R&D Chemist

IPG • Marysville, MI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The R&D Chemist is responsible for identifying unmet customer needs and designing product solutions that meet those needs while differentiating performance at a competitive cost. This role involves working closely with Marketing and Product Management to explore new product opportunities, contributing to business cases, and utilizing tools like QFD and VOC to define product characteristics. The chemist will develop innovative product designs using lab and pilot facilities, translate designs into commercially viable processes with operations, and ensure products meet end-use application needs. They will also provide project information to various departments upon completion, follow products into the field to gain customer acceptance, support product improvement efforts, and travel to customer facilities. Excellent project management skills are required, including the use of tracking tools like Smartsheet or Gantt charts. The role involves assigning and reviewing experimental work, writing interpretive reports for an electronic database and library, and actively supporting safety and housekeeping programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a Science or Engineering discipline.
• 2-4 years’ experience in Research & Development.
• Proven project leader with a high success rate.
• Innovative, organized self-starter with good problem-solving skills.
• Collaborative interpersonal style with experience in leading project teams.
• Proficient in MS Office suite of software.
• Working knowledge of Smartsheet or other project planning software.
• Knowledge of DOE principles and statistical analysis software.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Capable of writing reports for distribution at the Executive level.
• Comfortable presenting results and project updates to team members, executives, and customers.
• Demonstrated customer focus and commitment to Company values.
• Demonstrated capability to manage time without consistent day-to-day interaction with supervisor.
• Ability to travel ~ 25% to visit IPG plants, IPG HQ, and customer and supplier locations.

Responsibilities

• Identify and document customer needs that are not being met.
• Design product solutions that meet customer needs, differentiate performance, and are cost-competitive.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Product Management to identify and explore new product opportunities.
• Contribute to the development of business cases for new product opportunities.
• Utilize QFD, VOC, or New Product Blueprinting to determine product performance factors, physical properties, appearances, and intangible qualities.
• Develop innovative product designs using lab and pilot facilities.
• Work with operations to translate designs into commercially viable processes.
• Ensure all designed products meet end-use application needs.
• Provide project information to Production, QC, Scheduling, Purchasing, Product Management, and Marketing.
• Follow new products into the field to gain customer acceptance and identify deficiencies.
• Travel to customers' facilities to support new product development and improvement efforts.
• Utilize project management skills throughout the new product development process.
• Prepare and maintain tracking tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Gantt charts) for development time and resources.
• Assign, oversee, and review experimental work performed by team members.
• Write clear, concise interpretive reports and memos with executive summaries.
• Assign unique document numbers to reports for database and library inclusion.
• Support all Safety programs and initiatives.
• Support 5S housekeeping programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level