Senior Coatings Chemist

CPS Inc.; Greensboro (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off (PTO)

401k

Job summary

CPS Inc. seeks a hands-on, senior chemist to lead formulation projects for marine and recreational coating technologies. You will drive development from concept through commercialization, solving complex coating challenges while partnering with manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and customer-facing teams.

The role requires leading antifouling and anti-corrosion coating programs, optimizing resins, and guiding scale-up while maintaining rigorous documentation and safety practices.

Qualifications

• BS or higher in Chemistry or a related discipline; MS preferred.
• 5+ years of industry experience with marine coatings.
• Direct experience with marine coating formulation and product development.
• Experience with epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, and alkyd resins.
• Experience leading projects and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation, development, and testing of marine and recreational coatings.
• Develop antifouling/fouling-release coatings and anti-corrosion systems.
• Support aquatic applications including pool and deck coatings.
• Design experiments to evaluate adhesion, durability, and weathering.
• Lead new product development from concept to scale-up and commercialization.
• Analyze data and prepare technical reports and presentations.
• Troubleshoot performance, manufacturing, and customer issues.
• Identify opportunities for material optimization and cost reduction.
• Stay aligned with environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain thorough laboratory documentation and mentor junior staff.

Skills

Coating formulation

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical problem solving

Regulatory knowledge

Technical communication

Scale-up experience

Durability testing

Anti-corrosive coatings

Fouling-release coatings

Education

BS in Chemistry

MS preferred

Job description

Base salary $110,000-$140,000. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, PTO, 401k. Join a state-of-the-art R&D team developing and optimizing high-performance marine and recreational coating technologies. This is a hands-on opportunity to lead formulation projects from concept through commercialization while solving complex coating challenges and partnering with manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and customer-facing teams.

Requirements

• BS or higher in Chemistry or a related scientific discipline; MS preferred 5+ years of industry experience with marine coatings
• Direct experience with marine coating formulation and product development
• Experience with resin technologies including epoxy, polyurethane, acrylic, and alkyd
• Experience independently modifying existing formulations and developing new formulations
• Experience with anti-corrosive, antifouling, or fouling-release coatings preferred
• Knowledge of marine and aquatic coating performance requirements
• Experience supporting product scale-up and manufacturing
• Knowledge of EPA FIFRA registration and testing for biocidal products preferred
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills
• Ability to independently lead projects and work effectively across functions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical information

Job Duties

• Lead formulation, development, and testing of marine and recreational coating systems
• Develop and optimize antifouling/fouling-release coatings, primers, anti-corrosion coatings, topside systems, and protective finishes
• Support aquatic applications including pool, deck, and other recreational surface coatings
• Design and execute laboratory experiments evaluating adhesion, durability, corrosion resistance, weatherability, chemical resistance, and application properties
• Lead new product development projects from concept through scale-up and commercialization
• Analyze experimental data and prepare technical reports, recommendations, and presentations
• Troubleshoot product performance, manufacturing, and customer-related technical issues
• Identify opportunities for raw material optimization, cost reduction, and continuous improvement
• Evaluate emerging raw materials, technologies, and industry trends
• Support compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements
• Maintain accurate laboratory documentation and project records
• Mentor less-experienced chemists and laboratory personnel
• Promote safe laboratory practices and technical excellence