one or more of the following: machine learning for materials; AI hardware; simulated chemical degradation or other kinetic processes; electrochemical property prediction from ab-initio data; electronic transport in organometallic systems
• Experience with software development and databases; especially fluency in python

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Job Hunting in Unprecedented Times, by HappyChemist (Part 2)

(This is a part of a three part series written by HappyChemist, who was hired in industry during the pandemic. It has been lightly edited. Part 1 is here - CJ

Step 2: Phone and/or Video Screening

I will be discussing phone and video screenings together for the following reasons: (1) they are similar in format and sequence of questions, and (2) both exist to make sure you are who you say you are and if you will be suitable for both the company and the role. The overall format for both is similar, usually starting with an introduction of the role / company, followed by their interview questions, giving you time to ask your own questions at the end. I never had technical questions at this point in the process, and received those only during the second stage of the interviews. 

In my experience, if a recruiter contacted me, the first interview was a phone interview with the recruiter. If they felt I was a good fit, a video screening call would be set up with the hiring manager who would ultimately decide if I was suitable for the on-site interviews. In some cases, it was the hiring manager who contacted me directly for an interview, when this happened there was no phone interview and we skipped straight to the video screening. Phone interviews are “easier” because you don’t really have to worry about the location you are interviewing from and the calls are on average fifteen minutes long. Though the call is short, you still have to prepare for the potential questions the interviewer will ask. Video screenings with the hiring manger are longer (30–60 min) and require additional preparation, in terms of interview location and attire 

A Few Key Tips for Video Calls (screenings and on-site):

• DO find a private location, free of distraction, and most importantly…a reliable internet connection!
• DO make sure you are in a location with ample artificial lighting in front of you. Do not rely on natural lighting, as it looks bad on camera. On that note, be wary of placing yourself in front or on the side of a window, if this is unavoidable, close all blinds. The light should be in front of you, not behind you otherwise it will become the focus and you should be the focus.
• DO NOT interview in a place where you will have to wear a mask. Find a private, well-lit, location where you can show off those pearly whites. 
• DO dress up and dress professionally as you would for an in-person interview. This will help keep you in the interview mindset throughout the entire interview. 
• That being said, DO dress comfortably! Do not wear uncomfortable shoes and clothing, even for a short interview. Uncomfortable clothing can make you come across…well…uncomfortable, which is awkward for everyone. You want to come across relaxed and being comfortable is the first step!
• DO test your tech, try to do this in the location you will be interviewing from, at least one day before your first interview. Set up a meeting with someone and make sure you have no problems screen sharing and the internet connection is reliable. While you are at it, ensure that your sound isn’t muffled and your video quality isn’t poor, if so, you may want to invest in headphones and/or a web cam to combat these issues. 
• DO ensure the surroundings that are visible to the interviewers look professional, neat, and reasonably distraction free. 
• DO have your camera at eye level, this will likely require a stack of books or something to rest your computer on, but ultimately it will allow you to make stronger eye contact and it won’t seem like you are sheepishly looking down through the entire interview…plus no one wants to see up your nose through the whole interview. 
• DO prepare for common interview questions and strategically place any key talking points on post-it notes in easily visible areas. I like keep them at eye level but if you can’t, just make sure you aren’t looking down too much. I had these, but rarely used them, they did come in handy once or twice though!
• DO make sure you are in a location you won’t be disturbed by animals, co-workers, or children. Obviously, you cannot plan for everything, but do try to limit the distraction. I interviewed in an office at work and always put an “Interview in progress: Do not disturb” sign on the door because I still had interruptions from co-workers if I didn’t. Make sure to take scheduled noises into account; for example, if the landscaper uses a leaf blower every Monday at 9:30, schedule your interview for another time or find another place to interview.
• DO come prepared with questions for them and make it an overly long list starting with the most important! It can be awkward if you have none for them when they ask. You will likely not be able to ask every question, but you don’t want to run out of questions awkwardly early. 

Key Questions to come prepared to answer (screenings and on-site):

“Tell me about yourself / past research experience”

Summarize your past research experiences. This is essentially your elevator pitch. Try to do this in 2-3 minutes or less (whatever you do, try not to go on more than 5 minutes here). Do not mess up the elevator pitch! Prepare, rehearse, repeat. 

“Why do you want to work at [insert company name here]?”

Do your research here! I think you would be surprised how many people haven’t thought the answer to this question out. “Because I need a job” isn’t sufficient even if you are thinking that in the back of your mind. I do a deep dive into the company website and find a couple of things that appeal to me that aren’t necessarily cookie cutter answers. 

“Why this role?”

You want to show your passion for the role. I always applied to jobs with a materials focus so I always started with, “My passion is bringing innovation to materials...” and then would lead into highlighting things in the job posting that would allow me to fulfill that passion, and finally would list the skills they are looking for that I have. 

“What are your plans for the future within the company? Do you want to stay in a more technical role or transfer to a more business/managerial role?”

Every company I interviewed at seemed to have two promotion ladders: a technical ladder and a business ladder, so have an idea of which you see yourself climbing. 

“Walk me through how you solve a research problem at work”

They want to make sure you aren’t a lone wolf or too needy, there is a balance, and knowing the point when and when not to ask others allows them to see how willing you are to work on a team and gauge time management skills / ability to meet deadlines. 

“Can you give an example of a conflict you had at work with a co-worker and how you resolved it”

Pretty self-explanatory, but ensure whatever answer you give here shows that you are a pleasant person to work with despite any challenges you may have had with a co-worker. 

I am currently a postdoc and I always had aspirations for industry. However, because I am doing a post doc and have a strong publication record, I was always asked why I was not going into academia. If this is also your situation, come prepared to answer that question. 

(Thanks to HappyChemist for their thoughts, and stay tuned on Wednesday for part 3!)

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 338 research/teaching positions and 67 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 338 research/teaching positions and 67 teaching assistant professor positions.

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

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On May 26, 2020, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 557 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching faculty positions.

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

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  Go to the seventh open thread. 

Go to the sixth open thread, which closed on April 21, 2021. Here's the fifth open thread, which closed on March 16, 2021. Here's the fourth open thread, which closed on February 16, 2021. Here's the third open thread, which closed on January 20, 2021. Click here for the second thread, which closed on December 22. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

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

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 19 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 19 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:

• Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
• Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
• and for an institution in Canada or the United States

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

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Job Hunting in Unprecedented Times, by HappyChemist (Part 1)

(This is a part of a three part series written by HappyChemist hired in industry during the pandemic. It has been lightly edited - CJ) 

Interviewing for chemical industry positions in the midst of a global pandemic has been anything but easy. As companies transition to completely virtual interview formats, they are able to interview more candidates than usual, while saving a lot of money in the process. With fewer open PhD level positions, competition is extremely high! Fear not, the goal of this article is to provide some advice for those in the midst of their job search and insight into this completely virtual process from someone who has recently been through it.

In most cases the virtual interview process goes as follows:

Step 1: Apply → Step 2: Phone and/or Video Screening → Step 3: Virtual On-site Interview → Offer?

Alright, let’s walk through each step…

Step 1: Apply

My approach was to start with a quality over quantity mindset in my application process. I set myself a “desperation date” and before this date, I would take my time to tailor the materials within each application (resume and cover letter) to the position, highlighting the parts of my career / skills I thought they would be most interested in based off of the posting. 

 

Once the “desperation date” arrived, I would ramp up production and just apply, apply, apply with a more generalized resume and cover letter. The idea being that by this point the materials would be of the highest quality possible and I could just churn them out, simply changing the company name, date, and role applied for in the cover letter between applications. I could also select from several top-notch cover letters tailored to different types of work, pharmaceutical research job? Tailor my pharmaceutical cover letter. Materials research job? Tailor my materials letter. Easy peasy. 

Unexpectedly and excitingly, I managed to get a job just a few days before my desperation date. In all, it was a 6-month long process, in that time I applied to sixteen companies and for some I applied to several different jobs within the company. Eleven of these companies called me to schedule a phone (or video) interview, that’s a 69% success rate. Not bad! I attribute this to my materials being flexible to tailoring, allowing them to pass through the HR filters and make it into the hands of the recruiters. 

I also used my resources—if I knew someone at the company, I emailed them and asked for advice and/or a referral. If I didn’t know anyone at the company but was really interested the position, I looked for talent acquisition/recruiters for that company on LinkedIn and sent them a message telling them I would love a chance to tell them how my skillset fits within the role. I got interviews at every place I did this with, as well as several I didn’t. 

A few key tips for your job applications:

• DO have your resume and cover letters proof read! Don’t be shy. Every proof will only make your resume and cover letter stronger.
• DO be direct in your cover letter. For example, write “I am well suited for x role for y and z reasons”, don’t write “I think I will be well-suited for x role…”
• DO put together clear, concise, consistent, and attractive materials to help you stand out. Your resume should be 1-3 pages (three pages max, two pages preferred), and aim for a one-page cover letter. There should be consistency between documents in terms of general aesthetics, letterhead, etc. 
• DO submit your documents as a PDF, do not leave your fate up to the conversion Gods! The only time I wouldn’t submit as a PDF is if they recommend you submit your resume as a word document. As an avid Mac user, I personally would still submit my resume as a PDF. 
• DON’T half-[donkey - redacted for corporate browsers - CJ] it. This is your first shot to showcase your attention to detail, so do it!

Thanks to HappyChemist for their work, and stay tuned on Tuesday for part 2! 

House members raise concerns about Chemical Safety Board staffing

Via NJ.com, this article: 

Ongoing staffing problems have Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. and other members of the powerful committee he chairs worried that the independent government agency that investigates chemical accidents isn’t up to the job.

They’re concerned about the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, recently described by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., as the “nation’s premier investigating agency when it comes to industrial chemical accidents.”

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday asked Katherine Lemos, the last remaining member of the five-person board, to explain whether a lack of staffing and board members has interfered with how the chemical safety board operates.

“We are concerned about recent reports indicating that both persistent and emergent issues may be undermining the CSB’s ability to protect American communities and workers,” wrote the lawmakers, whose committee oversees the chemical safety board.

It is a disappointment that, failing to eliminate the agency, the previous Administration succeeded at damaging it by failing to appoint board members. Here's hoping things come back for them.  

Have a good weekend

Well, we made it through another week. I have one partially vaccinated kid so far, so that's nice. Hope you have a great weekend, and see you on Monday. 

(music thanks to recently thinking about the movie "Goodfellas") 

Reuters: Swiss government doing secondments to Lonza

More news from Reuters on Swiss drug CMO Lonza's very interesting strategy of pulling workers from other companies/organizations* to help with the Moderna vaccine: 

The Swiss government said on Wednesday it recruited 75 people including federal and university employees to temporarily staff facilities at Lonza, which struggled to find personnel to make ingredients for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

In April, the Swiss drugmaker contacted the government for help in finding temporary workers as it sought more people for operations in Visp, Switzerland, where it has built three new production lines to make the Moderna shots. read more

Of 40 million vaccine doses ordered by the Swiss government, so far, 20.5 million are from Moderna. With Bern labelling the U.S. company's mRNA shots "extraordinarily meaningful" for its inoculation strategy, it is now directly stocking up Lonza's workforce to make sure vaccine keeps flowing.

Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset said the first of the provisional workforce could start in May, with deployments likely to last six months.

"We started a programme immediately to find specialists," Berset told a news conference. "We've found 75 people in the federal administration, also in the universities."

Some of those recruited are from the federal agricultural research unit Agroscope, the Office of Food Safety and the nation's testing laboratory in Spiez, the government said, with biochemistry, chemistry or pharmaceutical backgrounds.

They will remain federal employees, but Lonza will cover their salaries, food costs, travel and lodging... 

I strongly suspect these are not actually production folks, but more staffing up the QA side of the house, but maybe I'm wrong. (I suppose you would be stealing all the QC folks/analytical chemists you could get your hands on as well.) I'm genuinely impressed that Lonza is getting pretty creative in terms of solving their staffing problem. I imagine that working on the most important product in the world right now is helpful. Best wishes to them, and to all of us. 

*previous post on Lonza's staffing up with folks from Nestle

Chemists need an emergency fund

From a recent excellent post by The Polymerist about everyone's favorite topic, layoffs in the chemical industry, this worthwhile advice: 

Having two years of expenses in cash is a good cushion when you are older and if you lose your job and your severance and unemployment benefits get you through one year, guess what? You still likely have two years of expenses covered provided that inflation is not rampant. There is also a strong likelihood that you get laid off during a recession so having a strong cash cushion is nice for not having to sell investments during a downcycle. If you are in your late fifties or early sixties a few years of cash could mean the difference between when you can draw on retirement accounts and actually being retired.

But what if you are in the middle of your career, like your mid forties? One to two years of expenses could help tide you over to look for your next gig because unlike other professions there just aren’t really a lot of job opportunities out there for chemists and by out there I mean in the world.

I think of myself as reasonably "with it" in terms of personal finances, but I've never actually thought about what "expenses" look like. I liked this Vanguard post in terms of "what counts" in terms of "emergency expenses": 

• Housing
• Food
• Health care (including insurance)
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Personal expenses
• Debt

That's a tall order for most mid-career folks like myself - guessing that you have a fairly fine grained sense as to how much this actually runs for yourself and/or your family. That's not an easy thing to think about or to start to save for, but it's definitely a wise thing to prepare for. Rainy days do come...

Job posting: Principal Scientist/Associate Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Proteovant Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA

From the inbox: 

ProteoVant Therapeutics is a newly launched development-stage biotech company focusing on discovery and development of disease-modifying therapies by harnessing natural protein homeostasis processes. We have recently acquired numerous novel protein degrader programs to a range of targets in discovery and preclinical development via the purchase of Oncopia Therapeutics, Inc., a protein degradation company initially focused on oncology indications. Our lead program(s) in oncology may enter the clinic as early as late 2021. 

Key Responsibilities

• Drive a medicinal chemistry effort in oncology or other disease area from hit ID through candidate selection
• Co-lead a drug discovery project team with a biology colleague, driving scientific strategy & decision-making, target design & synthesis, lead optimization, and budgetary proposals
• Develop creative solutions to challenging program issues
• Supervise chemists at overseas CROs to expeditiously deliver high quality compounds for biological evaluation 

Requirements

• Ph.D. in organic chemistry or related field with 4-8 years of experience as a medicinal chemist at a pharmaceutical or biotech company 

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Job posting: Director/Senior Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Proteovant Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA

From the inbox: 

ProteoVant Therapeutics is a newly launched development-stage biotech company focusing on discovery and development of disease-modifying therapies by harnessing natural protein homeostasis processes. We have recently acquired numerous novel protein degrader programs to a range of targets in discovery and preclinical development via the purchase of Oncopia Therapeutics, Inc., a protein degradation company initially focused on oncology indications. Our lead program(s) in oncology may enter the clinic as early as late 2021. 

Key Responsibilities

• Drive medicinal chemistry efforts on multiple projects in oncology and other disease areas from hit ID through candidate selection
• Co-lead each drug discovery project team with a biology colleague, driving scientific strategy & decision-making, target design & synthesis, lead optimization, and budgetary proposals
• Develop creative solutions to challenging program issues. Contribute as a senior medicinal chemist to scientific problem solving for programs across the organization
• Supervise chemists at overseas CROs to expeditiously deliver high quality compounds for biological evaluation 
• Supervise internal medicinal chemists

Requirements

• Ph.D. in organic chemistry or related field with 8-12+ years of experience as a medicinal chemist at a pharmaceutical or biotech company

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 338 research/teaching positions and 65 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 338 research/teaching positions and 65 teaching assistant professor positions.

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

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On May 19, 2020, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 557 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching faculty positions.

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

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  Go to the seventh open thread. 

Go to the sixth open thread, which closed on April 21, 2021. Here's the fifth open thread, which closed on March 16, 2021. Here's the fourth open thread, which closed on February 16, 2021. Here's the third open thread, which closed on January 20, 2021. Click here for the second thread, which closed on December 22. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

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

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 121 positions

 The Academic Staff Jobs list has 121 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:

• Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
• Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
• and for an institution in Canada or the United States

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

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Chemical distributor Brenntag was hit by DarkSide ransomware group

Via both the New York Times and Bleeping Computer, chemical distributor Brenntag was hit by the ransomware group that hit Colonial Pipeline: 

Chemical distribution company Brenntag paid a $4.4 million ransom in Bitcoin to the DarkSide ransomware gang to receive a decryptor for encrypted files and prevent the threat actors from publicly leaking stolen data.

Brenntag is a world-leading chemical distribution company headquartered in Germany but with over 17,000 employees worldwide at over 670 sites.

Best wishes to Brenntag, and to all of us. 

Buffalo NY sulfuric acid plant told to stop operations due to SO2 emissions

Via the Associated Press, this interesting news: 

BUFFALO (AP) — The owners of a chemical plant in Buffalo are disputing a shutdown order issued by the state over sulfur dioxide emissions.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation on Saturday directed PVS Chemical Solutions to cease operations at its plant in the Seneca-Babcock neighborhood after high sulfur dioxide emissions were detected at nearby athletic fields.

“Until PVS can prove it can operate without emitting potentially harmful SO2 into this community, either by altering operations or scaling back production, it should remain shuttered,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement.

In its own statement, the Detroit-based company said the shutdown “is not justified in any way" and said it has safely processed sulfuric acid at the plant for 40 years. The company added it was given no warning about the closure order during discussions with the DEC as recently as Friday.

PVS said it “will tone down operations while we work with the DEC through the courts to remedy this situation," the Buffalo News reported.

Complaints about sulfur dioxide odors led the DEC to put an air monitoring trailer near the athletic fields last year, and the agency issued notices of violation after excess levels were detected, according to the newspaper.

I honestly was surprised to find an actual manufacturer of sulfuric acid in the United States, but there you are! 

Have a good weekend

 

Well, we made it to another weekend. Hope you're had a good week, and hope your weekend is restful. See you on Monday. 

NYT obituary of the inventor of the Post-It Note, Dr. Sheldon Silver

Via the New York Times, a delightful obituary of the chemist who invented the adhesive of Post-It Notes: 

Spencer Silver, a research chemist at 3M who inadvertently created the not-too-sticky adhesive that allows Post-it Notes to be removed from surfaces as easily as they adhere to them, died on Saturday at his home in St. Paul, Minn. He was 80.

His wife, Linda, said that he died after an episode of ventricular tachycardia, in which the heart beats faster than normal. Mr. Silver had a heart transplant 27 years ago. Dr. Silver worked in 3M’s central research laboratory developing adhesives. In 1968, he was trying to create one that was so strong it could be used in aircraft construction.

He failed in that goal. But during his experimentation, he invented something entirely different: an adhesive that stuck to surfaces, but that could be easily peeled off and was reusable. It was a solution to a problem that did not appear to exist, but Dr. Silver was certain it was a breakthrough...

...Dr. Silver did not choose engineering or astrophysics. Instead, he graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1962. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Colorado, Boulder, four years later. While there, he met Linda Martin, an undergraduate who was working part time in the chemistry department. They married in 1965.

He soon joined 3M as a senior chemist working on pressure-sensitive adhesives. During his 30 years at the company, he rose to the rank of corporate scientist. And while he worked on other projects involving branch block copolymers and immuno-diagnostics, none were part of popular successes like Post-it Notes...

Do read the whole thing, especially the wonderful bit about the 3M corporate golf course, as well as the connection to Lisa Kudrow.  

(what will be the modern version of a corporate golf course be? frisbee golf course? ax throwing room?) 

Job postings: chemistry sales specialists, Waters, United States

From the inbox: 

• Chemistry Sales Specialist in New Jersey
• Chemistry Sales Specialist in California
• Chemistry Sales Specialist in New York
• Chemistry Sales Specialist in San Diego

Best wishes to those interested. 

33 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Common Organic Chemistry is resolving some technical difficulties, but has ported over the list to Google Drive for now. There are 33 new positions for May 11.

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

Japanese chemical plant explosion

From Powder and Bulk Solids: 

Four people were injured in an explosion Tuesday at the Sakai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. chemical plant in Iwaki, Japan.

Officials told Kyodo News that the blast happened at about 7:45 a.m. and that three people received burns and one experienced minor injuries during the incident. An English language report noted that the facility manufactures zinc oxide and zinc powders used in the cosmetics and paints industries.

Fire and law enforcement agencies have opened an investigation into the cause of the explosion, according to Reuters.

Interesting - I wonder why there was an explosion with zinc? Insufficient inerting? Zinc dust collecting?  

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 337 research/teaching positions and 65 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 337 research/teaching positions and 65 teaching assistant professor positions.

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

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On May 12, 2020, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 557 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching faculty positions.

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

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  Go to the seventh open thread. 

Go to the sixth open thread, which closed on April 21, 2021. Here's the fifth open thread, which closed on March 16, 2021. Here's the fourth open thread, which closed on February 16, 2021. Here's the third open thread, which closed on January 20, 2021. Click here for the second thread, which closed on December 22. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

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

Postdoctoral position: medicinal chemistry, Sathyamoorthi Laboratory, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

From the inbox: 

The Sathyamoorthi laboratory at the University of Kansas seeks a postdoctoral fellow with experience in the stereoselective synthesis of complex molecules. If interested, please email Professor Sathyamoorthi with your CV, prior research summary, and contacts for three references (ssathyam@ku.edu).

Best wishes to those interested.  

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 120 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 120 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:

• Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
• Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
• and for an institution in Canada or the United States

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

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

BLS: Unemployment rate for April was 6.1%; payrolls rose 266000 positions

Credit: Calculated Risk

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the national unemployment rate went up to 6.1%, and payrolls rose by 266,000 positions in April.

The broader U6 measurement of unemployment was 10.4%, down from 10.7% in February.

The chemical manufacturing subsector saw a rise in positions from 853300 in March to 855700, a rise of 4300 positions (seasonally adjusted).

The unemployment rate of college graduates was 3.5% for April 2021, while by contrast the unemployment rate for people without a high school diploma was 9.3%.

The craziest nuclear story you will read today

Via Science magazine, this remarkable story: 

Thirty-five years after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded in the world’s worst nuclear accident, fission reactions are smoldering again in uranium fuel masses buried deep inside a mangled reactor hall. “It’s like the embers in a barbecue pit,” says Neil Hyatt, a nuclear materials chemist at the University of Sheffield. Now, Ukrainian scientists are scrambling to determine whether the reactions will wink out on their own—or require extraordinary interventions to avert another accident.

Sensors are tracking a rising number of neutrons, a signal of fission, streaming from one inaccessible room, Anatolii Doroshenko of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants (ISPNPP) in Kyiv, Ukraine, reported last week during discussions about dismantling the reactor. “There are many uncertainties,” says ISPNPP’s Maxim Saveliev. “But we can’t rule out the possibility of [an] accident.” The neutron counts are rising slowly, Saveliev says, suggesting managers still have a few years to figure out how to stifle the threat. Any remedy he and his colleagues come up with will be of keen interest to Japan, which is coping with the aftermath of its own nuclear disaster 10 years ago at Fukushima, Hyatt notes. “It’s a similar magnitude of hazard.”

The specter of self-sustaining fission, or criticality, in the nuclear ruins has long haunted Chernobyl. When part of the Unit Four reactor’s core melted down on 26 April 1986, uranium fuel rods, their zirconium cladding, graphite control rods, and sand dumped on the core to try to extinguish the fire melted together into a lava. It flowed into the reactor hall’s basement rooms and hardened into formations called fuel-containing materials (FCMs), which are laden with about 170 tons of irradiated uranium—95% of the original fuel.

...The concrete-and-steel sarcophagus called the Shelter, erected 1 year after the accident to house Unit Four’s remains, allowed rainwater to seep in. Because water slows, or moderates, neutrons and thus enhances their odds of striking and splitting uranium nuclei, heavy rains would sometimes send neutron counts soaring. After a downpour in June 1990, a “stalker”—a scientist at Chernobyl who risks radiation exposure to venture into the damaged reactor hall—dashed in and sprayed gadolinium nitrate solution, which absorbs neutrons, on an FCM that he and his colleagues feared might go critical. Several years later, the plant installed gadolinium nitrate sprinklers in the Shelter’s roof. But the spray can’t effectively penetrate some basement rooms...

...The resurgent fission reactions are not the only challenge facing Chernobyl’s keepers. Besieged by intense radiation and high humidity, the FCMs are disintegrating—spawning even more radioactive dust that complicates plans to dismantle the Shelter. Early on, an FCM formation called the Elephant’s Foot was so hard scientists had to use a Kalashnikov rifle to shear off a chunk for analysis. “Now it more or less has the consistency of sand,” Saveliev says....

Keeping this site secure and stable has got to be a huge task - the engineering challenges must be enormous, and the difficulty of getting good information is daunting. 

Have a good weekend

 

We've made it into May! That is remarkable. I hope you had a good week, and will have a great weekend. See you on Monday. 

The race for lithium extraction in America

Via the New York Times, an interesting article on lithium mining in the United States: 

Some of those investors are backing alternatives including a plan to extract lithium from briny water beneath California’s largest lake, the Salton Sea, about 600 miles south of the Lithium Americas site.

At the Salton Sea, investors plan to use specially coated beads to extract lithium salt from the hot liquid pumped up from an aquifer more than 4,000 feet below the surface. The self-contained systems will be connected to geothermal power plants generating emission-free electricity. And in the process, they hope to generate the revenue needed to restore the lake, which has been fouled by toxic runoff from area farms for decades.

Looks like they're using ion exchange beads for the extraction - makes sense.  

57 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Common Organic Chemistry is resolving some technical difficulties, but has ported over the list to Google Drive for now. There are 25 new positions for May 5, and 32 for April 28. 

Don't forget to check out the Common Organic Chemistry company map, a very helpful resource for organic chemists looking for potential employers. 

The 2021 Faculty Jobs List: 334 research/teaching positions and 65 teaching faculty positions

The 2021 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List (curated by Andrew Spaeth and myself) has 3334research/teaching positions and 65 teaching assistant professor positions.

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

In 2020-2021, we will be adding teaching professor positions, targeting positions that demonstrate an intention to renew permanently, 3 year terms and a promotion ladder and/or are titled "assistant teaching professor" or "associate teaching professor." We are adding community college positions if they explicitly offer tenure.

On May 5, 2020, the 2020 Chemistry Faculty Jobs List had 557 research/teaching positions and 80 teaching faculty positions.

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

Want to talk anonymously? Have an update on the status of a job search?  Go to the seventh open thread. 

Go to the sixth open thread, which closed on April 21, 2021. Here's the fifth open thread, which closed on March 16, 2021. Here's the fourth open thread, which closed on February 16, 2021. Here's the third open thread, which closed on January 20, 2021. Click here for the second thread, which closed on December 22. Click here for the first open thread, which closed on November 11, 2020.

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

Postdoctoral position: inorganic materials chemistry, Rabufetti group, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

From the inbox: 

The Rabuffetti group has an open postdoctoral position in inorganic materials chemistry. This research project aims to establish principles to guide the discovery and design of luminescent thermometers for applications that range from biosensing to sustainable energy conversion. The project involves two major tasks: (1) solution-phase synthesis of thermosensitive, light-emitting nanocrystals; and (2) systematic investigation and understanding of their temperature-dependent luminescence response.  

Required qualifications:

• Ph.D. in inorganic, physical inorganic, or materials chemistry.
• experience in solution-phase synthesis of nanocrystals.
• experience with photoluminescence data collection and analysis (time-resolved, variable-yemperature).
• excellent command of analytical techniques such as elemental analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction.
• willingness to learn and bridge knowledge/experience gaps.
• strong written communication skills.

Interested candidates should send Prof. Rabuffetti (far@wayne.edu) (1) a one-page cover letter detailing relevant research experience, research interest, goals and expectations for the position, and preferred start date; and (2) a curriculum vitae including a list of publications and contact information for three references.

Best wishes to those interested.  

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 118 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 117 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady and @nmr_chemist. It targets:

• Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
• Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
• and for an institution in Canada or the United States

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

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.