Chemist II - NLR

Fortrex•Little Rock, AR

6d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Chemist II, you will be a member of our innovation team responsible for providing support for our chemical product manufacturing facilities (internal and external) as well as contribute to and drive key innovation projects, and for enhancing existing solutions through continuous improvement in areas such as cleaning solutions, sanitizers, processing aids, and antimicrobial interventions. You will work with greater independence than an entry-level Chemist, applying prior experience to more complex problems. This role is multidisciplinary in nature and will require the ability to work in a laboratory setting as well as across the boundaries of processing, distribution, chemistry, and dispensing/control solutions in multiple customer applications such as conveyor lubricants, antimicrobials, CIP, environmental cleaning, animal health, and direct food contact applications. The successful candidate will be able to gather information from multiple sources and arrive at cost effective solutions to provide quality products for the Safe Foods portfolio of offerings. You should be a self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as in a team environment, and of high integrity and character with a proven record of creativity and innovation.

Requirements

Must be 18 years of age or older.
Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, microbiology, or engineering (chemical, biochemical, materials) or other related scientific field
3-5 years of related experience

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related scientific field, with 1-3 years of related experience
PhD in a related scientific field, with 0 years of experience (new graduate or post-doctoral candidates welcome to apply)
Self-motivated, able to work proactively and independently in a fast paced environment
Experience with project management
Familiarity with food safety and or the food manufacturing industry
Experience working with cross-functional teams
Familiarity with working in a GLP/GMP environment and SQF for GFSI standards
Experience with EPA and/or DIN disinfectant regulations
Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project
Demonstrated written and oral communication skills, attention to detail and problem solving skills

Responsibilities

Conceptualize new sanitation/intervention formulations through public domain literature research.
Design and execute experiments to produce new chemical formulations.
Design and execute process improvement experiments for existing sanitation/interventions and manufacturing processes.
Assist in product quality investigations that result in reworking plans or specification updates as part of the CAPA process.
Works cooperatively with manufacturing plants, distributors, engineering, supply chain, procurement, R&D, and quality assurance in the transfer of new products to commercialization.
Drives new product development projects from ideation to commercialization as assigned.
Apply scientific skill to solve complex problems utilizing knowledge of Safe Foods & Fortrex customers and markets.
Prepares and tests chemical product formulations utilizing appropriate SOPs and test methods.
Communicate with field staff and Technical Services on the improvement of existing sanitation/intervention formulations & allocation systems.
Evaluate and approve new raw materials and raw material vendors following appropriate SOPs.
Review and author technical reports, process and packaging specifications, recommend product quality enhancements, and commercialization materials.
Independently manage multiple concurrent projects from conception through commercialization with minimal supervision.
Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting support to plant and field personnel on formulation-related issues.
Contribute subject-matter expertise during customer-facing technical discussions as needed.
Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.