Research Senior Principal Scientist, Chromatography

Waters; Bellingham (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Waters Corporation seeks a Senior Principal Scientist for the Global Research Organization. You will lead a cross-disciplinary team focused on next-generation liquid chromatography systems and separation science innovations, shaping scientific direction and translating concepts into hardware proofs-of-concept.

You will drive strategy, collaborate with engineering and chemistry, mentor researchers, and contribute to publications and patent activity while interfacing with customers across life

Qualifications

• PhD in Analytical Chemistry or Physical Chemistry focusing on separation science.
• Bachelor’s with 12+ years in academia, national labs, or analytical instrument companies.
• Experience leading a research team and delivering results in a multi-project environment.
• Deep expertise in liquid chromatography fundamentals and instrumentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead a cross-disciplinary research team within the Global Research Organization.
• Drive scientific strategy, evaluate R&D activities, and prioritize innovations.
• Oversee instrument design, construction, and validation with engineering teams.
• Advance separation science and software concepts for LC systems and platforms.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across pharma, biotech, and healthcare sectors.

Skills

Team leadership

Research direction

Scientific strategy

Instrument development

Chromatography fundamentals

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer & application insight

IP generation & communication

Mentorship & team development

Education

PhD in Analytical Chemistry or Physical Chemistry

Bachelor’s degree + 12+ years experience

Job description

Overview

Waters Corporation is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for a Senior Principal Scientist within the Waters Global Research Organization. If you are a scientist driven to deliver differentiating innovations that advance human health and well-being, you would be interested in this position.

The Global Research Organization is a multi-disciplinary, highly innovative team tasked with initiating and developing novel, ground-breaking analytical instrumentation. As a Principal Scientist you will be a recognized technical authority, shaping the scientific direction of next-generation liquid chromatography (LC) systems, driving the fundamental understanding of separation science, and collaborating across engineering and chemistry to bring transformative solutions to market.

This role sits at the intersection of deep separation-science expertise and hands-on instrument development. In addition to your individual research contributions, you will serve as a Team Lead, directing and coordinating the efforts of a multidisciplinary research team. You will help define and prototype the next generation separation platforms and software solutions, advancing Waters' legacy as a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences for over 65 years.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Research Direction: Act as Team Lead for a cross-disciplinary research group within the Global Research Organization. Plan, coordinate, and guide research efforts across chromatography instrument development, separation science, and column chemistry. Mentor team members and maintain a strong culture of scientific rigor and accountability.

Scientific Strategy & Innovation: Serve as the primary scientific thought leader for chromatography research. Champion novel ideas and advise on ongoing R&D activities across liquid chromatography, column chemistry, and fluidic system architectures. Identify and champion emerging areas of separation science with transformative potential, and prioritize innovation opportunities based on market insights, strategic fit, and potential customer impact.

Instrument & Prototype Development: Lead the design, construction, and evaluation of advanced separations prototypes. Collaborate closely with engineers to translate scientific concepts into hardware proofs-of-concept. Apply deep knowledge of fluidic dynamics, pressure management, detector integration, and gradient formation to improve system performance.

Chromatographic Fundamentals Research: Conduct rigorous experimental and theoretical research into the fundamentals of separation science-including stationary-phase selectivity, mobile-phase optimization, band-broadening mechanisms, extra-column effects, and column-packing technologies. Generate actionable insights that drive instrument performance and scientific differentiation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Customer Needs: Build strong, trusted relationships across teams and functions, including scientific, engineering, software, product, marketing, and commercial stakeholders. Engage collaborators in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare industries to identify unmet customer needs and translate those insights into impactful technologies and solutions.

Customer & Application Insight: Develop fluency in key application areas, biologics characterization, small-molecule pharmaceuticals, environmental and food safety analysis, to ensure that chromatographic innovations address real-world laboratory challenges. Act as a scientific resource for application scientists and customers on complex separation challenges.

IP Generation & Scientific Communication: Provide scientific leadership that significantly impacts both internal research programs and the broader scientific community through invention disclosures, patents, and publications in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals. Present Waters technologies at major scientific conferences and seminars worldwide.

Mentorship & Team Development: Mentor junior scientists and research associates, fostering a culture of scientific curiosity and continuous improvement. Participate in and lead agile, cross-disciplinary project teams, ensuring clear goals, timelines, and scientific accountability across research efforts.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Pd.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, or a closely related discipline, with a strong emphasis on separation science or chromatography instrumentation or a bachelors degree with at least 12 years related experience at a recognized academic institution, national laboratory, or analytical instrument company.

Demonstrated ability to lead a research team: setting direction, managing priorities, mentoring scientists, and delivering results in a complex, multi-project research environment.

Deep expertise in the fundamentals of liquid chromatography, including retention mechanisms,