Computational Scientist at Rivan Industries — Synthetic fuel startup

As a Computational Scientist at Rivan, you will be the "puppet master" of the UK’s largest synthetic fuel plant. By building sophisticated process models and simulations on top of real-world operational data, you will identify performance ceilings and integration pinch points to direct the company’s 1000x scale-up over the next two years.

• Develop and refine first-principles process models for lime-based Direct Air Capture, integrating thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport phenomena.
• Perform dynamic process simulations and optimization studies to find fragile operations before they become issues in the physical plant.
• Build modular simulation tools using MATLAB, Aspen Plus, or Python to support techno-economic assessments and cross-functional scale-up efforts.

• 3–7 years of experience in process modelling or chemical engineering R&D with a strong background in heat and mass transfer.
• Proficiency in industry-standard simulation software such as MATLAB, Aspen Plus, HYSYS, COMSOL, or ANSYS Fluent.
• Solid understanding of solid-gas systems, including calcination and carbonation, with a proven track record of validating models against pilot data.

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• Lead the computational strategy for a company that recently deployed the UK’s largest synthetic fuel plant and is planning a 1000x scale-up.
• Exceptional compensation package including significant early-team share options and a unique £6,000 annual bonus to live near the Bermondsey HQ.
• Work on a generation-defining product that vertically integrates DAC, Alkaline Electrolysers, and Sabatier Reactors to make synthetic fuel cheaper than fossil fuels.