R&D- Staff Chemist, Powder

Sherwin Williams; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a skilled R&D Staff Chemist to innovate within the Heavy Equipment and Transportation markets. This role involves extensive collaboration with various teams to enhance powder coating technologies and ensure product performance. With a strong focus on research and development, the ideal candidate will leverage their expertise in formulating coatings and mentoring others. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge projects while working in a dynamic environment that values innovation and teamwork.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in powder coatings R&D or manufacturing experience.
• Understanding of powder extrusion and dispersion.
• Experience in formulating coatings for outdoor applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects with minimal supervision, establishing timelines and resources.
• Analyze data to identify trends and resolve customer issues.
• Mentor chemists and technicians to support project goals.

Skills

Powder Coatings Research

Formulating Powder Coatings

Adhesion and Corrosion Expertise

Data Analysis

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math

Master of Science or Chemistry (Preferred)

Tools

Data Visualization Software

Job description

The R&D Staff Chemist will work extensively in the Heavy Equipment and Transportation market segments supporting Powder coating technologies. This role requires close collaboration with Marketing, Sales, and end customers to advance technologies and meet product performance expectations.

Job duties include contact with other employees and access to confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, which may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business, its operations, reputation, and the safety of its staff, employees, and business relationships.

Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Must be legally authorized to work in the country for which you are applying for employment (without now or in the future needing sponsorship for employment work visa and/or permanent residence status).
• Bachelor’s degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math field.
• Minimum of 7 years in powder coatings research and/or development, or a combination of R&D and manufacturing/engineering experience.
• Understanding of powder extrusion and dispersion.
• Experience in formulating powder coatings for outdoor applications, including single and two-coat systems.
• Expertise regarding adhesion and corrosion of coatings on metal substrates.
• Full-scale manufacturing experience in powder coatings and application.
• Familiarity with color matching theory and instrumentation.
• Understanding instrumentation and standard methods to quantify behavior of powder coatings/polymers.
• History of mentoring others.
• Ability to determine the difference between colors to correctly tint paint to customer specifications, with or without reasonable accommodation.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master of Science or Chemistry preferred.
• 10+ years in powder coatings research and/or development, or a combination of R&D and manufacturing/engineering experience.
• Experience with data visualization software for analyzing large datasets.
• Experience designing, executing, and analyzing experimental studies related to formulation impact on product performance.
• Understanding of polyester and epoxy resin synthesis.
• Deep knowledge of powder coating raw materials including resins, crosslinkers, pigments, extenders, and performance additives.
• Understanding of performance requirements for Heavy Equipment and Transportation markets.

Travel Requirements

30%

Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively and promptly with managers, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders, including formal and informal presentations as needed.
• Analyze data to identify trends, resolve customer issues, and assess information for project advancement.
• Lead technically complex projects or multiple simpler projects with minimal supervision, establishing timelines and resource needs.
• Maintain strong knowledge of powder coatings formulation and manufacturing, including TGIC, HAA, and Hybrid technologies.
• Apply specialized knowledge in polymers, adhesion, raw materials, instrumentation, extrusion, additives, and substrates to develop high-performance coatings and perform root cause analysis.
• Mentor chemists and technicians to support team project goals.