Research Scientist

USALCO•Baltimore, MD

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Usalco is seeking a Research Scientist to serve as a senior technical contributor within our R&D organization. This role is ideal for an experienced industrial chemist who thrives in a lab-based, applied research environment and has a strong track record of originating, leading, and translating research into commercialized water treatment products and process improvements. The successful candidate will act as a technical authority in their domain, leading research projects from concept through commercialization and serving as a company-wide resource for process optimization, troubleshooting, and advanced chemical problem solving. The Research Scientist is expected to personally design, run, document, and interpret experiments, not merely direct work performed by others. This is an individual contributor role with technical leadership responsibilities and no direct people management.

Requirements

PhD in Chemistry (or closely related field)
Minimum 10 years of technical experience in an industrial or applied research environment
Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex technical projects with limited supervision
Strong experimental skills and comfort working in a hands-on laboratory setting
Proven record of translating research outcomes into commercial or operational impact
Experience developing and launching products in the water treatment industry (municipal and/or industrial), including supporting customer trials and commercial readiness
Willingness and ability to work on-site at Usalco's Baltimore Research & Development Center

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with a formal New Product Development / Stage-Gate process is preferred
Deep experience with inorganic and aluminum-based coagulant chemistries (e.g., PAC, ACH, alum, sodium aluminate); coagulant-specific chemistry experience is a plus
Specific experience addressing contaminants of concern in the water treatment industry (e.g., PFAS and related emerging issues) is considered a plus
Background in inorganic process chemistry and chemical manufacturing considerations
Experience in municipal or industrial water treatment, including coagulation, contaminant removal, or process optimization
Familiarity with analytical techniques commonly used in water treatment R&D (e.g., jar testing, ICP-OES, TOC, UV-Vis, stability studies)
Prior experience acting as a technical expert supporting manufacturing plants or customer-facing teams

Responsibilities

Originate and lead applied research programs aligned with business needs, from early-stage concept development through laboratory validation, scale-up support, and product launch/commercialization, with clear ownership to drive projects to achieve defined technical and business goals
Own project execution by defining workplans, milestones, and deliverables and maintaining timeline accountability typical of an applied R&D organization focused on practical, scalable solutions
Personally design and execute laboratory experiments, including hands-on bench work, data analysis, documentation, and interpretation involving organic, inorganic and aluminum-based chemistries, with emphasis on water treatment performance, stability, and manufacturability
Serve as a lead chemist supporting company-wide process optimization, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis across manufacturing sites and customer applications
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior scientists, chemists, and analysts, including experimental design guidance and data interpretation
Translate fundamental chemistry insights into practical, scalable solutions that improve product performance, reliability, cost, or sustainability
Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Technical Service, Product Management, and Sales to support product launches, customer trials, and technical issue resolution
Author and review technical documentation, including experimental reports, internal technical guidance, and intellectual property disclosures
Maintain high standards for laboratory safety, data integrity, and regulatory compliance, consistent with Usalco's safety-first culture
Stay current with emerging regulatory drivers and industry trends (e.g., PFAS, DBPs, LCRI) relevant to water treatment chemistry