Scientist I/II, Adsorbent Chemistry

The posting, as Alta Resource Technologies, Inc. wrote it

About Us
Alta is reinventing how the world sources critical minerals — using protein-based chemistry to extract rare earth elements and other essential materials from challenging feedstocks with unmatched selectivity. By dramatically reducing the cost and environmental impact of mineral separation, Alta is making it possible to unlock new sources of supply for 21st-century technologies. As global demand accelerates, securing these materials has become one of the most urgent challenges facing U.S. competitiveness and national security. Backed by top investors and government partners, Alta is growing fast and hiring mission-driven scientists and engineers to help us scale our platform and transform the future of mining.

How we work

Speed is part of our DNA. We’re building first-of-a-kind technology and facilities, which means the path isn’t always mapped. We’re comfortable with ambiguity: making sound, timely decisions guided by clear priorities, adapting quickly as we learn, and keeping a relentless focus on moving our business forward. We commit to fixed milestones on compressed timelines and hold ourselves accountable without compromising on safety or rigor.

Location : Boulder, CO ·

Reports To : Principal Scientist / Group Lead — Adsorbent Chemistry

Role Summary

You’ll be joining a small R&D team working on the resins and sorbents at the center of Alta’s separation process. This role establishes in-house resin synthesis and functionalization capabilities, develops analytical methods to characterize resin properties and performance, and drives iterative improvements in adsorbent materials to meet process performance, reproducibility, and scale-up requirements.

Key Technical Responsibilities

• Resin Synthesis & Functionalization: Develop and implement in-house methods for porous resin synthesis, surface functionalization, and ligand attachment to produce adsorbents with defined chemical and physical properties.
• Resin Characterization: Develop and qualify analytical methods for resin composition, functional group density, ligand loading, porosity, and particle properties — and know the limits of each method well enough to say when a result should not be trusted.
• Performance Evaluation: Connect those material properties to process outcomes — protein immobilization, adsorption capacity, selectivity, stability, and separation performance — working alongside our protein chemistry and process engineering teams.
• Process Development: Establish reproducible synthesis and functionalization workflows at the bench, optimize reaction conditions, and identify the critical process parameters that govern resin quality.
• Tech Transfer: Translate those workflows into process specifications that let others produce the same resin at larger scale, and support integration into Alta’s adsorbent manufacturing workflows.

This is a bench-heavy role; expect roughly 70% hands-on laboratory work.

Communication and Documentation

• Maintain rigorous e

[…]
come to this problem from several directions, and we read all of them seriously:

• Bioseparations / protein chromatography — you understand how a protein moves inside a pore and why it sometimes cannot.
• Polymer and colloid chemistry — you have made porous materials and controlled their structure through formulation.
• Sorbent and separations engineering — you have built a functional material and used it for separations.
• Synthetic, surface, or bioconjugation chemistry: you have attached molecules to surfaces, particles, or bi

If you are strong in one of these and curious about the rest, apply.

Compensation & Benefits

The starting pay range for this position is $100,000 - $125,000 USD, plus equity, commensurate with educational background and work experience.

Benefits include

• 401(k)
• Medical, dental, and vision plans (or equivalent)
• Flexible time off
• Paid parental leave
• Paid sick leave
• Company holidays

Certain project activities require advance approval from the U.S. Government sponsor before individuals who are not U.S. citizens may participate. Alta will coordinate this process as needed.

EOE

Alta Resource Technologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds strengthen our team and drive better outcomes for our clients and partners.

We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and the needs of the business. Alta participates in e-Verify for all positions.

If you require accommodations at any point in the hiring process, please let your recruiter know.

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