R&D Chemical Engineer - Separation Technologies (Adsorption/Membranes)

R&D Chemical Engineer - Separation Technologies (Adsorption/Membranes)

dsm-firmenich

La Plaine, Switzerland

Key Responsibilities:

In this role, you will lead a laboratory dedicated to the assessment, development and scale up of innovative, sustainable separation and purification processes, with a strong focus on non-distillative technologies (e.g., adsorption, membranes).

Process & Technology Development

• Lead the assessment, development and optimization of scalable separation and purification processes.
• Design, plan and execute laboratory and pilot scale experiments.

Industrialization & Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with production, innovation, and engineering teams to industrialize robust, safe, and sustainable separation processes.
• Provide technical support to improve existing production scale separations.

Scientific Excellence & Safety

• Conduct literature and patent reviews to identify emerging separation technologies.
• Ensure rigorous application of HS&E standards.
• Document results and communicate progress through high quality technical reports and presentations.
• Keep up to date on new technologies and latest developments relevant for current and future needs in fine chemical industry.

You Bring:

• PhD, or MS with at least 4 years of industrial experience in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Hands on laboratory experience in separation sciences, with demonstrated ability to translate lab results into scalable processes. Expertise in adsorption and/or membrane technologies is a plus.
• Strong understanding of chemical engineering unit operations, including adsorption, extraction, crystallization, filtration/drying, membrane and distillation processes.
• Good basic knowledge of organic chemistry relevant to the purification of high value ingredients and required for a close and daily collaboration with organic chemists.
• Experience in the characterization of target molecules using analytical techniques such as GC, GC‑MS, spectrophotometric analysis, physico-chemical analysis and HPLC is an advantage.
• Strong data analysis and process simulation capabilities (preferably Aspen).
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset, with the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, multicultural environment.
• Analytical thinking and critical problem‑solving skills, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Good time‑management skills and the ability to prioritize effectively across multiple projects.
• Good written and oral communication skills in English. Working knowledge of French is an advantage; willingness to learn is mandatory.