Development Chemist (at Gelest Inc.)

Gelest Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 37,195 - 48,216; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical, Dental, Vision, and optional

401(k) with a competitive company

Company-paid Life Insurance, AD&D, STD

Annual performance bonus

Uniforms, work boots, and PPE

Job summary

Gelest, Inc., part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Group, is hiring a Development Chemist in Morrisville, PA. This hands‑on role involves designing, developing, and optimizing chemical processes for specialty products, advancing from lab to pilot scale.

You will collaborate with Product Development, Engineering, Production, and Quality teams to translate discoveries into scalable, compliant processes that meet business and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 1–3+ years in specialty chemical synthesis or process development.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory techniques and equipment.
• Background in synthetic organic chemistry with multi-step synthesis.

Responsibilities

• Design and perform laboratory experiments involving synthetic organic reactions and optimization.
• Generate and analyze process data for improvement opportunities.
• Scale laboratory processes to pilot and full production with robust tech transfer.
• Use GC, NMR, FTIR, MS to characterize materials and monitor reactions.
• Document experiments and results in lab notebooks and reports.
• Support safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Synthetic organic chemistry

Process development

Scale-up

Laboratory techniques

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry

Master's degree preferred

Tools

GC

NMR

FTIR

MS

Job description

Company: Gelest Inc. Job Description: Gelest, Inc., part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Group, is hiring a Development Chemist to join our team in Morrisville, PA. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to our mission of delivering innovative specialty chemical solutions to customers worldwide. The Development Chemist will play a key role in designing, developing, and optimizing chemical processes for specialty chemical products. This hands‑on role involves synthetic organic chemistry, process development from lab to pilot scale, and data acquisition and analysis to ensure safe, reliable, and cost‑effective manufacturing. The Development Chemist will collaborate closely with Product Development, Engineering, Production, and Quality teams to translate laboratory discoveries into scalable processes that meet business and regulatory requirements.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Design and perform laboratory experiments involving synthetic organic reactions, route evaluation, optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Generate and analyze process data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Scale laboratory processes to pilot and full production, ensuring robust transfer of technology and clear documentation.
• Utilize analytical techniques (GC, NMR, FTIR, MS) to characterize materials, monitor reactions, and assess process performance.
• Document experiments, observations, and recommended improvements in lab notebooks and technical reports.
• Support process hazard assessments, safety reviews, and compliance with environmental, health, and safety regulations.
• Maintain awareness of industry developments, new technologies, and specialty chemical manufacturing best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge/Experience/Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 1-3+ years of experience in specialty chemical synthesis, chemical process development, or scale-up preferred.
• Hands‑on experience with laboratory techniques and equipment preferred.
• Background in synthetic organic chemistry, including multi‑step synthesis and reaction mechanism understanding is preferred.
• Experience with process development, including reaction kinetics, heat, and mass transfer, mixing, and scale‑up considerations is preferred.
• Hands‑on experience with analytical instrumentation (GC, NMR, FTIR, MS) is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including technical reporting.
• Commitment to maintaining a safe and compliant work environment.
• Must be able to wear required PPE (safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hat; respirators as needed).
• Must be able to climb ladders and stairs to collect samples and observe processes.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds and operate a forklift.
• Must be able to work 2nd shift: Four (4) 10‑hour shifts, Monday-Thursday, 12:30 PM - 11:00 PM

Supplemental Company Information:

• Generous paid time off
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and optional supplemental plans for employees and their families
• 401(k) with a competitive company match
• Company-paid Life Insurance, AD&D, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability
• Eligibility for an annual performance bonus
• Company-provided uniforms, work boots, and PPE

The salary range for this position is $27.00 (entry level) - $35.00 per hour.

Factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, job-related skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and business considerations may influence base pay offered.

This salary will be subject to a geographic adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

Thank you for your interest in working on our team! At the MCC Group, our Purpose is to lead with innovative solutions to achieve KAITEKI, the well‑being of people and the planet. Based on integrity and respect for others, we continuously engage in diverse co‑creation and bold challenges, building trust with stakeholders while addressing social issues. Shall we explore new possibilities with us by promoting value creation on a global scale and connecting a better future to the next generation?