Smarter Sorting has created the product needed to make the circular economy possible. We work with some of the largest retailers on the planet, over 1,150 suppliers, including half of the top 10 consumer product manufacturers worldwide. We provide a software and data solution that allows them to safely and properly handle their products to comply with state and federal regulations and enables them to make environmentally and socially conscious decisions. So far we’ve diverted 4.4 tons of waste from landfill, have avoided 2.7 metric tons of greenhouse gas emission, donated over 5.7 million meals to those in need and we’re just getting started!

The intersection of chemistry and data is core to the value we provide as a company. Smarter Sorting seeks a Computational Chemist to help us in our mission to revolutionize the way the world thinks about consumer goods. Our planet is buzzing with consumer products zipping from buyer to seller to consumer. Knowing the physical and chemical attributes of those products intimately unlocks troves of information relevant to so many industries. At Smarter Sorting our work touches on worker safety, international environmental law and much, much more. 

We want someone who doesn’t think a tube of toothpaste is just a tube of toothpaste. We want someone who considers the Sodium Fluoride and trace concentrations of Sodium Hydroxide in the ingredients list. Someone who considers the water-solubility, viscosity and the pH of the substance in solution. What do these ingredients mean for the product’s aquatic toxicity and skin-irritation potential? How similar is this toothpaste to other toothpastes? What about a body-wash? 

You have the chemistry knowledge to understand the foundational building blocks of all of the world’s consumer products. You also have the computational skills to scan, evaluate and analyze data at scale. Most importantly, you have the curiosity to learn and be part of something bigger!

We ask crazy questions at Smarter Sorting and get extra excited when smart people want to come help us answer them. As a Computational Chemist at Smarter Sorting, you will play a truly critical role in a rapidly growing, exciting company. 

What You'll Be Doing:

• Using millions of data-points about consumer products to create insights about consumer preferences and their regulatory ramifications
• Building calculators to estimate chemical information of consumer products (ex: “Will this paint be a flammability hazard?”, “How corrosive to human skin is this shampoo?”)
• Enhancing the power of our Automated Classification Engine (ACE)
• Learning the language of consumer goods regulations (SDSs for OSHA, Hazard Classes for DOT, Waste Codes for RCRA, etc)
• Consulting with product and data-teams for feasibility of new product add-ons
• Audits of existing chemistry related correlators
• Research and Develop physical attribute correlators
• Help us with some of the most complicated regulatory needs such as: Corrosion, Reactivity, Solid-Flammability, Vapour related Calcs, and Chronic Aquatic Toxicity

Your Experience + Skills:

• Bachelors / Advanced Degree in Chemistry, Computational Chemistry 
• Demonstrated understanding in leveraging chemistry and coding knowledge to facilitate complex processes
• Proficient in Python and SQL or similar scripting and databasing languages.
• Software Engineering Background or similar preferred
• Knowledge of Machine Learning Techniques appreciated
• Knowledge of Regulatory Landscape appreciated (GHS, SDSs, DOT, RCRA)
• Understanding of Green Chemistry And/Or Electrochemistry highly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to grow and learn from mistakes (i.e. growth mindset)

Onboarding Goals

1st month:  

• Ramp up on all things Smarter Sorting and our core chemistry challenges and opportunities
• Review and audit chemistry results for consumer goods
• Create a calculator to evaluate a product’s corrosivity/flammability/reactivity etc

3+ months: 

• Become an expert within some subset of consumer goods and their regulations: Volatile Organic Compounds for Aerosols, for example.
• Expand Smarter Sorting’s understanding of how to value and use chemistry information in Dangerous Goods Classification
• Enhance or create new correlators for physical facets or regulatory codes

6 months: 

• Support the product team in launching new products or services for the regulatory market
• Expand Smarter Sorting’s understanding of how to value and use chemistry information in Dangerous Goods Classification
• Fully manage chemistry related databases: the what, how, where and when of vital data imports from major databases (pubchem, ECHA, RTECS, etc)
• Write (or assist in writing) papers describing Smarter Sorting’s methods and results
• Enhance or create new correlators for physical facets or regulatory codes

Salary: From $110,000 depending on experience