Senior Product and Process Development Chemist
| Company | Ascend Performance Materials |
|---|---|
| Location | Pensacola, FL, USA |
| Salary | $Not Provided – $Not Provided |
| Type | Full-Time |
| Degrees | PhD |
| Experience Level | Senior, Expert or higher |
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Chemistry with strong emphasis in organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, industrial and process chemistry with 10+ years of experience in the chemicals industry.
- 5+ years experience in maintaining and troubleshooting existing manufacturing processes.
- Experience developing and commercializing new products for application in one or more of the following market segments: Oil & Gas, Paints & Coatings, Adhesives, Agriculture, Home Care, I&I Cleaning, Personal Care, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals.
- 5+ years leading technical project teams in formal project management systems.
- Experience with large scale catalytic processes such as hydrogenation and/or oxidation of organic compounds, and polymerization reactions is required.
- Strong preference for hands on experience with product composition analysis and purification techniques and related chemistry with safety in an industrial setting.
- Prior experience with carboxylic acids, amines, aldehydes, organic nitriles, chelants, and esters is preferred.
Responsibilities
- Lead new product, process and application development efforts and teams enabling near term growth for the Chemicals business.
- Design, execution, and documentation of research projects from conception through piloting and product commercialization. Will also assist the Process Engineering group in scale up and commercial efforts.
- Responsible for designing and documenting bench and pilot-scale experimental testing to aid in research work.
- Will mentor and enable laboratory chemists and technologists to facilitate prioritization of laboratory work and efficient completion of project deliverables.
- Identify new growth opportunities and shape ideas into new product or process innovation projects.
- Responsible for collaborating with Product Managers and Functional Stakeholders to develop project strategy and advance projects to decision points.
- Act as a primary interface between internal and external customers and suppliers as well as outside research labs and institutions related to process chemistry initiatives.
- Assist the manufacturing organization in developing and maintaining process chemistry understanding.
- Excellent verbal communication and documentation skills. Prepare and deliver presentations and written reports to communicate project status and results across all levels of the technical and business organizations.
- Work with Quality Control group in developing analytical methods for new products and processes.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong grasp of organic, physical, and analytical chemistry and measurement techniques.
- Ability to take ideas from concept to implementation with a strong emphasis on applications, scale up, and piloting, and commercial trials.
- Able to provide technical leadership and mentoring to laboratory chemists and technologists to facilitate prioritization of laboratory work, efficient completion of project deliverables, and capability growth within team.
- Ability to identify new growth opportunities and conceptualize ideas into formal projects.
- Capable of working independently with third-party institutions and vendors as needed for product and process chemistry initiatives.
- Ability to work and function efficiently with other lab and manufacturing unit personnel in a team environment.
- Effective communications, strong analytical and technical skills, efficient organization skills, and a keen interest for problem solving and troubleshooting.
- Solid knowledge of software and computer systems.
- Formal project management training is a plus.