Materials/Chemistry Research Associate - Brekland : Job Details

Brekland is an early-stage climate resilience agriculture company based in New York that develops systems to help farmers protect their crops from billion-dollar frost events. Brekland's solution is a rapid-deployment, biodegradable spray-on insulation system that coats and insulates crops hours prior to frost. Our mission is not only to empower growers with the tools to protect their crops, but do so at low cost, using less water and burning less fuel.

Brekland is supported by Activate, and is a Collab SFF, Gigascale Capital and Safar Partners portfolio company.

About the job

We're looking for a Materials Research Associate / Chemist with experience in material science (e.g. polymer chemistry), chemical formulation or green chemistry to support the development of our biodegradable foaming solution. As part of a small team, you'll help across all aspects of our work. This will include supporting the development of research protocols, executing experiments, grant writing and join technical advisor meetings. Your work will help develop a new category of sustainable green chemistry for use in agriculture.

About you:

• You're a diligent scientist, with a keen eye for detail. You understand the science, can complete tasks efficiently and can discern when something isn't working like it should be.
• You're a resourceful problem solver. When faced with a new problem, you identify multiple paths to find a solution and will make it happen.
• You're excited about understanding how things work and can design and execute studies to further your understanding and improve the operation/functionality of the project in-front of you.

What you can expect:

• We've completed a working prototype – your role will be to optimize the formulation and improve it's functionality and performance.
• You will work closely with the Chief Scientific Officer and will lead research studies. As the role develops, you will also work toward independent experiment design and execution.
• This role is predominantly in-person in our labs in Brooklyn, NY.

Key qualifications:

• BS/MS in a related field, including but not limited to materials science, mechanical or chemical engineering, chemistry, or biochemistry
• 2+ years of relevant R&D experience, including but not limited to polymer chemistry, protein formulations, foaming systems, chemical formulation, surfactant chemistry, material science and/or green chemistry
• Skilled researcher that can execute research protocols, with the expectation they will eventually design studies, draft protocols and execute studies independently
• Strong lab skills, including wet lab technique, documentation and communication skills (i.e., protocol drafting, data analysis and report generation)
• Strong analytical and critical analysis skills for interpreting data and drawing conclusions

Things that can set you apart:

• R&D experience involving independent drafting and carrying-out of study protocols
• Research experience with natural polymers, foam chemistry or green surfactants
• Experience working in agriculture, including research and farm operations generally

Compensation:

• Total compensation range between $70k-90k, plus equity and benefits. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and skills match
• Health insurance package available for full-time hire