Senior Research Scientist

Indorama Ventures; The Woodlands (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

WellHub / TotalPass

Life insurance

Job summary

Indorama Ventures is seeking a Senior Research Scientist for the Personal Care sector. You will act as a technical expert, driving formulation support and engagement with strategic customers, while leading innovation projects from concept through commercialization.

The role emphasizes cross-functional teamwork with R&D, Regulatory, Marketing, and Supply Chain, delivering science-based solutions and market-relevant insights globally.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD with required years of experience as listed in the ad.
• Surfactants knowledge strongly preferred.
• Market applications knowledge in Personal Care and related fields.
• Excellent organizational and communications skills.
• Formulation science, testing and experimental design expertise.
• English, with bilingual Portuguese or Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical expert and trusted advisor for strategic customers in Personal Care.
• Drive technical engagement with key accounts and provide formulation support.
• Establish and maintain strong technical relationships with customers and research partners.
• Deliver technical presentations, workshops and training sessions.
• Lead and support medium- and high-complexity innovation projects from concept to commercialization.
• Collaborate with R&D, Regulatory, Marketing, Supply Chain and Commercial teams to ensure project success.

Skills

Technical leadership

Strategic customer engagement

Communication skills

Project management

Entrepreneurial mindset

Autonomy & self-leadership

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in Chemistry/Engineering/Material Science with 4 years industrial experience

MS in Chemistry/Engineering with 6 years experience

BS in Chemistry/Engineering/Polymer Chemistry with 10 years experience

Job description

The Woodlands, TX

Full time

JR101275

Have you ever thought about being part of a company that reimagines chemistry every day to build a better world?

That’s the purpose of Indorama Ventures, and we want you with us on this journey!

We are looking for innovative, collaborative professionals who are ready to embrace the challenge of working in a company that is constantly expanding internationally.

We value flexibility, partnership, and believe that the impact of our actions goes far beyond the chemical industry.

Here, diversity matters.

Our work environment is inclusive, diverse, and guided by respect, ethics, and equal opportunities for all.

What we’re looking for:

Senior Research Scientist | Personal Care

Professional Summary

Senior Research Scientist with a strong background in Personal Care ingredients, application development, and customer engagement. Experienced in partnering with strategic customers, identifying market opportunities, and delivering science-based solutions that drive business growth and competitive advantage. Proven ability to lead complex development projects, foster cross-functional collaboration, and bridge customer needs with R&D capabilities. Expertise in formulation science, technical marketing support, customer engagement, and innovation pipeline development across global and regional markets.

Highly autonomous and proactive professional with a strong entrepreneurial mindset and proven ability to identify market opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and convert customer needs into innovation and business growth initiatives.

What will be expected from you?

• Serve as a technical expert and trusted advisor for strategic customers within the Personal Care market.

• Drive technical engagement with key accounts, providing scientific expertise, formulation support and solution-oriented recommendations.

• Establish and maintain strong technical relationships with customers, research institutions, consultants and industry stakeholders.

• Deliver technical presentations, workshops and training sessions at customer meetings, industry conferences and trade shows.

• Lead and support medium- and high-complexity innovation projects, from concept development through commercialization.

• Execute product and application development strategies aligned with business objectives, customer needs and market trends.

• Evaluate experimental products through physicochemical characterization performance assessment and application testing.

• Identify new business opportunities and contribute to innovation pipeline development and growth initiatives.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including R&D, Regulatory, Marketing, Supply Chain and Commercial functions to ensure successful project execution.

• Generate technical insights and market intelligence to support strategic decision-making and customer engagement.

• Set up and execute laboratories to meet both internal and external customer expectations.

• Developing methods to analyze samples or the applications testing to prove claims,

• Maintain an awareness of the literature and other sources of information to remain current with developments in the area of functional products of interest to the Corporation.

• Keep neat and orderly notebooks containing a record of all work performed. Maintain other records as necessary to support patent applications for innovative products.

• Maintain orderly laboratory space

• Follow all safety and training requirements

• Full knowledge of Indorama internal systems including PMOX (the project management system)

• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects effectively meet deadlines

• Manage and optimize all processes under your supervision, taking into consideration Quality, Legality and Food Safety (if applicable) and client needs on Indorama’s products and services.

• Guarantee all documentation under your responsibility updated and available for consulting

• Interact with R&D team to improve the lab, lab methods, etc.

• Able to manage a small team to solve these problems.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including R&D, Marketing, Regulatory, Supply Chain and Commercial functions.

What are we looking for in the Ideal candidate?

• B.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Biochemistry, or Polymer Chemistry/Engineering strongly preferred plus 10 years’ experience, or

• M.S. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Biochemistry, or Polymer Chemistry/Engineering strongly preferred plus 6 years’ experience, or

• Ph. D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Biochemistry, or Polymer Chemistry/Engineering with 4 years of industrial experience.

• 1-5 years’ experience (more 5 years’ experience preferred) in:

• R&D laboratory preferred,

• Surfactants knowledge in laboratory or application uses strongly preferred,

• Market applications specific knowledge required in areas such Personal Care,or home & personal care for scientists in market segment areas Personal Care and Color Cosmetics formulation, including prototype development, formulation optimization and troubleshooting.

• Excellent organizational and communications skills

• Strong knowledge of formulation science, application testing and experimental design.

• Experience in translating customer and market needs into innovative formulations and technical solutions.

• Computer literacy w/ databases, word processing, spreadsheets

• Demonstrated presentation skills required

• English with Bilingual Portuguese or Spanish strongly preferred

Core Competencies

• Technical Leadership

• Customer Technical Support

• Strategic Customer Engagement

• Business Development

• Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Ownership & Accountability

• Autonomy & Self-Leadership

What do we offer?

A competitive compensation package, including:

Health insurance

WellHub / TotalPass

Life insurance

And other exclusive benefits

The division you’ll be joining is a global leader in the chemical industry. We offer a broad portfolio of solutions and high delivery standards to markets such as Crop Solutions, Home and Personal Care, Coatings, Energy & Resources, and Performance Products.

Here, you can make a difference. Join us!

Indovinya is the global specialty chemical and surfactants division of Indorama Ventures, dedicated to delivering high value‑added and sustainable solutions that help industries move forward responsibly. With operations across 10 countries, 15 manufacturing locations, and 7 R&D centers worldwide, Indovinya combines deep scientific expertise with strong application know‑how to support customers across a broad range of markets.

As a leading producer of nonionic surfactants and ethylene oxide in the Americas and one of the largest ethoxylation companies globally, Indovinya serves key industries including Personal Care, Home Care, Crop Solutions, Coatings & Performance Solutions and Energy & Resources. Through close collaboration and tailored innovation, the company develops high‑performing solutions designed to meet evolving market needs.

Guided by the belief that chemistry can transform the world, Indovinya advances responsible progress by creating solutions that enhance everyday products, enable cleaner energy, improve agricultural efficiency, and promote safer and more sustainable manufacturing practices.