Job Description

Engagement Type:

Full-Time

Organisation:

Chirandu Botanica

Location:

Cape Town, South Africa (Laboratory-Embedded)

The Role

Chirandu Botanica is seeking a Laboratory Intelligence & Quality Specialist to safeguard the credibility, reproducibility, and long-term value of its scientific outputs.

This is a hands-on, laboratory-embedded role focused on evidence integrity rather than output volume. Your responsibility is not to generate results, but to ensure that conclusions drawn from laboratory work are scientifically defensible, sufficiently supported, and usable beyond the immediate project.

You will operate as an internal authority on experimental sufficiency, documentation discipline, and knowledge integrity--working alongside senior scientists to interrogate whether evidence genuinely supports what is being claimed.

This role sits upstream of conventional product development and downstream decision-making. It ensures that what becomes "accepted knowledge" inside Chirandu Botanica is robust enough to endure scrutiny, reuse, and external partnership.

How You Will Work

You will be present in the laboratory regularly, engaged in day-to-day scientific activity. You will work closely with senior scientists, providing constructive challenge and quality oversight, not administrative support. You will have real authority to slow, pause, or redirect work when evidence is insufficient or conclusions are premature. Your focus will be on: Evidence quality and experimental sufficiency Traceable, disciplined documentation Preserving both positive and negative results All work will feed into Chirandu Botanica's internal scientific records and knowledge systems, designed for long-term reuse rather than short-term reporting.
This role requires consistency, presence, and intellectual ownership. It is not compatible with intermittent or peripheral engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Evidence Quality & Scientific Validation

Evaluate experimental work to determine whether results genuinely support the conclusions being drawn. Challenge under-supported claims and require further validation where necessary. Ensure scientific decisions are grounded in sufficient, comparable, and well-contextualised evidence.
Experimental Integrity & Documentation

Work alongside laboratory teams to ensure experiments are executed with clarity, consistency, and traceability. Ensure all relevant parameters, deviations, and observations are properly recorded. Preserve negative, null, and inconclusive results as part of the scientific record.
Formulation & Sensory Evidence Support

Review formulation-related findings to ensure sensory and performance observations are evidence-backed. Ensure sensory observations are explicitly linked to material state, processing conditions, and experimental context. Support the development of formulation logic that is predictable, explainable, and transferable.
Analytical & Data Context

Support interpretation of analytical outputs (e.g. GC, LC, MS) by ensuring they are contextualised within experimental design. Ensure analytical data answers a defined scientific question rather than existing as a standalone result.
Knowledge Integrity & Long-Term Usability

Act as a gatekeeper for what becomes accepted internal knowledge versus what remains provisional. Ensure scientific knowledge remains understandable and reusable over time. Contribute to building structured scientific records that support future projects, partnerships, and licensing.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

MSc or PhD in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related discipline (or equivalent industry experience). Several years of experience working in or closely with a laboratory environment. Strong understanding of experimental design, data interpretation, and scientific reasoning. Demonstrated ability to assess whether evidence is sufficient to support conclusions.

Preferred

Exposure to flavour, aroma, botanical, or applied chemistry systems. Familiarity with analytical techniques such as GC, HPLC, or mass spectrometry (deep specialisation not required). Experience working in research-led or early-stage R&D environments.

Why Join Chirandu

At Chirandu, you will be part of a small, serious team building foundational scientific assets rather than disposable outputs. You will have influence, responsibility, and the opportunity to shape how scientific knowledge is created, challenged, and preserved from the ground up.

If you care deeply about scientific integrity, disciplined thinking, and work that endures beyond individual projects, this role will suit you.

How to Apply

Please submit:

Your CV A short cover note describing a situation where you had to question, delay, or challenge a scientific conclusion because the evidence was not yet strong enough.
Applications should be sent to:

recruiting@moyochiranduholdings.com

Job Type: Full-time

Application Question(s):

Do you hold an MSc or PhD in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a closely related scientific discipline? How many years of professional experience do you have working in or directly alongside a laboratory environment? Have you been responsible for evaluating or reviewing experimental results generated by others (not only your own work)? Have you ever formally challenged, delayed, or rejected a scientific conclusion because the supporting evidence was insufficient? Have you worked in a role where you had the authority (formal or informal) to require additional experiments or validation before conclusions were accepted? How frequently have you reviewed experimental work specifically to assess whether conclusions were justified by the data? Have you worked with analytical outputs (e.g. GC, LC, HPLC, MS) in a role where interpretation and context mattered more than raw data generation? Are you available and willing to be regularly present in a laboratory environment (Cape Town-based)? Have you previously worked in a small or early-stage scientific team where roles required high ownership and accountability?
Work Location: In person