Associate Chemist

Nippon Paint Automotive Americas (NPAA); Lansing (AR); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Earned bonuses

Time off & holidays

Health & retirement

Career growth & recognition

Culture & community

Job summary

Nippon Paint Automotive Americas (NPAA) seeks a detail‑oriented laboratory technician to support customer-focused paint projects. You will perform paint and panel prep, record results, and assist in correlations for client applications while collaborating with chemists and field teams.

The role emphasizes timely communication, data integrity, and adherence to NPAA processes. Travel may be required to support customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or related science with 2 years relevant experience.
• Willing and able to travel and work overtime as required.
• Strong work ethic, able to work well with minimal supervision.
• Adapts well to priority shifts.

Responsibilities

• Technical Skills: Understands formula raw materials and component functions; analyzes results with supervision and suggests next steps; may have occasional direct customer contact.
• Application Knowledge: Uses hand-spray equipment to generate test panels; learns customer application methods and spray concepts; adjusts settings to improve workability.
• Communication Skills (oral and written): Communicates results to chemists, managers, and directors; documents in lab notebooks and prepares lab reports; proficient in Word/Excel/PowerPoint.
• Customer Focus: Travel with NPAA personnel to support customer needs; adjust schedules to meet expectations and timelines; relay results to Field Technical Service.
• Business Process: Uses SAP, AS/400, EDS, and related NPAA processes to move tasks from lab to plant to customer; emphasizes timeliness.
• Move waste from generation point to 90-day storage area and properly label containers.

Skills

Technical skills

Application knowledge

Communication

Customer focus

Business process understanding

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry or related science

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

SAP

AS/400

EDS

Mass Change

Job description

At NPAA, we believe our employees are our greatest strength. We are proud to offer a generous and competitive rewards package, including:

• Earned Bonus Structure – attendance bonuses, annual merit increases, and an annual incentive bonus plan.
• Time Off & Holidays – 11 paid holidays each year, plus paid time off to support work-life balance.
• Health & Retirement – comprehensive health and welfare plans, along with a 401(k)program featuring an exceptional company match.
• Career Growth & Recognition – tuition reimbursement, employee recognition programs, and opportunities to grow within the organization.
• Culture & Community – as part of the NPAA family, you’ll enjoy company events throughout the year celebrating and appreciating our employees’ hard work and dedication.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position requires customer focused lab work as assigned by supervisor, including paint and panel preparation, customer correlation work, record keeping, and other customer/product support activities as established by supervisor.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Technical Skills: Requires general understanding of formula raw materials, and the general function of each component. Recognizes technical issues, applies basic understanding of coatings chemistry working with supervisor to analyze project results, and establishing a path forward for project. Contributes ideas for internal and external problem solving, uses product loading charts for formulating new colors, and may have occasional direct customer contact.
• Application Knowledge: Uses hand-spray application equipment to generate consistent test/evaluation panels. Learning key customer application methods and automated spray equipment concepts (e-state, rotary, etc). Gaining a deeper understanding of the concepts required for consistent spray correlation (ie. atomization, gun speed and distance). Spray per existing correlations with limited assistance and capable of creating a new customer correlation with assistance. Modify product or application settings to improve product work-ability with guidance.
• Communication Skills: (oral and written): Communicate technical information/project results to chemists, group managers, and the Technical Director. Communicate frequently with in house representatives at assigned accounts and occasionally visit customer with Field Technical Service Team. Write monthly reports to manager, keep detailed records of all project formulations, results, and analyses in laboratory notebook; write detailed laboratory reports with conclusions, analysis, and supporting data for internal and external review. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and uses these tools to clearly communicate ideas and data.
• Customer Focus: Travel with other NPAA personnel to support customer needs. Demonstrate basic understanding of internal NPAA procedures to address customer requests. Adjust schedule as management requests in order to meet customer expectations and timelines. Relay results directly to Field Technical Service with management review. Basic customer interaction required with assistance .
• Business Process: Use existing business processes in order to transition paint from Lab to Plant to Customer including: RMIF, TSCA/DSL, NMI, Test Lab/Spec Testing, Formula Holds, SAP, AS/400, EDS, Mass Change, Lab Notebooks, Customer Idios, Customer Correlations and Complaint Process. Requires detailed understanding of these processes, and independent use in order to move tasks forward, including completion with a focus on timeliness.
• Move waste from generation point to 90-day Storage Area
• Properly close and label waste containers using NB Coatings procedures

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors Degree in Chemistry or other science field with 2 years relevant experience.
• Willing and able to travel and work overtime as required.
• Strong work ethic, able to work well with minimal supervision.
• Adapts well to priority shifts.

Nippon Paint Automotive Americas Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.