Senior Chemist

Mackinnon Bruce International; Connecticut; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mackinnon Bruce International is seeking a hands-on R&D Chemist with deep experience in water-based coatings, polymers, and formulation development. The role centers on developing and optimizing coating technologies for plastics, composites, and molded polymers, including aqueous release systems.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 8–10 years of formulation expertise in coatings or adhesives, with strong lab skills and cross‑functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 8–10 years of formulation experience in coatings, paints, adhesives, or related specialty chemical industries.
• Experience developing and testing water-based coatings and adhesives.
• Strong knowledge of polymer chemistry, surface chemistry, rheology, emulsions, dispersions, and aqueous formulation.
• Hands-on laboratory experience with formulation development, coating testing, data analysis, and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize water-based coating and release systems to meet performance and customer requirements.
• Formulate polymers, binders, surfactants, crosslinkers, rheology modifiers, and specialty additives.
• Design and execute laboratory testing for adhesion, film formation, surface properties, stability, miscibility, crosslinking, rheology, and release performance.
• Apply polymer chemistry, surface chemistry, rheology, dispersion, emulsion, and formulation principles to solve technical challenges.
• Replicate customer and manufacturing processes in the laboratory to predict application and field performance.
• Support customer trials, industrial evaluations, troubleshooting, scale‑up, and plant trials.
• Collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, quality, technical service, sales, and customers.
• Maintain clear documentation of formulations, experiments, test results, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Support new product development, raw material evaluations, continuous improvement, and scale‑up activities.

Skills

Hands-on lab skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering

Job description

We are seeking a hands‑on R&D Chemist with strong experience in water-based/aqueous coatings, specialty additives, polymers, and formulation development. The role will focus on developing, testing, optimizing, and scaling coating technologies for plastics, composites, thermoset and molded polymer applications, including aqueous release systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize water-based coating and release systems to meet performance and customer requirements.
• Formulate and evaluate polymers, binders, surfactants, crosslinkers, rheology modifiers, and specialty additives.
• Design and execute laboratory testing for adhesion, film formation, surface properties, stability, miscibility, crosslinking, rheology, and release performance.
• Apply polymer chemistry, surface chemistry, rheology, dispersion, emulsion, and formulation principles to solve technical challenges.
• Replicate customer and manufacturing processes in the laboratory to predict application and field performance.
• Support customer trials, industrial evaluations, troubleshooting, scale‑up, and plant trials.
• Collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, quality, technical service, sales, and customers.
• Maintain clear documentation of formulations, experiments, test results, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Support new product development, raw material evaluations, continuous improvement, and scale‑up activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 8–10 years of formulation experience in coatings, paints, adhesives, or related specialty chemical industries.
• Demonstrated experience developing and testing water-based coatings and adhesives.
• Strong working knowledge of polymer chemistry, surface chemistry, rheology, emulsions, dispersions, and aqueous formulation.
• Hands‑on laboratory experience with formulation development, coating testing, data analysis, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to work safely with chemicals, laboratory equipment, and coating application methods.
• Strong communication, documentation, problem‑solving, and cross‑functional collaboration skills.