Sr. Research Engineer Job

Arkema•Mulberry, FL

About The Position

This position develops, evaluates, and commercializes specialty reagents for mineral processing applications, including critical minerals, phosphate, lithium, and industrial minerals. The role leads laboratory, pilot-scale, and plant-scale validation of new technologies in partnership with customers, commercial teams, and operations. It applies expertise in mineral beneficiation and surface chemistry to practical solutions that improve recovery, grade, throughput, water management, and sustainability. The position provides technical support to global mining customers through troubleshooting, process optimization, competitive benchmarking, and identifying unmet market needs. It also contributes to departmental safety initiatives and mentors less experienced employees in company, process, and industry knowledge and safe work practices. Some travel is required, less than 25%.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Polymer Science, or another relevant technical field with 5+ years of industrial experience in specialty chemicals; alternatively, an MS degree with 10+ years or a BS degree with 15+ years of relevant experience.
Self-starting ability and exceptional time and project management skills.

Nice To Haves

Technical expertise in organic chemistry, colloid chemistry, surfactant science, interfacial phenomena, experimental design, and data analytics.
Experience in mineral processing technology, including flotation, hydrometallurgy, extractive metallurgy, and formulation of mining chemicals.
Knowledge of frother, depressant, dispersant, and modifier chemistries.
Understanding of mineral characterization techniques.

Responsibilities

Develop and evaluate flotation collectors, depressants, frothers, modifiers, dispersants, and specialty reagents for phosphate, lithium, industrial minerals, rare earths, sulfide minerals, and other strategic mineral applications.
Identify opportunities to improve recovery, concentrate grade, reagent efficiency, water utilization, and operating costs.
Develop mechanistic understanding of mineral-reagent interactions using colloid, surface, and interfacial chemistry principles.
Participate in customer site visits, plant surveys, process audits, and field trials to validate product performance and identify operational improvements.
Support sustainable reagent technologies that reduce water or energy consumption, improve selectivity, or enable processing of lower-grade resources.
Represent cross-functional teams to external customers and other outside groups in support of technical goals and commercial objectives.
Develop, plan, coordinate, and execute regional projects.
Understand the intellectual property landscape for Arkema and competing technologies and help develop IP strategy.
Take a leading role in professional organization committee work.
Present product and application information at regional and national conferences in support of business objectives.
Understand customer needs and recommend products or processes to resolve problems.
Generate technical reports with complex data analysis, interpretation, and recommendations, requiring minimal management review.
Identify root causes of complex customer or product problems; develop analytical strategies and action plans, using external or international laboratories or resources as needed.
Solve complex technical problems through product and process recommendations and submit technical needs or new project ideas to R&D.
Apply advanced statistical methods or numerical modeling and simulation to complex product application or process problems.
Provide scientifically based advice to customers amid ambiguity, incomplete data, and time pressures, and communicate associated risks.
Determine validity of product performance complaints using specifications, quality-control data, and laboratory results; assess product or concept suitability for customer specifications and performance requirements.
Identify and initiate projects that create growth opportunities.
Lead gated project teams and meet objectives and timelines.
Advocate Arkema product positions to customers and lead technical service activities, including customer presentations.
Participate in departmental safety initiatives, such as steering teams, safety presentations, observations, reporting, and leading safety meetings.
Mentor less experienced department employees in company, process, and industry knowledge and safe work practices.