Analytical Lab Specialist

Salary Range: 85000 to 115000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

About the Role

Charm injects bio-oil underground for permanent carbon removal, and we need to understand how that bio-oil behaves once it meets rock, sediment, and brine. We are seeking a hands-on Lab Specialist to join our Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) team and own the experimental work that answers those questions. 

You will work with Charm's reservoir engineers and other technical leads to design experiments, build reactors and new experimental systems, and perform experiments to gather key data for business development. These systems may involve high pressure, high temperature, porous media, or vacuum systems. The data you generate will deepen our knowledge of bio-oil properties in the subsurface and support the regulatory applications we file as we expand our operational footprint into new jurisdictions.

You will also support other critical MSE lab projects, including bio-oil and biochar analysis. This role calls for strong chemistry fundamentals and a real drive to design, build, troubleshoot, and run rigorous experiments. We are looking for an experimentalist who is energized by building things from scratch, gets satisfaction from generating high-quality data, and treats a failed system or experiment as a problem to solve rather than a dead end.

This role is part of Charm's analytical team and reports to the Lead Analytical Scientist in Colorado. It is based onsite at our facility in Fort Lupton, CO.

Your Responsibilities

Work closely with our reservoir engineering team to understand testing needs for exploration and permitting of new wells

Co-design experiments with Charm's reservoir engineers for reservoir compatibility studies that feed regulatory submissions and/or support formation characterization and tracer analysis studies

Design, build, and run laboratory experiments and test systems, including high pressure and high temperature systems

Take an experimental concept from a teammate and turn it into an executed test that generates real, usable learnings

Manage field samples (brine, sand, bio-oil, and other materials) at our Colorado lab, including registration, tracking, and storage

Manage third-party lab relationships: send samples, track turnaround, review results, and travel occasionally to third-party labs and Charm field sites for sample collection

Build and follow repeatable, well-documented test protocols so that outside labs and colleagues can execute them consistently

Keep experimental data organized and reported through our electronic databases so results are traceable and easy for teammates to use

Flex to support other MSE lab projects (for example, filtration studies or other bio-oil characterization work) as priorities require

You Bring

A safety-first approach to experiments, sampling, and equipment operation

A commitment to rigorous science

Bachelor’s degree is required in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Geology, or relevant scientific discipline; Advanced degree (MS or PhD) and/or 4+ years experience preferred.

An experimentalist mindset: you like building reactors and experimental systems, running experiments, collecting data, and iterating on results

Hands-on experience designing, building, or operating laboratory testing equipment, ideally including high pressure and/or high temperature systems

Solid working knowledge of chemistry fundamentals

Strong equipment troubleshooting skills: you are comfortable diagnosing why a system or experiment isn't behaving as expected and iterating toward a fix

Analytical and critical thinking, including sound judgment about data quality and what a result does and does not tell you

Clear written and verbal communication, and a habit of partnering well with engineers, scientists, and outside labs

Comfort managing samples and coordinating with third-party labs, including tracking, documentation, and reporting

Comfort using digital communication, database tools, and AI tools to keep your team and external partners up to date

Ability to prioritize and work through ambiguity in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment

Willingness to travel occasionally to third-party labs or Charm field sites for sample collection and onsite support (up to 10% of time)

Bonus, if You Bring

Experience with subsurface, geochemistry, or reservoir-adjacent testing

Experience with complex organic fluids such as bio-oils, petroleum fractions, heavy oils, or reactive mixtures

Experience with corrosion or metallurgy testing

Experience with oil and gas topside infrastructure (oil-water separation, blending tanks, filtration, process piping, pumps, and similar)

• Equity ownership through stock options
• 100% employee healthcare premiums covered
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with multiple plan options
• Employer-funded HSA contributions for eligible HDHP plans
• Traditional and Roth 401(k) with a 50% match on contributions up to 6%
• Paid leave, including parental and medical leave
• PPE and workwear allowances
• Annual professional development stipend
• Employee recognition programs that celebrate impactful work and team contributions
• Opportunities for internal growth, career development, and transition into climate from a range of industries and backgrounds