Lead Chemical Analyst

About us

NoPalm Ingredients produces yeast oils & fats, made from agri-food waste streams that are perfect substitutes to palm and other vegetable oils in food, cosmetics, and home care products. Our products offer a two-sided solution that reduces both the use of palm oil and food waste.

Founded in 2021, NoPalm Ingredients is on a mission to challenge companies and product manufacturers to implement our local, circular, and sustainable oils as an alternative to palm oil.

By upcycling agri-food side streams into circular yeast oils, we are making a worldwide environmental impact, contributing to a waste-free world, decarbonizing the entire value chain with 90% less greenhouse gas emissions, and limiting the impact on natural habitats as we reduce land-use by 99%.

About the role

As the Lead Chemical Analyst, you will play a key role in building, organizing, and executing the analytical strategy within our rapidly growing fermentation startup. You will lead a small team of laboratory technicians responsible for method development and execution, sample preparation, routine analytics, and data reporting. This role combines hands-on analytical work with leadership responsibilities, driving analytical excellence across R&D and production environments. 

The main focus of the role:      

• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of analytical technicians & interns. 

• Plan and prioritize daily, weekly, and project based analytical workloads. 

• Ensure efficient execution of sample analysis, documentation, and reporting. 

• Foster a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement in the laboratory. 

• Develop, optimize, and validate analytical methods relevant to bio-processes (e.g., HPLC, GC, etc). 

• Troubleshoot analytical issues and ensure high-quality, reliable data  

• Ensuring proper calibration, maintenance, and performance of analytical instruments. 

• Interpret complex analytical data and ensure accurate and timely reporting of results, trends, and deviations  

• Create, implement and maintain analytical SOPs, work instructions, and documentation. 

• Work closely with fermentation scientists, microbiologists, downstream processing teams, and product & application development. 

• Provide analytical input for experimental designs, process optimization, and troubleshooting. 

• Support scaleup activities with robust analytical guidance. 

About you

You are a proactive and self-motivated individual who thrives in collaborative team settings, while leading others effectively. Your meticulous attention to detail ensures high-quality results in all your work. You have strong organizational skills and are able to set priorities effectively. You communicate clearly and can translate analytical results into meaningful insights. You have a genuine passion for the foodtech industry and sustainability, driving you to contribute meaningfully to our mission.  

More specifically, we are looking for someone who has: 

• An MSc or PhD (or equivalent) in Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Technology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or related field. 

• 4–6 years of hands‑on R&D analytical laboratory experience, preferably in an industrial bioprocess environment, such as in fermentation, biotechnology, food, biobased materials 

• Experience leading or mentoring junior staff or technicians. 

• Strong proficiency with analytical equipment, such as chromatography and spectrometry. 

• Solid understanding of fermentation-related analyses (e.g., organic acids, lipids, sugars, biomass indicators). 

• Solid understanding of microbiological analytical methods (e.g. plate counts, microscopy, phenotype identification, enzyme assays) 

• Data analysis and interpretation  

• Knowledge and expertise of lipid and fats chemistry, such as analytical technologies for lipid characterization, lipids and fats functionality and physical properties, lipid oxidation and stability 

 We value diversity and believe that our team's unique perspectives and experiences makes us stronger. While we may have listed specific requirements for this role, we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We are looking for individuals who are passionate, driven, and excited about the opportunity to join us on our mission. Don't let a lack of exact qualifications hold you back from applying - we are excited to learn more about you and what you can bring to the table! 

What's in it for you?

• Being part of a fast-growing purpose-driven start-up where you can make an impact from day 1

• Competitive salary

• Participation in our Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) plan

• 25 days of vacation allowance

• Commuting allowance

• Pension plan

• Flexibility in working from home / working in the office

• Team outings and monthly get-together’s

• Great coffee