R&D Senior Scientist - Spectroscopy

DuPont; Wilmington (DE); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

DuPont seeks a highly skilled Ph.D.-level analytical chemist to apply spectroscopic techniques to complex materials and support product development. You will design experiments, analyze data, and communicate insights to multidisciplinary teams.

You will work with scientists, engineers, manufacturing personnel, and business partners to advance R&D, commercialization, and customer success initiatives while upholding safety and scientific integrity.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry or related discipline with up to 3 years of postdoctoral/industrial experience.
• Strong foundation in vibrational spectroscopy (IR, Raman) and data interpretation.
• Ability to design rigorous experiments, analyze data, and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
• Commitment to safety, scientific integrity, and collaborative teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Apply spectroscopic techniques to characterize materials and support product development.
• Design and execute rigorous experiments; analyze data; communicate findings to technical teams and business partners.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, and manufacturing personnel to support R&D, manufacturing, and customer success initiatives.
• Translate business needs into analytical strategies yielding actionable insights.
• Develop and advance analytical methods, workflows, and laboratory capabilities.
• Mentor colleagues and contribute to a collaborative scientific community.

Skills

Spectroscopic techniques

Experiment design

Data interpretation

Cross-functional communication

Education

Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

At DuPont, our purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. We work on things that matter. Whether it’s providing clean water to more than a billion people on the planet, producing materials that are essential in everyday technology devices from smartphones to electric vehicles, or protecting workers around the world. Discover the many reasons the world’s most talented people are choosing to work at DuPont. Why Join Us | DuPont Careers

Key Responsibilities

• Apply spectroscopic techniques to characterize materials, investigate structure-property relationships, support product development, and resolve technical challenges.
• Design and execute scientifically rigorous experiments; analyze and interpret complex data; and communicate findings, limitations, and recommendations to technical teams and business partners.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, manufacturing personnel, customer-facing teams, and business stakeholders to support R&D, commercialization, manufacturing, and customer success initiatives.
• Develop a strong understanding of business and customer needs and translate those needs into effective analytical strategies that generate actionable insights.
• Maintain high standards of scientific rigor, data integrity, technical documentation, and laboratory safety.
• Contribute to the development, optimization, and advancement of analytical methods, workflows, and laboratory capabilities.
• Continuously build expertise in spectroscopy while expanding knowledge in complementary analytical techniques, materials science, and emerging technologies.
• Share technical knowledge, mentor colleagues, and contribute to a collaborative and inclusive scientific community.
• Support the integration of laboratory measurements from ADS and business laboratories into connected digital systems that enhance data accessibility, knowledge capture, and scientific productivity.
• Contribute to the development of digital workflows that improve method development, data acquisition, analysis, visualization, interpretation, and reporting.
• Apply chemometrics, machine learning, data science, and emerging digital technologies to extract value from scientific data and enable data-driven decision making.
• Foster a culture of safety, innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Polymer Science, or a related discipline.
• Up to 3 years of relevant industrial or postdoctoral experience.
• Strong foundation in vibrational spectroscopy, including infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy.
• Demonstrated ability to design experiments, analyze and interpret data, and solve complex technical problems.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to communicate technical information to diverse audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated learning agility and enthusiasm for developing expertise in new scientific and technical areas.
• Commitment to safety, scientific integrity, and delivering high-quality work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with UV-Visible-NIR spectroscopy, Fluorescence spectroscopy, or hyphenated spectroscopic techniques (TGA-FTIR, LC-IR, GC-IR, etc.)
• Experience with chemical imaging approaches involving infrared or Raman spectroscopy/microscopy, including Raman chemical imaging, infrared microscopy, AFM-IR, and O-PTIR
• Knowledge of hyperspectral data processing, visualization, and interpretation
• Experience in polymer characterization, materials science, and analysis of complex organic or multicomponent materials
• Programming experience with data science tools such as Python, MATLAB, or R
• Experience applying chemometric and machine learning techniques such as PCA, PLS, MCR, clustering methods, and SVM to research or industrial challenges

Additional Information

This position requires access to export-controlled technology, technical data or defense services, as such, employment will be contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access export-controlled technology, technical data or defense services as authorized pursuant to US regulation or an export authorization obtained by DuPont approved by the controlling US government agency.

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DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.