R&D Chemist

Land O'Lakes Inc.; Town of River Falls (WI); On-site; USD 93,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Land O'Lakes Inc. is seeking an R&D Chemist to drive pilot lab operations, transfer of technology to production, and oversee projects across R&D and manufacturing. You will ensure safety, QA/QC, and continuous improvement while enabling international commercialization of plant nutrition products.

The role requires a strong chemistry background, 10+ years in R&D, and expertise in QA/QC, manufacturing, and regulatory standards. Collaboration across functions is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or a closely related field.
• Master's degree is preferred.
• 10 years of laboratory R&D experience.
• Knowledge of QA/QC, manufacturing, and continuous improvement.
• Familiarity with lab processes, OSHA requirements, and industry standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D projects through all stages from concept to commercialization.
• Serve as SME for plant nutrition; mentor juniors and identify improvements.
• Derisk the business by identifying secondary sourcing and advising procurement.
• Coordinate cross-unit projects and document scoping and charters.
• Oversee pilot lab safety, training, and equipment budgeting.

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemistry or related field

Master's degree preferred

10 years of laboratory R&D experience

QA/QC knowledge

Manufacturing knowledge

Continuous improvement

Lab processes

OSHA requirements

Industry standards

Job description

R&D Chemist

The position will play a crucial role in driving organizational success in the R&D and commercialization space both domestically and internationally. This position will be responsible for the management of the pilot lab operations and the seamless transfer of technology from the lab to commercial production. The position will oversee and manage projects, tasks to derisk the business, and the implementation of new capabilities and techniques to ensure production efficiencies and product improvements. This role is integral to ensuring the stability and quality of commercial products while adhering to safety and regulatory standards. The position will apply their extensive technical expertise by being the primary point of contact for plant nutrition products, QA/QC, and technology transfer to manufacturing facilities.

Core Responsibilities (40%)

• The position will be the technical lead on R&D projects through all stages of the R&D process. As the technical lead, this position will be responsible for all actions that need to occur within the timeframe outlined in project documents to ensure the success of the overall project. The position will use their extensive technical expertise to solve complex problems relying on their ability to think outside of the box. These projects will be for the purposes of commercialization of new and innovative products, marketing collateral, or training collateral.
• This position will be the subject matter expert for the plant nutrition line of business and will be the first point of contact if there are any questions or issues related to plant nutrition. They will leverage their expertise to direct/recommend work to junior members of the team. They will also leverage their expertise by identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• The position will use their expertise to derisk the business by identifying secondary sourcing and making recommendations to procurement on appropriate sourcing of materials to ensure supply assurance.

Business support (30%)

• The position will manage projects and recommend to the business a proper course of action throughout the project and will drive projects to their logical conclusion. As a project manager they will be responsible for coordinating with the other businesses to generate scoping and charter documentation. The position will coordinate across multiple business units to achieve the goals of the organization. The position will have to represent their work and utilize soft skills to influence stakeholders to get buy in on their recommended course of action.
• The position will write reports and make recommendations to Winfield international businesses to drive commercialization in international geographies. They will make recommendations on documents that are legally binding to ensure that we are operating within the bounds of the law.
• The position will be the primary point of contact for QA/QC issues that arise in the field and in production. They will coordinate with Corporate Quality to support the investigations and give recommendations on solutions after their root cause analysis.
• The position will engage external companies to identify new technology or to drive to solutions for projects or other unmet organizational needs.

Manufacturing liaison (20%)

• The position will be the liaison from the lab/pilot to full scale manufacturing. They will recommend to the business appropriate manufacturers to commercialize Winfield United products. They will manage those relationships to facilitate the successful launch of Winfield United products. Furthermore, the role involves implementing new capabilities and techniques for new products, selecting manufacturing sites, and approving external contract manufacturers. A significant part of the role is to develop strategies for enhancing production efficiencies, setting standards, and making product improvements. The position will be the Winfield representative onsite when the manufacturers are producing commercial batches.
• The position will manage the relationship between Omnium and Winfield R&D. The goal is a seamless transfer of technology/information from the lab to commercial production. They will be responsible for setting up and maintain recurring meetings to facilitate continued collaboration between Winfield and Omnium. The position will have in mind how to remove barriers to maximize operational/financial opportunities.
• The position will be responsible for the scale up operations that occur at the innovation center. The scale-up process will be conducted on both the lab and pilot scales.
• This position plays a key role in the pilot lab by overseeing its operation, budgeting, and capital expense management. This position will also manage consumables and waste for the pilot lab.

Lab Safety and Leadership (10%)

• This position will be responsible for the operation and safety of the pilot lab as the safety captain for this space. They will lead pre-pilot operations by coordinating with building operations, security, and site safety manager. This coordination may be planning meeting detailing all potential safety hazards for the planned operation.
• This position will be responsible for training and onboarding for employees and new hires. They will also be responsible for training employees on any changes to Winfield/LOL safety standards.
• This position will be responsible for following all laboratory rules and regulations, including health and safety policies, to guarantee the highest quality results. Read SDSs of raw materials and experimental products. Participate in monthly safety meetings with the Product Development team. Complete all safety modules as assigned. Read and follow all lab SOPs. Go through and complete lab training checklist. Assist in keeping chemistry lab safe and clean. Assist in keeping reagents and standards in stock. Well versed in disposal of chemical including hazardous and non-hazardous and may require additional training in this area.

Required Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or a closely related field. Master's degree preferred.
• 10 years of laboratory R&D experience
• Knowledge of surface tension chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, coordination chemistry, micelle chemistry, complex ion equilibria, and biochemistry in order to formulate and solve formulation needs
• Knowledge of QA/QC, manufacturing, and continuous improvement
• Knowledgeable in lab processes, OSHA requirements, industry processes, and industry standards through government organizations and industry groups such as AAPFCO, ASTM, CIPAC, CPDA-AIC, etc.

Compensation

Base salary is dependent upon experience/tenure and generally ranges between: $93,360 - $140,040

Target bonus is: 12%

In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

We provide a broad portfolio of benefits to keep you and your family at your best. Land O'Lakes is Where Your Future Takes Root.

Land O'Lakes and our global entities support diversity in employment practices.

If you need to submit a reasonable accommodation request to complete the employment application process, please call the HR Solution Center at 844-LOL-HR4U (844-565-4748) M-F 8:00am-4:30pm CT.