POSITION SUMMARY:The Senior Scientist is a highly capable individual contributor who applies deep scientific and technical expertise to develop new products and technologies and solve complex technical challenges within Balchem's Minerals & Nutrients business.
The Senior Scientist independently leads significant R&D projects from problem definition and scientific feasibility through product development, scale-up, and commercialization. The role requires strong chemistry fundamentals, experimental rigor, scientific judgment, and the ability to translate laboratory understanding into practical product and process solutions.
The Senior Scientist works across R&D, commercial, and operational functions to advance new products, solve complex challenges involving existing products, and strengthen the scientific and technical capabilities of the Minerals & Nutrients business.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:- Champions safe laboratory and pilot-scale operations and ensures assigned R&D activities comply with applicable safety, quality, regulatory, and corporate requirements.
- Applies deep scientific expertise and fundamental chemistry to independently investigate and solve complex problems involving products, materials, processes, and technologies.
- Designs, executes, and interprets laboratory and pilot-scale studies using sound scientific principles, experimental design, data analysis, and clear decision criteria.
- Applies fundamental chemistry to understand and optimize chemical reactions, material properties, stability, processing, and product performance across Balchem's Minerals & Nutrients technologies.
- Independently leads significant R&D projects from scientific feasibility through development, scale-up, technical transfer, and commercialization, establishing clear technical objectives, plans, risks, milestones, and recommendations.
- Applies scientific expertise to complex challenges involving existing products, raw materials, manufacturing, quality, or supply where deeper technical understanding is required.
- Partners with Process Technology and other R&D and operational functions to develop robust, scalable, and manufacturable products and processes and resolve significant technical issues.
- Partners with Commercial and Marketing to translate customer needs and market opportunities into technical requirements and development objectives and participates in customer-facing technical discussions as appropriate.
- Communicates technical findings, risks, conclusions, and recommendations clearly and maintains appropriate technical documentation and experimental records.
- Provides technical guidance and mentorship to scientists and technicians and captures and shares technical learning to strengthen team capability and organizational knowledge.
- Reviews relevant scientific, technical, competitive, and patent information and contributes to external technology evaluation, intellectual property, and technical collaborations as appropriate.
- Travels to other R&D locations, manufacturing sites, customers, suppliers, and external technical partners as required.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:- M.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline with at least seven years of relevant industrial R&D experience, or a Ph.D. in a related discipline with at least three years of relevant industrial R&D experience. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.
- Demonstrated depth in industrial chemistry and the application of fundamental chemical principles to reaction chemistry, synthesis, material properties, stability, process chemistry, or related product and technology development.
- Demonstrated ability to independently apply fundamental scientific principles to understand and solve complex chemistry, material, product, or process problems.
- Hands-on industrial laboratory experience with strong capabilities in experimental design, execution, data analysis, interpretation, and scientific problem solving.
- Demonstrated experience independently leading product or technology development projects from laboratory research and technical feasibility toward pilot or manufacturing scale.
- Ability to manage multiple technical priorities, evaluate technical risk, draw sound conclusions from experimental evidence, and make clear recommendations.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate complex technical information effectively to technical, manufacturing, commercial, and business audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across R&D and cross-functional teams and to provide technical guidance and mentorship to others.
- Experience in specialty chemicals, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nutritional ingredients, food ingredients, or a related industrial chemistry environment is preferred.
- Experience with reaction chemistry and kinetics, synthesis, catalysis, crystallization, analytical characterization, statistical experimental design, or chemical process development is preferred.
- Experience with scale-up, technology transfer, commercial manufacturing, intellectual property, or customer-facing technical work is preferred.
WORKING CONDITIONS:- Work is performed in laboratory, pilot-scale, office, and manufacturing environments and requires the safe use of chemicals, laboratory equipment, analytical instrumentation, and pilot-scale systems.
- The role requires hands-on experimental work and may require standing for extended periods and handling laboratory materials and equipment.
- Travel to Balchem R&D locations, manufacturing sites, customers, suppliers, and external technical partners is expected to be approximately 10%.
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