Formulation Chemist - Materials, Testing & Tech Service

Quaker Houghton; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Parental Leave

Holiday Pay

Tuition Reimbursement

Savings Plan

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Quaker Houghton is seeking a Formulation Chemist to focus on formulation changes, raw-material substitutions, cost optimization, and new-product development. You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, procurement and technical service to ensure product robustness and accelerate timelines.

The role emphasizes formulation adjustments, material qualification, and lab testing to validate performance and maintain quality across products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or 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.

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

Formulation changes

Raw-material evaluation

Application testing

Performance validation

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

Job description

Quaker Houghton is seeking a Formulation Chemist to focus on formulation changes, raw-material substitutions, cost optimization, and new-product development. You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, procurement and technical service to ensure product robustness and accelerate timelines.

The role emphasizes formulation adjustments, material qualification, and lab testing to validate performance and maintain quality across products.