--- title: 'Mass Spectrometry Chemist at General Matter' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mass-spectrometry-chemist-general-matter-los-angeles-msytyjvw9tay' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-13' --- # Mass Spectrometry Chemist at General Matter - **Company:** General Matter - **Location:** Los Angeles, CA - **Posted:** 2026-08-06 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/generalmatter/jobs/5377988008 ## Job description ## About the Company General Matter is enriching uranium in America. Our goal is to design, build, and operate the world’s lowest-cost enrichment services in the United States. Our mission is to restore America’s ability to produce nuclear fuel—fuel that will power AI, advanced manufacturing, critical industries, and the next generation of nuclear reactors. Ultimately, our work will help power national ambitions and enable a high-energy society. We were incubated by Founders Fund, like Anduril and Palantir before us, and are backed by top-tier investors. Our lean, world-class team of engineers and operators is applying a first-principles approach to solving the problem of nuclear fuel production. We are a mission-driven company with a culture of urgency, accountability, and transparency. Help us build a high-energy society by making the cleanest, safest form of baseload energy the most affordable. ## About This Role As a Mass Spectrometry Chemist at General Matter, you will play a critical role in establishing and advancing our analytical measurement capabilities for uranium isotopic analysis. You'll work hands-on with cutting-edge mass spectrometry instrumentation — including isotope-ratio mass spectrometry and ICP-MS systems — to develop, validate, and execute methods that directly support our enrichment operations and product certification. This is a rare opportunity to build measurement systems from the ground up at a next-generation nuclear facility during rapid commercial scale-up, where your technical work immediately impacts our ability to produce low-cost nuclear fuel at scale. If you seek high impact and are excited by fast-paced, intense, Skunkworks-style projects in service of a mission of national importance, we encourage you to apply to join our Chemistry team. ## Responsibilities - Develop, optimize, and validate analytical methods for uranium isotopic analysis using mass spectrometry (isotope-ratio MS, ICP-MS) - Perform isotopic sampling, sample preparation, and measurement workflows to support enrichment process monitoring and product certification - Operate, maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot mass spectrometry instrumentation to ensure measurement accuracy, precision, and reliability - Integrate measurement systems with sample-handling workflows and support automation and process improvements - Collaborate closely with the Chemistry team and cross-functional partners (Operations, Product Certification, Engineering) to define analytical requirements and deliver results that drive decision-making - Document methods, maintain rigorous QA/QC protocols, and support regulatory and compliance reporting as needed - Contribute to continuous improvement of analytical capabilities as General Matter scales production ## Basic Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Radiochemistry or a related field, or equivalent experience - Hands-on laboratory experience with mass spectrometry techniques (ICP-MS, isotope-ratio MS, or similar) - Demonstrated ability to develop, troubleshoot, and optimize analytical methods and instrumentation - Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail in data collection, analysis, and documentation - Evidence of exceptional ability — prior research projects, published work, or demonstrated technical contributions in analytical chemistry or instrumentation - Ability to obtain and maintain required security clearance and access authorization for work with nuclear materials - Ability to work on-site in Los Angeles, CA or Paducah, KY ## Preferred Skills and Experience - Experience with uranium isotopic analysis, nuclear materials characterization, or safeguards measurement techniques - Familiarity with TIMS, MC-ICP-MS, or other isotope-ratio mass spectrometry platforms - Prior work in a DOE national laboratory, NRC-licensed facility, nuclear fuel-cycle company, or instrumentation vendor environment - Experience in method validation, regulatory compliance (e.g., DOE, NRC, ISO standards), or quality assurance in analytical chemistry - Background in fast-paced, resource-constrained, or startup environments where autonomy and bias toward action are required - Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across technical and operational teams Additional Requirements - Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary. ## Equal Opportunity Employer General Matter is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with General Matter is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. ## Compensation and Benefits The base salary range for this role is $100,000–$150,000 annually. Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. Please note that the stated salary range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on market conditions, business needs, or other factors. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan. ## About General Matter ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Nuclear energy – uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel supply chain - **Target customers**: Nuclear power plant operators (civilian reactors, small modular reactors, microreactors), data center operators, industrial manufacturers, and government/defense entities - **Mission**: “Restore US leadership in nuclear fuel” and “make the cleanest, safest form of baseload energy the most affordable” [generalmatter.com/mission](https://generalmatter.com/mission/) ## Products & Services - **Low Enriched Uranium (LEU)**: Enrichment of uranium to 3-5% U-235 for existing US civilian reactors (supplying ~20% of US grid power) - **High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU)**: Enrichment to 5-20% U-235 for next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors - **Enrichment as a Service**: Novel, scalable, cost-competitive enrichment technology to fill the critical gap in the US nuclear fuel cycle (conversion → enrichment → deconversion/fabrication) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company) - **Key Metric**: Currently hiring for 64+ roles across engineering, construction, legal, and operations; actively building enrichment capacity - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Described as backed by “institutions” and “generational companies” – specific names not publicly available [generalmatter.com/careers](https://generalmatter.com/careers/) - **Growth Signals**: Aggressive hiring across multiple disciplines; establishing a physical presence in Los Angeles (HQ) and Paducah, Kentucky (construction/manufacturing); addressing a critical national security gap (US currently performs <1% of global enrichment) ## Competitive Advantages - **Domestic enrichment technology**: Novel, proprietary enrichment process designed to be cheaper, more reliable, and scalable compared to foreign state-backed competitors - **National security moat**: Sole US-focused enrichment startup aiming to break dependence on Russian and Chinese supply chains - **Talent pool**: Attracts high-caliber individuals from nuclear engineering, technology, finance, and special operations backgrounds - **First-mover in HALEU**: Positioned to fuel the next wave of advanced reactors and behind-the-meter power for AI data centers ## Strategic Focus - **Scale domestic enrichment capacity**: Build and operate enrichment facilities in the US (Los Angeles and Paducah) - **Support AI and manufacturing growth**: Provide reliable, emissions-free baseload power for compute and industrial expansion - **Enable advanced reactors**: Supply HALEU for SMRs and microreactors, opening new markets in remote and austere environments - **Strengthen US energy independence**: Restore US leadership in nuclear fuel production ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: High standards, extreme ownership, copious autonomy, deep trust, zero politics – described as “work with the best across nuclear, tech and finance” [generalmatter.com/careers](https://generalmatter.com/careers/) - **Work environment**: On-site roles in Los Angeles, CA (engineering, nuclear, legal) and Paducah, KY (construction, procurement); no remote/hybrid options explicitly stated - **Notable perks**: Mission-driven work with national impact; opportunity to solve a critical energy and security challenge; flat organization with high agency - **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on control systems, embedded software, simulation, DevOps, and nuclear safety engineering; also seeks creative minds and numbers savants ## Sources 1. [generalmatter.com](https://generalmatter.com/) 2. [generalmatter.com/careers](https://generalmatter.com/careers/) 3. [generalmatter.com/mission](https://generalmatter.com/mission/) 4. [generalmatter.com/technology](https://generalmatter.com/technology/) 5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/generalmatter](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/generalmatter) ## Other roles at General Matter - [Radiation Safety Officer / Radiation Protection Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/radiation-safety-officer-radiation-protection-manager-general-matter-los-1nj9rzrhwkg5) — Los Angeles CA OR Paducah, KY - [Environmental and Radioactive Waste Management Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/environmental-and-radioactive-waste-management-program-manager-general-matter-39j8wh4rd3w1) — Paducah KY OR Los Angeles, CA - [Plant Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/plant-manager-general-matter-paducah-dtfeh1qfjv7x) — Paducah, KY - [Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/environmental-health-and-safety-ehs-engineer-general-matter-paducah-9ap3hb5yrv4w) — Paducah, KY - [Head of IT](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-it-general-matter-los-angeles-05ep4shy6mez) — Los Angeles, CA - [Automation and Controls Engineer, Manufacturing](https://feeny.ai/job/automation-and-controls-engineer-manufacturing-general-matter-los-angeles-6arft9asv089) — Los Angeles, CA - [Summer 2027 Internship - Supply Chain](https://feeny.ai/job/summer-2027-internship-supply-chain-general-matter-los-angeles-defnveptk5ee) — Los Angeles, CA - [Nuclear Safety Basis Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/nuclear-safety-basis-lead-general-matter-los-angeles-91cjp93rh5ne) — Los Angeles, CA - [Construction Quality Control/Assurance Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/construction-quality-control-assurance-specialist-general-matter-richland-th4w2cfne416) — Richland, WA - [Summer 2027 Internship - Civil Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/summer-2027-internship-civil-engineering-general-matter-los-angeles-zggztmj2apy4) — Los Angeles, CA