Senior | Lead Research Scientist

Role Overview: PolyCycl seeks a Senior | Lead Research Scientist to strengthen the development of its hydrocarbon conversion, purification and process technology platforms, including the company's proprietary ContiFlow Cracker and PyOilClean systems. The role combines industrial R&D, process development, analytical characterization and hydrocarbon purification science. The successful candidate will work on the development, optimization and scale-up of technologies related to plastic-to-hydrocarbon conversion, hydrocarbon upgrading, contaminant removal and product quality enhancement. About PolyCycl: PolyCycl is building next-generation chemical recycling solutions to enable true plastic-to-plastic circularity at an industrial scale. Working across the past 10+ years , PolyCycl has developed a patented, fully continuous thermo-chemical technology platform to convert hard-to-recycle waste plastics such as single-use polythene bags and packaging waste - into high-quality liquified hydrocarbon feedstocks for the manufacturing of new circular plastics and chemicals. The technology is backed by sustained in-house R&D and a growing portfolio of international patents. PolyCycl partners include L&T Technology Services for engineering development and Re Sustainability (Indias largest waste management company) for feedstock segregation and preparation. The company is also supported by mission-aligned investors such as Nithin Kamath's Zerodha Rainmatter and Spectrum Impact ( Aarti Industries family office). The company operates at the intersection of R&D driven innovation, engineering development, industrial deployment and climate transition to address one of the most complex and unresolved challenges of our times the challenge of low-grade waste plastics . A key focus area within PolyCycl's technology stack is also PyOilClean - the companys proprietary hydrocarbon purification and polishing platform designed for decontamination and upgrading of pyrolysis-derived hydrocarbon oils. The platform focuses on removal of heteroatom contaminants, metals, suspended residues and instability-causing species from complex hydrocarbon streams generated from waste plastics. More details: www.polycycl.com Polycycl's R&D Infrastructure PolyCycl's Technology Innovation and Development Centre (TIDC) is located in Kalka near Chandigarh . The facility serves as a hub for Polycycl's ongoing advancements in pyrolysis chemistry, process R&D, hydrocarbon purification, analytical characterization and engineering development. The infrastructure at TIDC integrates laboratory, bench-scale and pilot-scale systems designed to support iterative experimentation and accelerated process development. Unlike conventional industrial development centers, which are often limited to gram-scale experimentation, PolyCycls TIDC brings together a TRL-7 ton-scale pilot-demo plant and an advanced setup to study hydrocarbon chemistry, analytical characterization and develop purification pathways, all within a single integrated R&D environment. The centre houses PolyCycl's Generation VI ContiFlow Cracker pilot plant for continuous conversion of municipal plastics into hydrocarbon oils, as well as a fully instrumented Generation VI PyOilClean pilot platform for purification and decontamination studies. R&D and Analytical Infrastructure includes: Automated temperature-controlled CSTR setups for chemical separation studies. Centrifugation and filtration systems for solids and residue separation. Various columns and test-beds for adsorbent and purification studies. Gas analysis systems for SOx, NOx, H2S, NH3, hydrocarbons and VOCs. High-temperature Gas Chromatography (HT-GC) for heavy hydrocarbon analysis. ICP-OES systems for trace metals analysis Nitrogen and chlorine analyzers for ultra-low heteroatom detection ASTM D86 distillation systems Karl Fischer moisture analysis The R&D and engineering team comprises researchers, process engineers and analytical specialists from various leading institutes including IIT (Kanpur), IIT (Roorkee), IIT (Kharagpur) and various NITs. Role & Responsibilities: I. Hydrocarbon & Process Development: Design and execute laboratory, bench-scale and pilot-scale experimental programs. Develop and optimize process pathways related to hydrocarbon conversion, upgrading and treatment. Evaluate process performance, product yields, product quality and operational robustness. Participate in troubleshooting, process optimization and technology improvement initiatives across PolyCycl's technology platforms. II. Hydrocarbon Purification & Product Upgrading Support development of next-generation purification and polishing technologies under PolyCycl's PyOilClean platform. Improve product quality through reduction of heteroatoms, metals, suspended solids and other contaminants via: Solvent extraction Adsorbent systems Scavengers Demetallization pathways Halogen removal methods Acid/base treatment Filtration and polishing systems Centrifugation Membrane-based concepts Clay treatment and residue removal Analytical Characterization & Interpretation, using HT-GC, ICP-OES, chlorine and nitrogen analyzers, ash, residue and metals characterization and gas composition analysis. Correlate analytical findings with process behavior, contaminant chemistry and product quality. Preferred candidate profile Education Bachelors / Masters degree in Chemistry. A PhD is advantageous but not mandatory. Experience & industry exposure The ideal experience range for this role is approximately 5-15 years with: Hydrocarbon processing Hydrocarbon purification and upgrading Refining and petrochemicals Lubricants and lube oil technologies Adsorbents and catalyst systems Separation processes Chemical recycling, sustainable fuels and biofuels Industrial process development and scale-up The role is intended for individuals who have already developed strong experimental maturity, independent problem-solving capability, practical understanding of industrial hydrocarbon systems, ability to work across analytical interpretation and process development Purely managerial or highly siloed profiles may not be suitable. Hands-on experience with purification chemistry, contaminant removal and analytical interpretation shall be strongly preferred. Compensation and Benefits Market competitive structure, competitive to best-in-class for the right person. Attractive ESOPs in a fast-growing company, worth atleast INR 50 lacs . Opportunity to work on globally relevant deep-tech challenges. Significant scientific ownership and autonomy within a fast-evolving R&D environment.