R&D Chemist - Group Leader
Location: Batesville, AR
About the job: Our Client has three revenue producing business segments: Custom/Toll Manufacturing (Chemical additives and intermediates) and Performance Chemicals and Biodiesel and serves a wide variety of markets including pharmaceutical intermediates and products, nylon and polyester fibers, cleaning products, agricultural products, paints and coatings, and fuels and energy. As a Development Scientist and Group Leader, you will design and oversee lab experiments to support the development of targeted proprietary and specialty chemicals. The ideal candidate is a creative PhD chemist with experience in conceiving and demonstrating routes of synthesis and transitioning organic chemical procedures from lab scale to full production. A qualified individual will develop lab procedures based on information found in the public domain literature and create new synthetic routes for targeted chemicals. The documentation of work in the form of internal technical reports and patents, as necessary, will be a critical part of the job. No two days are ever exactly the same, and the variety of chemistry is unmatched.
Job Description:
- Lead and manage a team of chemists in the laboratory
- Drive technical innovations consistent with business strategy
- Interface directly with customers regarding current, active projects
- Identify and foster business leads to generate new opportunities
- Serve and lead multidisciplinary teams (lab, engineering, manufacturing, sales, HSE, etc.) to commercialize products
- Design economical synthetic routes for specialty and fine chemicals in a variety of markets
- Collaborate with the analytical lab group to develop the necessary testing to support product and process development
- Provide technical support for improving existing processes in the plant
Job Requirements:
- PhD in Organic Chemistry
- Strong understanding of synthetic organic chemistry
- Highly motivated and self-directed
- Leadership and motivation of technical teams
- Excellent communication skills
- Creative problem-solving skills
- Proficient in literature searches
- Legally allowed to work in the US without restriction or sponsorship
- 10+ years of experience in an industrial laboratory setting is preferred
- Manager and leadership skills is preferred
Salary: $100-$130,000 "range" plus bonus
