Lead Laboratory Technician

Koch Business Solutions, LP; Louisiana (MO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement and life insurance

Educational assistance

Paid vacation/time off

Job summary

Koch Business Solutions, LP is seeking a safety-focused Chemist / Lead Laboratory Technician for its Louisiana fertilizer plant. Responsibilities include executing advanced laboratory testing, performing routine analyses, and supporting quality control activities. Candidates should have 5+ years of experience in a lab environment and a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or a related field.

The role offers a compressed work schedule with benefits such as medical, dental, retirement, and educational assistance. It is a hands-on position requiring collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on laboratory experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Experience in analytical data interpretation and chemical calculations.
• Ability to work shifts as needed and respond during plant events.

Responsibilities

• Independently plan and execute advanced testing across multiple laboratory methods.
• Perform laboratory and field sampling and analyses using established techniques.
• Follow site safety, environmental, and laboratory procedures.

Skills

Laboratory testing

Analytical data interpretation

Chemical calculations

Wet chemistry techniques

Instrumental techniques

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or related field

Tools

LIMS

Excel

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a safety focused detail oriented Chemist / Lead Laboratory Technician to join the Koch fertilizer plant laboratory team. The role performs field sampling, routine wet chemistry and instrumental analysis, safe handling of hazardous materials, and laboratory data analysis to support plant process control and product quality. In this laboratory, a Lead Lab Tech is distinguished by independent execution of advanced testing, ownership of methods and equipment, and responsibility for developing others—not by tenure alone.

Schedule: 9/80 compressed work schedule, allowing employees to work 80 hours over 9 days with every other Friday off.

Start Date: Targeting a start date in September 2026, with flexibility based on candidate and business needs.

What You Will Do

• Independently plan and execute advanced testing across multiple laboratory methods with minimal supervision.
• Provide backup coverage for the Lab Manager as needed.
• Perform laboratory and field sampling and analyses using established wet chemistry and instrumental methods (e.g., titration, pH, spectrophotometry, ion chromatography, gas chromatography, ICP).
• Prepare chemical solutions, standards, and dilutions; maintain accurate laboratory records and data systems.
• Maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot laboratory equipment; document calibration and maintenance activities.
• Follow all site safety, environmental, and laboratory procedures; safely handle hazardous chemicals in accordance with SDS and PPE requirements.
• Support quality control activities including QC checks, control charts, investigation of out of spec results, and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering to support troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement.
• Provide coverage during plant events such as shutdowns and startups, as needed.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• 5+ years of hands‑on laboratory experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Experience in analytical data interpretation, chemical calculations, and preparation of solutions and dilutions.
• Experience performing laboratory analyses using wet chemistry and/or instrumental techniques (titration, spectrophotometry, etc.).
• Must be able to work shifts as required, and to respond to plant events beyond normal hours when necessary.

What Will Put You Ahead

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or a related field with 5+ years of hands‑on laboratory experience in a plant setting.
• Experience with advanced analytical techniques (e.g., Karl Fischer, GC, IC, ICP, TOC).
• Experience with quality systems, including QC/QA processes, basic statistics, and data trending.
• Experience using LIMS and strong Excel skills for data analysis and reporting.

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click for additional information.

Benefits

Our benefits plan includes medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region.