Analytical Scientific Principal

Henkel; Bridgewater (MA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Work-Life Balance

Financial: 401k, bonuses

Family Support

Career Growth

Job summary

Henkel's Adhesive Technologies team in North America seeks a senior rheology specialist to lead the Rheology Laboratory, characterizing polymers, adhesives, coatings, and functional materials to drive product innovation.

You will collaborate with R&D, Product Development, and Technical Service to design tests, interpret results, and provide actionable insights, with emphasis on automation and data-driven decisions.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in a relevant field with extensive polymer rheology experience.
• 5+ years of industrial experience in rheology and polymer characterization.
• Hands-on expertise with rheological testing and instrumentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Rheology Laboratory for North America Analytical Solutions Group.
• Perform rheological testing of polymers, adhesives, coatings, and functional materials.
• Develop and execute testing methods using rotational rheometers, DMA, capillary and extensional rheometers.
• Collaborate with R&D, Product Development, Technical Service and Business teams to design strategies and interpret results.
• Communicate findings clearly to cross-functional stakeholders using digital tools and reports.
• Support product performance evaluation, failure analysis, and competitive assessments.

Skills

Rheology testing

Polymer science fundamentals

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Automation mindset

Technical communication

Education

MS in Analytical Chemistry

MS in Polymer Science

MS in Chemical Engineering

PhD preferred

Job description

About this Position At Henkel, you’ll be part of an organization that’s shaping the future through innovation, sustainability and collaboration. With our trusted brands like Persil®, ‘all®, Loctite®, Snuggle® and Schwarzkopf® and our cutting-edge technologies, you’ll have countless opportunities to explore new paths and grow.

This position is with our Adhesive Technologies business unit – where we empower our people to transform industries and provide our customers with a competitive advantage through adhesives, sealants and functional coatings.

Dare to learn new skills, advance in your career and make an impact at Henkel.

What You´ll Do

• Lead the Rheology Laboratory within the North America Analytical Solutions Group, providing rheological characterization of polymers, adhesives, coatings, and functional materials to support business growth and product innovation.
• Investigate customer and product challenges through root cause analysis, delivering analytical insights and solutions that support product development, technical service, and commercialization efforts.
• Develop and execute rheological testing methods using rotational rheometers, DMA, capillary rheometers, and extensional rheometers to characterize flow, deformation, and viscoelastic behavior of materials.
• Collaborate with R&D, Product Development, Technical Service, and Business teams to design analytical strategies, interpret results, and provide actionable recommendations for timely project execution.
• Communicate technical findings effectively to cross‑functional stakeholders with digital tools and quality report.
• Leverage expertise in rheological testing and polymer characterization to support product performance evaluation, failure analysis, competitive assessments, and innovation efforts. Experience with hot melt, water-borne, and pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSA) is highly desirable.
• Collaborate closely with R&D, product development, technical service, and business teams to define analytical strategies, design experimental plans, and execute studies using state-of-the-art analytical techniques.
• Maintain laboratory excellence through high-quality data generation, SOP development, instrument maintenance and troubleshooting, and compliance with quality, safety, and continuous improvement standards.

What makes you a good fit

• Minimum M.S. degree required; Ph.D. preferred in Analytical Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with extensive experience in polymer rheological characterization.
• 5 years or more industrial experience required.
• Strong hands‑on expertise in rheological testing and instrumentation, along with a solid foundation in polymer science.
• Automation and AI driven operation mindset is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex analytical data and troubleshoot challenging problems involving sophisticated sample matrices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively present technical findings to diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across cross‑functional teams.

Some benefits of joining Henkel

• Health Insurance: affordable plans for medical, dental, vision and wellbeing starting on day 1
• Work-Life Balance: Paid time off including sick, vacation, holiday and volunteer time, flexible & hybrid work policies (depending on role), and vacation buy / sell program
• Financial: 401k matching, employee share plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares, annual performance bonus, service awards and student loan reimbursement
• Family Support: 12-week gender neutral parental leave (up to 20 weeks for parents giving birth), fertility support, adoption & surrogacy reimbursement, discounted child and elderly care, and scholarships
• Career Growth: diverse national and international growth opportunities, access to thousands of skills development courses, and tuition reimbursement

The salary range for this role is $125,000.00 and $150,000.00. This range represents the good‑faith minimum and maximum wages the Company reasonably expects to offer for this role at the time of posting. In addition to base salary, this position may be eligible for incentive pay or other forms of compensation, as applicable. The Company also offers a comprehensive benefits package as described above. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate’s skills, experience, education, training, and work location. This posting is intended to comply with all applicable state and local pay transparency laws.

Henkel does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies. Unsolicited referrals and resumes are considered Henkel property and therefore, Henkel will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited referral.

At Henkel, we come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe the uniqueness of all our employees is the power in us. Henkel is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.