Research scientist

Momentive•Pearl River, NY

12d

About The Position

As a Research Scientist on Momentive’s Agriculture & Process Industries Technology team, you will develop high-performance antifoam solutions for markets including food and beverage, agriculture, paper, textiles, metalworking, and chemical processing. The role advances the SAG™, Silwet™, and ESCA™ product portfolios by combining fundamental research, product development, and commercial impact. You will lead product innovation from concept through commercialization, applying expertise in surface science, polymer science, and colloidal systems to address customer challenges and improve efficiency, product quality, and operational performance. The position involves close collaboration with global cross-functional teams, including marketing, sales, application development, manufacturing, procurement, quality, and production. You will also advance scientific understanding of foam control and develop next-generation technologies. Domestic and international travel may be required based on business needs (5–10%).

Requirements

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Polymer Science, or Chemical Engineering with 3–5+ years of industrial R&D experience, or an M.S. in one of these fields with 7+ years of industrial R&D experience.
Experience in colloidal chemistry, surface chemistry, surfactants, emulsions, foams, and dispersions.
Demonstrated success in new product development and independent research.
Strong understanding of structure-property relationships and material or formulation design.
Experience designing materials or formulations to meet performance requirements.
Ability to translate application needs into chemical or material solutions.
Proven problem-solving, project execution, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Hands-on laboratory research, equipment setup, and operation experience.
Experience with experimental data analysis and statistical problem solving.
Cross-functional project experience, team collaboration skills, and project execution and prioritization skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Word, and ability to prepare PowerPoint presentations or scientific presentations.
Experience with technical reporting and documentation.

Nice To Haves

Expertise and experience in antifoam technology.
Knowledge of silicone chemistry and technology.
Working knowledge of formulations or applications that require antifoam agents.
Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical software, or advanced data analysis tools.

Responsibilities

Propose and design new products and platforms of strategic business significance by understanding unmet customer needs, analyzing problems, and creating innovative solutions and concepts.
Lead, plan, and execute product development projects and platforms from defining customer needs through support for scale-up and commercialization.
Write project reports.
Improve and develop advanced characterization techniques and application methods to understand product performance.
Investigate property-structure relationships, analyze product failure modes, and study process parameters.
Acquire and maintain insights into technology trends relevant to advanced antifoam innovation.
Leverage technical networks to collaborate across organizations.
Communicate effectively to influence stakeholders on new projects with high global impact and drive communication at all levels of the business.
Support process technology and quality teams to ensure successful product scale-up and robust quality control.
Collaborate with global product and application development teams, marketing, and business functions to align projects globally and meet customer and market needs.
Develop a thorough understanding of the patent landscape for projects and lead intellectual property generation.

Benefits

Health, dental, and vision insurance, including critical illness coverage and optional orthodontia coverage.
Paid parental leave for the birth of a child; adoption and surrogacy reimbursement.
Short-term disability with 100% base salary coverage.
Company-funded counseling through an Employee Assistance Program and assistance finding care for children, parents, or pets.
25 days of Paid Time Off plus paid holidays, with additional time off based on years of service.
401(k) savings plan with a 5% employer match plus an additional contribution based on years of service.
Student debt pay-off program.
Professional development programs and courses.
Wellness programs and financial education.
Eligible for incentive or sales variable compensation payments.