SWITCH Materials

3650 Gilmore Way

Burnaby, BC V5G 4W8

CANADA

604-484-8872

Analytical Chemist Position

SWITCH Materials Inc. – Burnaby, B.C.

August 16, 2017

Company Description:

SWITCH Materials Inc. is looking to hire a skilled and experienced Analytical Chemist within its Research and Development team. SWITCH is a small and innovative technology company, in the process of developing and commercializing a switchable film for use in automotive applications. The film is incorporated into glass or other clear “windows”, allowing them to darken automatically in sunlight and lighten with a low voltage electrical charge.

Job Summary:

The Analytical Chemist will work within SWITCH’s Research and Development team to support and accelerate the commercialization of products based on SWITCH’s proprietary materials. The Research and Development team is comprised of 15 scientists and technicians, including 8 PhD Chemists. The Analytical Chemist will be responsible for a wide variety of activities including, but not limited to,

  • Working with QC and formulation teams to develop methodologies and perform analytical chromatography and other analytical experiments to both determine incoming raw material specifications and to develop methods and QC documents.
  • Working with SWITCH’s synthetic chemistry team to help elucidate weathering degradation mechanisms through identification of degradation products using analytical chromatography and other analytical techniques.
  • Anticipating, recognizing and resolving complex technical issues through job knowledge and use of technical resources, including technical literature, experts and well-formulated, logical experimentation.
  • Advancing the technical capabilities of the department by evaluating, recommending and implementing new technologies to meet business needs.
  • Serving as the analytical representative and/or lead for cross functional project teams; actively participating in team efforts and contributing to technical evaluations and solutions
  • Authoring quality and regulatory test method documents
  • Serving as a liaison between functional groups and external customers for analytical development, transfer, troubleshooting and improvement efforts.
  • Proactively and cooperatively communicating with peers and management to ensure awareness of progress and issues; recommending solutions when issues arise
  • Following, understanding and complying with SOPs and safety policies.
  • Qualifying, validating, and maintaining laboratory instrumentation and equipment.
  • Performing routine maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of equipment, including viscometers, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), HPLC/MS and Gas Chromatography (GC) systems.

Required Skills / Experience:

  • In-depth knowledge and extensive hands-on experience with method development for HPLC, LC-MS systems.
  • Extensive experience with method validation and transfers for analytical methods.
  • Ability to perform routine maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of equipment for High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Mass Spectrometers (MS) and other analytical equipment (including Gas Chromatography (GC) and viscometer systems).
  • Ability to work in a team environment and take ownership of tasks.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop alternatives and solutions for a range of complex problems. Solutions require creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, considering a broad range of potential impacts, including those that are downstream.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD in Analytical Chemistry and experience in Analytical R&D, or natural products or related field, with a minimum of a B.S. in science or related field with 2-5 years relevant experience
  • Proficiency in standard office software and wide analytical experience in test method development, validation, and troubleshooting, liquid chromatography

Preferred Qualifications:

  • B.S. in analytical chemistry science with 5+ years relevant industrial experience; OR
  • M.S. in analytical chemistry or natural products chemistry with 3+ years relevant industrial experience; OR
  • Ph.D. in analytical chemistry and/or natural product science or related field; post-graduate and/or industrial experience preferred.
  • Proficiency in other areas of analytical chemistry including wet chemistry, spectroscopy and physical property testing.
  • Chemical QC/QA experience
  • Experience with polymer characterization (viscometry, rheology, GPC and laser light scattering) a plus.
  • Ability to start with limited lead-time, preferably within the month of August 2017.

Please submit a resume and cover letter by email to with “Analytical Chemist” in the subject line. In your cover letter please indicate the date you would be available to start.

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