Formulation Chemist

Actalent; Michigan; On-site; USD 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) retirement plan

Life insurance

Disability coverage

Job summary

Actalent in Livonia, MI is seeking a chemistry-focused professional to oversee formulation changes, material substitutions, and simple product development. You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, and procurement to ensure product robustness and timely development, with typical M-F 8am–5pm hours.

The role is a Contract to Hire position onsite in Livonia, MI, offering benefits and growth opportunities within a global engineering and sciences services company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 2-7 years of experience in formulation, product development, or applied chemistry.
• Hands-on experience with formulation changes and optimization, raw material evaluation and substitution, and performance validation.

Responsibilities

• Formulation Adjustments - Modify existing formulations to improve performance, reduce cost, or address supply chain changes.
• Raw Material Qualification - Evaluate alternative suppliers, test new raw materials, and ensure compatibility with existing products.
• Simple Product Development - Develop incremental or derivative products based on customer needs or market gaps.
• Lab Testing & Validation - Conduct performance testing, stability studies, and application evaluations.
• Documentation - Maintain formulation records, test reports, and SOPs in compliance with internal quality systems.
• Scale Up Support - Assist manufacturing teams during pilot runs and production scale-ups.
• Troubleshooting - Investigate formulation issues, quality deviations, or customer complaints.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work with procurement, operations, and technical service to ensure smooth implementation of formulation changes.
• Continuous Improvement - Identify opportunities to streamline formulations, reduce complexity, or improve sustainability.

Skills

Chemistry

Laboratory

Wet chemistry

Lab technician

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemistry/related

Job description

Job Description

Description

This role focuses on formulation changes, raw material substitutions, cost optimization, and simple new product development, ensuring product performance, quality, and manufacturability. The chemist will work closely with R&D, manufacturing, procurement, and technical service teams to maintain product robustness and accelerate development timelines.

• Formulation Adjustments - Modify existing formulations to improve performance, reduce cost, or address supply chain changes.
• Raw Material Qualification - Evaluate alternative suppliers, test new raw materials, and ensure compatibility with existing products.
• Simple Product Development - Develop incremental or derivative products based on customer needs or market gaps.
• Lab Testing & Validation - Conduct performance testing, stability studies, and application evaluations.
• Documentation - Maintain formulation records, test reports, and SOPs in compliance with internal quality systems.
• Scale Up Support - Assist manufacturing teams during pilot runs and production scale-ups.
• Troubleshooting - Investigate formulation issues, quality deviations, or customer complaints.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work with procurement, operations, and technical service to ensure smooth implementation of formulation changes.
• Continuous Improvement - Identify opportunities to streamline formulations, reduce complexity, or improve sustainability.

M-F, 8 am - 5 pm

Skills

Chemistry, Laboratory, Wet chemistry, lab technician

Top Skills Details

Chemistry, Laboratory, Wet chemistry

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 2-7 years of experience in formulation, product development, or applied chemistry.
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Formulation changes and optimization / Raw material evaluation and substitution
  • Application testing and performance validation
  • Strong understanding of chemical interactions, stability, and compatibility.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deliver results on time.

Experience Level

Intermediate Level

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Livonia, MI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $33.65 - $38.46/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Livonia,MI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 12, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

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