Sr Application Support Specialist

Waters Corporation•New Castle, DE

6d•Onsite

About The Position

This New Castle, Delaware–based role serves as the scientific lead for the rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis portfolio within the Waters Materials Sciences division. The Senior Applications Scientist combines expertise in rheological and mechanical characterization with hands-on pre- and post-sales support, applications development, customer training, and strategic product direction. Working with Sales, Service, Product Management, Engineering, and R&D, the role develops methods and workflows, leads customer collaborations, supports complex technical challenges, and conveys customer feedback to inform instrument, accessory, and software design. The position also guides internal teams, mentors scientists, and supports the scientific and commercial impact of Waters solutions worldwide. The role leads scientific strategy and applications development for rheology, advises R&D on product features and roadmaps, develops technical content, and supports customers through evaluations, method development, troubleshooting, training, and demonstrations. It represents rheology and DMA products at industry events and maintains the New Castle Applications Lab and its instruments and supporting facilities in a safe, organized, customer-ready condition. Domestic and international travel by air and ground is approximately 20–30%.

Requirements

Advanced degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food Science, Rheology, or a related discipline; a PhD is strongly preferred.
Deep, hands-on expertise with rotational and oscillatory rheometry, mechanical testing, and analytical instrumentation.
Experience with steady shear, flow curves, yield stress, thixotropy, amplitude and frequency sweeps, temperature-dependent measurements, and relevant geometries and accessories.
Significant relevant industrial or applications experience supporting rheology, mechanical testing, materials characterization, or related analytical technologies.
Demonstrated scientific leadership in rheology applications, method development, experimental design, and interpretation of complex viscoelastic and flow behavior.
A proven record of collaborating directly with R&D, engineering, software, or product teams to influence rheometer features, measurement capabilities, accessories, and system performance.
Experience partnering with customers, KOLs, or external collaborators to define rheological measurement requirements, validate methods and workflows, and generate impactful data across relevant industries.
Strong communication skills and the ability to present complex topics clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally by air and ground, approximately 20–30%.

Nice To Haves

PhD in a relevant discipline.
Experience with Dynamic Mechanical Analysis and TA Instruments hardware and software.

Responsibilities

Serve as the principal scientific advisor for R&D, contributing to rheometer feature definition, accessory and geometry development, prototype evaluation, and long-term product roadmap decisions.
Lead scientific strategy for rheology by developing applications, measurement protocols, workflows, and data analysis capabilities across rotational and oscillatory rheometry.
Produce technical content such as application notes, white papers, method guides, and competitive benchmarking reports.
Lead pre- and post-sales customer engagements for rotational rheology and dynamic mechanical analysis, including feasibility testing, sample characterization, method-development collaborations, demonstrations, and KOL partnerships.
Analyze results and prepare technical reports to support customer decisions and sales opportunities.
Own complex troubleshooting and advanced technical support for customers and global teams through email, phone, virtual sessions, and in-person interactions.
Act as the escalation point for questions about rheometer and DMA performance, test methods, accessories, software, and data interpretation.
Provide technical expertise to Sales Representatives to help advance and close business.
Develop and deliver lecture-based and hands-on training courses, technical seminars, sales-call presentations, and product demonstrations in the Applications Lab, virtually, and at customer sites.
Represent rheology and DMA product lines at conferences, workshops, webinars, and trade shows.
Maintain the New Castle Applications Lab, instruments, geometries, accessories, and supporting facilities in a safe, organized, and customer-ready condition.
Travel domestically and internationally by air and ground, approximately 20–30%.