Formulation Department Manager

Actalent; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Company-paid life and disability

401K with company match

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Actalent in Memphis, TN seeks a Formulation Manager to lead development, optimization, scale-up, and commercialization of agricultural chemical formulations. You will drive projects from concept through pilot and commercial manufacturing, ensuring stability, regulatory compliance, and cost efficiency.

The role requires 10+ years in agricultural formulation development and experience taking products to market.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of agricultural formulation development experience with increasing technical and leadership responsibilities.
• Experience developing and commercializing agricultural chemical formulations.
• Strong knowledge of surfactant chemistry, colloidal systems, emulsification, rheology, solubility, crystallization, and formulation stability.
• Experience scaling formulations from laboratory development to commercial manufacturing.
• Experience with EPA/FIFRA product development and registration preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, optimization, scale-up, and commercialization of formulations including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, adjuvants, and growth regulators.
• Oversee scale-up from lab to pilot and commercial production.
• Generate technical documentation and ensure EPA regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with regulatory, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and marketing teams.

Skills

Formulation development

Scale-up

Leadership

EPA/FIFRA knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Chemistry or related

Tools

HPLC

GC

GC-MS

HPLC-MS

Particle size analyzers

Viscometers

Centrifuges

Job description

Formulation Manager | Head of Agricultural Formulation Development

Position Summary

Lead the development, optimization, scale-up, and commercialization of agricultural chemical formulations including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, adjuvants, plant growth regulators, and related products. Responsible for taking formulations from concept and laboratory development through pilot scale, commercial manufacturing, stability evaluation, and market launch.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and improve SC, EC, SL, SE, emulsions, microemulsions, WDG/WG, WP, fertilizer, granular, adjuvant, and tank-mix formulations.
• Formulation Development
• Optimize formulation components including solvents, surfactants, dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, rheology modifiers, preservatives, antifoams, and stabilizers.
• Evaluate active ingredient compatibility and improve formulation performance, stability, manufacturability, and cost.
• Scale-Up & Manufacturing
• Lead scale-up from laboratory to pilot and commercial production
• Resolve issues related to mixing, milling, emulsification, granulation, drying, viscosity, particle size, and stability.
• Develop manufacturing processes, specifications, and critical process controls.
• Stability, Performance & Compliance
• Oversee accelerated and real-time stability studies.
• Investigate formulation issues including sedimentation, crystallization, phase separation, viscosity changes, and degradation.
• Generate technical documentation and ensure compliance with EPA and other regulatory requirements.
• Support product performance investigations and customer concerns.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Work with regulatory, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and marketing teams.
• Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting support for commercial production.
• Support continuous improvement and cost optimization initiatives.

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Agricultural Chemistry, Formulation Science, or a related discipline.

Experience

• 10+ years of agricultural formulation development experience with increasing technical and leadership responsibilities.
• Experience developing and commercializing agricultural chemical formulations.
• Strong knowledge of surfactant chemistry, colloidal systems, emulsification, rheology, solubility, crystallization, and formulation stability.
• Experience scaling formulations from laboratory development to commercial manufacturing.
• Experience with EPA/FIFRA product development and registration preferred.

Technical Skills

• Hands-on experience with HPLC, GC, AA, GC-MS, and HPLC-MS.
• Experience with particle size analyzers, viscometers, centrifuges, and related characterization tools.
• Strong technical writing, project management, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Work Environment

• Laboratory, pilot plant, and office environments.
• Occasional travel to manufacturing sites, suppliers, symposiums, and industry events.
• May involve handling hazardous chemicals using appropriate PPE.

Key Performance Indicators

• Successful development of stable, scalable formulations.
• Time-to-market for new products.
• Cost optimization and raw material efficiency.
• Regulatory approval support.
• Product performance during scale-up and field trials.
• Development and retention of technical personnel.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Memphis, TN.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $170000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision - Company-paid basic life, AD&DD, short-term disability, and long-term disability for all full time employees - Competitive pay - Opportunity for overtime - 401K retirement savings plan with Company match - Paid Time Off - Paid Company Holidays

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Memphis,TN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 21, 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.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.