Phyto-Synthesis Chemist

Role Summary

The Phyto-Synthesis Chemist runs the wet chemistry behind GreenWorld Sector-7's compound program. Working inside the Phyto-Synthesis Bay and the Toxin Yield Reactor, the chemist designs and executes extraction, fractionation, and purification protocols that convert curated specimen biomass into characterized alkaloids, glycosides, and proteinaceous toxins. The role is accountable for batch yield and purity against the targets published in Toxin Yield metrics, for full chain-of-custody on every gram of GCL-3/4 material, and for executing all reactor work under SOP — Toxin Extraction. This is a hazardous, containment-resident role: the chemist handles lethal-grade compounds daily and is a named participant in breach response for the Bay.

Key Responsibilities

1. Plan and execute extraction and purification campaigns in the Toxin Yield Reactor per SOP — Toxin Extraction, owning batch records and chain-of-custody from biomass intake to characterized product.
2. Optimize process yield and purity against Toxin Yield Index targets (≥ 92% target-compound recovery; ≤ 1.5% cross-contaminant) and drive deviation investigations when a batch falls out of band.
3. Characterize products by chromatography, mass spec, and bioassay; release or quarantine lots against specification with documented sign-off.
4. Coordinate biomass feedstock with Cultivation, reconciling reactor demand against Canopy Vitality and harvest readiness from the cultivation cycle.
5. Maintain reactor containment interlocks and verify scrubber, glovebox, and effluent integrity before every GCL-4 run; halt on any breach indicator and follow SOP — Emergency Breach.
6. Log reactor telemetry and exposure events to the Mycelial Data Fabric via the CHLORA control console and reconcile dosing/temperature traces against batch records.
7. Partner with Biosafety to maintain the Bay's GCL-4 containment posture per SOP — GCL-4 Containment and contribute to Containment Integrity reporting.
8. Author and revise extraction methods, hazard assessments, and reactor runbooks; mentor S1/S2 chemists on safe reactor practice.

Required Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in organic, analytical, or natural-products chemistry, or B.S. with 6+ years of process/extraction chemistry experience.
• Hands-on mastery of preparative chromatography, distillation/fractionation, and analytical characterization (HPLC, GC-MS, NMR).
• Demonstrated work with highly toxic or controlled materials under formal containment and chain-of-custody.
• Current Toxin Handling Tier 3 certification and able to obtain GCL-4 clearance and GCL-4 medical fitness.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with alkaloid and glycoside isolation from botanical feedstock.
• Process scale-up, DoE-based yield optimization, or continuous-flow extraction.
• Familiarity with reactor automation and telemetry under CHLORA control.

Certifications Required

Certification curricula are delivered through the Verdant Academy; currency is tracked on the HR Training Matrix.

Physical & Hazard Requirements

• Tolerate extended positive-pressure-suit work shifts inside a sealed bay.
• Manual dexterity for glovebox and microscale work; lift up to 20 kg of feedstock/solvent.
• Pass GCL-4 medical fitness and respiratory-protection qualification; respond to breach alarms as named bay personnel.

Compensation Band

Career Path

Phyto-Synthesis Chemist (S3) advances to Principal Chemist (S4) and Director of Phyto-Chemistry (O5), or laterals to CHLORA Operations Analyst (VC-HR-J052) for the data/automation track. Reactor leadership feeds the Director of Containment (VC-HR-J005) pipeline for those who take on the safety mission.