Role:  Research Scientist – Dac Sorbent Chemistry

Job type: Full-Time – On-site

Location: Eastern Bypass Rd, Ruai – Nairobi, Kenya

Gross Salary: Kshs 47,000

About Role:

Direct Air Capture is fundamentally a chemistry problem operating under extreme constraints: very low CO₂ concentrations (~400–450 ppm), varying humidity, continuous exposure to oxygen, and the need for thousands to tens-of-thousands of stable captures–release cycles. We are seeking a curious, analytically strong Research Scientist to contribute to the development and evaluation of solid CO₂ sorbent materials. The role centers on sorbent chemistry, adsorption and regeneration behavior, degradation mechanisms, and experimental rigor translating laboratory observations into reliable insights that guide material improvement and scale-up decisions

This is a hands-on, lab-based role for an early-career scientist eager to work on real materials, real data, and real-world material behavior under realistic operating conditions, while collaborating with internationally recognized scientists from leading global universities and research institutions to tackle the fundamental challenges limiting commercial deployment of Direct Air Capture. 

This is an entry-level Research Scientist role that begins with an initial 3-month internship, with a clear pathway to full-time employment based on demonstrated experimental capability, scientific judgment, and growth in independence. For your application to be considered, your CV should accompany the assignment below. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Sorbent Chemistry & Performance:
  Develop and evaluate solid CO₂ sorbents (e.g., amine-based and porous materials), focusing on equilibrium binding, kinetics, and selectivity at ~400–450 ppm CO₂ in humid air. 
• Adsorption, Regeneration & Cycling:
  Perform cyclic adsorption–desorption experiments to quantify CO₂ capacity, breakthrough behavior, regeneration energy, and performance decay under realistic DAC operating conditions. 
• Degradation & Stability Analysis:
  Identify and investigate sorbent degradation mechanisms, including amine volatilization and oxidative or thermal degradation, and assess material- and process-level mitigation strategies. 
• Experimental Design & Root-Cause Investigation:
  Design controlled, hypothesis-driven experiments to diagnose unexpected chemical or material behavior (e.g., changes in material color) and establish clear cause-and-effect relationships. 
• Analytical Data & Insight Generation:
  Apply analytical techniques (e.g., breakthrough analysis, TGA/DSC, FTIR, gas analysis) and quantitative data analysis to generate reliable, decision-ready insights for material improvement and scale-up.

Technical Competencies 

• Thermodynamics & Kinetics: Strong grasp of chemical thermodynamics, equilibria, reaction rate laws, and transport processes to interpret stability, reversibility, and time-dependent behavior. 
• Reactivity & Degradation: Knowledge of functional-group chemistry, acid–base behaviour, structure–reactivity relationships, and common degradation pathways in polymers. 
• Analytical Chemistry: Experience developing and validating methods (e.g., spectroscopy, thermal analysis) to generate chemically meaningful insights from complex systems.
• Experimental Design & Data Analysis: Ability to design controlled experiments, troubleshoot anomalies, and analyze data quantitatively (Excel/Python). 

Required Qualifications 

Education 

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Analytical Chemistry or Industrial Chemistry 

Experience 

• 0–2 years of relevant experience. 
• Strong undergraduate research projects, laboratory theses, or relevant internships are highly valued. 
• Prior Direct Air Capture experience is not required. 

Desired Attributes 

• Strong intellectual curiosity and a habit of asking why results behave the way they do. 
• High standards for data quality, reproducibility, and scientific integrity. 
• Iterative serial problem solver who thrives on tackling complex scientific problems 

Submission Guidelines. 

Kindly submit both the completed assessment and your CV by 23:59hrs on Monday, 12th January 2026.