Staff Scientist – Peracetic Acid (PAA) Formulation

Solenis • Fort Mill, SC

2d • $83,500 - $139,100

About The Position

The Staff Scientist – Peracetic Acid (PAA) Formulation & Optimization is a senior technical contributor responsible for the development, optimization, and commercialization support of peracetic acid–based formulations across multiple end-use applications. This role focuses on innovation, improving formulation performance, stability, safety, cost, and regulatory compliance while supporting scale-up, manufacturing, and customer implementation. The position requires deep expertise in oxidative chemistry, formulation science, and applied problem-solving, with close collaboration across R&D, Regulatory, EHS, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams.

Requirements

• MS or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline
• Minimum 7–10 years of industrial experience in formulation chemistry, with significant hands-on experience in peracetic acid or peroxide-based systems
• Strong understanding of oxidation chemistry, reaction kinetics, stability mechanisms, and formulation interactions
• Experience supporting scale-up, manufacturing, and commercialization of chemical formulations
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex, real-world formulation and process challenges
• Experience with PAA systems in food & beverage or industrial processing
• Familiarity with antimicrobial regulatory frameworks (e.g., EPA, FDA, USDA, biocides)
• Experience with dosing, dispensing, or on-site generation systems
• Ability to travel 10-15% to manufacturing sites, suppliers, or customer locations

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation design, optimization, and troubleshooting of peracetic acid and other direct food contact products, including sanitizers, disinfectants, antimicrobial process aids, and specialty oxidizing formulations
• Optimize PAA formulations for performance, manufacturability, stability, shelf life, material compatibility, and controlled reactivity
• Evaluate raw materials (acids, peroxides, stabilizers, chelants, surfactants) for performance, cost, supply robustness, and regulatory acceptability
• Design and execute laboratory experiments to assess kinetics, equilibrium, degradation pathways, and performance under real-world use conditions
• Provide expert guidance on formulation limits driven by chemistry, physics, equipment, and safety constraints
• Support pilot- and plant-scale trials, including technology transfer to manufacturing. Troubleshoot manufacturing issues related to PAA generation, stability, heat release, compatibility, and dosing accuracy
• Partner with Process Technology and Operations to define safe operating windows, equipment requirements, and process controls
• Support customer trials, field evaluations, and issue resolution for PAA-based systems
• Collaborate with EHS and Regulatory teams to ensure formulations meet global regulatory, labeling, transport, and safety requirements
• Support hazard evaluations, thermal stability assessments, and safe handling guidance for PAA and related oxidizers
• Drive formulation improvements to reduce cost, improve supply resilience, and enable value-engineering opportunities
• Support cost modeling, raw material qualification, and alternate supplier evaluations
• Act as a subject-matter expert in peracetic acid chemistry across R&D and commercial teams

Benefits

• Competitive health + wellness benefit plan
• Continuous professional development with many opportunities for growth!
• Recharge with 15 days of paid time off
• Competitive Salary and Bonuses
• 401k Plan
• At Solenis, we understand that our greatest asset is our people. That is why we offer competitive compensation; comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance and a 401(k) plan; and numerous opportunities for professional growth and development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees