R&D - Director, Research and Development-Water Treatment (DF)

Thatcher Company LLC; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit-Sharing Plan

401(k)

Medical, dental, vision

Paid time off

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Thatcher Company LLC in Salt Lake City, UT, is seeking a Director of R&D Chemistry for Waste Water Treatment to lead development of innovative water-treatment products and processes. You will guide cross-functional teams, validate analytical methods, optimize manufacturing, and translate scientific insights into scalable solutions while ensuring regulatory compliance and market relevance.

This role offers opportunities to impact public health and sustainability, with advanced facilities and

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry with 2+ yrs industrial R&D
• MS in Chemistry with 5+ yrs industrial R&D
• BS in Chemistry with 9+ yrs industrial R&D
• Experience with product development and characterization, water treatment preferred
• Experience with wet chemistry techniques and analytical instrumentation such as ICP-OES/ICP-MS/IC/FTIR/GC/HPLC
• Proficient with MS Office; ERP and lab software experience (MassHunter, Empower, OpenLab, IC Magic, ICP Expert, Tiamo)
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams
• Strong quantitative, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new products/technologies for the Water Treatment Market
• Develop and optimize manufacturing processes for water treatment products
• Scale-up and launch support with operations and QA teams
• Develop product specs and validate analytical tests
• Improve existing water treatment lines and related processes
• Collaborate with marketing and sales for technical solutions
• Conduct market research to understand water treatment needs
• Maintain regulatory knowledge for water treatment operations
• Manage multiple projects with status reporting and presentations
• Evaluate raw materials and substitutions with procurement
• Provide storage and shelf-life guidance with testing
• Assist marketing with technical literature
• Provide internal/external technical support

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Microsoft Office

Education

PhD in Chemistry

MS in Chemistry

BS in Chemistry

Tools

MassHunter

Empower

OpenLab

IC Magic

ICP Expert

Tiamo

ICP-OES

ICP-MS

IC

FTIR

GC

HPLC

Job description

Make a meaningful difference: At Thatcher Chemical facilities across the nation, our manufacturing teams create the essential chemistries, processes, and solutions that support clean water, safe environments, reliable infrastructure, and critical industries. From production and quality to logistics and distribution, your precision, dedication, and commitment to continuous improvement help transform raw materials and innovative science into real-world solutions. Your purpose-driven work plays a vital role in protecting public health, supporting communities, and shaping a safer, more sustainable future.

Make a meaningful difference: At Thatcher Chemical facilities across the nation, our manufacturing teams create the essential chemistries, processes, and solutions that support clean water, safe environments, reliable infrastructure, and critical industries. From production and quality to logistics and distribution, your precision, dedication, and commitment to continuous improvement help transform raw materials and innovative science into real-world solutions. Your purpose-driven work plays a vital role in protecting public health, supporting communities, and shaping a safer, more sustainable future.

Thatcher Company is looking for a Director of R&D Chemistry -Waste Water Treatment at Thatcher Company headquarters, located in Salt Lake City, UT.

Major Accountabilities

• Lead the company’s development of new products/technologies for the Water Treatment Market.
• Develop manufacturing processes for new products and optimize existing manufacturing processes for the water treatment division of Thatcher Company.
• Support Thatcher’s operational excellence group in the scale-up and launch of new products and processes.
• Develop finished product specifications and validate analytical test methods that are needed to characterize new water treatment products.
• Improve the existing water treatment product line and search for opportunities to optimize related manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate with Thatcher’s marketing and sales departments to understand the needs of the water treatment industry and develop technical, customer-driven solutions.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the water treatment market through market research and analysis of competitive offerings.
• Understand and maintain a current knowledge of regulatory programs that apply to water treatment operations.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and communicate project status through written technical reports and live presentations.
• Evaluate and approve new raw materials or raw material substitutions as requested by Thatcher’s procurement team.
• Provide storage and shelf-life recommendations supported by low temperature testing, corrosion studies, and ambient and accelerated aging studies.
• Assist the marketing department with the development of technical marketing literature.
• Provide both internal and external technical support and guidance.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry (or related field) with a minimum of 2 years of industrial research experience; or MS in Chemistry (or related field) with a minimum of 5 years of industrial research experience; or BS in Chemistry (or related field) with a minimum of 9 years of industrial research experience
• Experience with product development and product characterization, preferably in water treatment or related industry. Background in water chemistry will be highly applicable.
• Experience with standard wet chemistry techniques, autotitrators, and other complex analytical instrumentation such as ICP-OES, ICP-MS, IC, FTIR, GC, and HPLC.
• Strong computer literacy and proficient with Microsoft Office. Well-qualified candidates will have experience working with enterprise resource planning software and laboratory instrumentation software, such as MassHunter, Empower, OpenLab, IC Magic, ICP Expert, and/or Tiamo.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams.
• Strong quantitative, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Must have a high-level ability to communicate findings concisely and effectively.

Why Thatcher is right for you.

• 100% company-funded Profit-Sharing Plan (up to 25% of salary annually)
• 401(k) with traditional and Roth contribution options
• Comprehensive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, HSA/FSA,
• 3+ weeks of PTO, and paid holidays
• Education reimbursement and ongoing professional development

The pay for the successful candidate will depend on various factors (e.g., qualifications, education, prior experience). Applications will be accepted while this position is posted on our Careers website. Thatcher is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, including protected Veterans and individuals with disabilities.

It is the policy of this organization to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants for employment without regard to age 40 and over, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other applicable status protected by state or local law. As an affirmative action employer under E.O. 11246, we invite all applicants to identify themselves on the following page.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER