Research Scientist/Senior Scientist

Balchem Corporation•Montvale, NJ

About The Position

Balchem is seeking a Research Scientist or Senior Scientist for its R&D Group supporting the Animal Nutrition and Health business. The role is based in New Hampton, New York, temporarily, or Montvale, New Jersey, permanently, and reports to the R&D Manager. The scientist will participate in a wide variety of projects, with an emphasis on developing new products, and will lead research to address challenging technical problems and create next-generation and breakthrough products. The work includes developing scientific data at laboratory, pilot-plant, and commercial scales to move projects from ideation through scale-up and commercialization. The role provides hands-on R&D support in laboratory and pilot-plant operations, including extrusion, granulation, and fluidized-bed operation. The scientist applies formulation chemistry and design of experiments to develop and improve products, documents work, builds deep knowledge of Balchem technologies and their end uses, and manages projects to keep them progressing. The position also involves monitoring technical and patent literature, collaborating across disciplines and departments, representing Balchem in industry groups and the technical community, and supporting product scale-up with infrequent travel to production sites. The position requires a safety-focused approach, strong chemistry and analytical skills, and relevant education and experience. The Research Scientist level requires a bachelor’s degree in a specified scientific or engineering field and at least four years of experience. The Senior Scientist level requires a master’s degree and at least four years of experience, or a PhD and at least one year of experience. The expected annual salary is $80,000–$120,000.

Requirements

Research Scientist: bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Material Science, or Food Science, with 4 or more years of experience.
Senior Scientist: master’s degree with 4 or more years of experience, or PhD with 1 or more years of experience.
Demonstrated ability to champion safety in a process-related industry, hold oneself and others accountable for safe behaviors, and work toward zero injuries.
Mastery of chemistry bench skills and knowledge of or experience with material characterization techniques such as DSC, rheology, microscopy, and texture analysis.
Detail-focused working style.
Ability to quickly learn existing protocols and develop new protocols as needed to advance projects.
Track record of successful technical execution and publication in peer-reviewed journals or patents.
Advanced analytical skills, including experiment design (DOE).
Proficiency in data management and analysis, with experience using relevant tools and software.

Nice To Haves

Professional experience in specialty chemicals, food, nutraceutical, or pharmaceutical industries, or with suppliers to those industries.
Experience formulating products and with associated material processing steps.
Experience developing polymeric formulations, including emulsions.
Knowledge of regulations pertaining to animal feed and experience working in a regulated environment.
Proven track record of scale-up in an industrial setting.
Project management experience from ideation through scale-up.

Responsibilities

Provide hands-on laboratory and pilot-plant support for R&D, including extrusion, granulation, and fluidized-bed operation.
Apply formulation chemistry to create innovative products and improve existing formulations.
Develop ideas that increase customer value and profitability and differentiate Balchem from competitors.
Use design of experiments (DOE) to systematically explore multivariate design spaces.
Document projects carefully and transparently.
Develop deep internal expertise in Balchem technologies, including microencapsulation, spray-drying, agglomeration, and end-use technology for rumen-protected nutrients.
Manage projects and anticipate challenges to keep work moving forward.
Review patent and technical literature and alert the organization to external technology developments.
Collaborate harmoniously with multidisciplinary teams to solve difficult problems.
Communicate and interface with other departments, including Supply Chain and Commercial, to support smooth business operations.
Represent Balchem in industry groups and trade associations.
Represent Balchem in the technical community by publishing articles, filing patents, and presenting at industry association meetings.
Support product scale-up, including infrequent travel to production sites.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Ensure R&D work is conducted safely through hazard reviews, SOPs, and appropriate PPE, and promote safe behaviors.