Senior Scientist

LaMotte Company; Newark (DE); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

LaMotte Company is seeking a Senior Scientist - Reagent & Formulation Development to join our R&D team developing water-analysis products and technologies. The role demands strong scientific judgement, independent problem solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The position involves leading development of liquid, dried, and solid-state reagent systems, optimizing stability, and translating lab concepts into robust, manufacturable products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Chemistry or closely related discipline; equivalent experience considered.
• 5+ years in industrial R&D, formulation, or product development preferred.
• Experience taking a formulation from concept through scale-up and manufacturing transfer.

Responsibilities

• Lead or contribute to development, evaluation, and improvement of water-analysis products and reagents.
• Design and analyze experiments to develop liquid, dried, and solid-state reagent systems.
• Apply principles to solve formulation, analytical, stability, and manufacturing problems.
• Develop reagent formulations including lyophilized and compressed systems; optimize stability.
• Investigate factors affecting reagent stability and analytical performance.
• Prepare technical reports, test plans, and development documentation.

Skills

Organic chemistry

Lyophilization

Tablet formulation

Reagent stabilization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry

Master's degree in Chemistry

PhD in Chemistry

Job description

LaMotte Company is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Scientist - Reagent & Formulation Development to join our Research & Development team developing and improving innovative water-analysis products and technologies. The successful candidate will combine strong scientific judgment with practical product-development skills and will be expected to independently solve complex technical problems, drive work forward, and collaborate effectively across disciplines.

The role is particularly well suited to candidates with experience in organic chemistry, lyophilization/freeze-drying, tablet formulation, solid-state or dry reagent formulation, reagent stabilization, or related formulation technologies. We are also open to candidates with adjacent scientific or engineering experience who have demonstrated the ability to learn quickly, challenge assumptions constructively, and translate technical work into robust, manufacturable products.

This position reports to the Director of R&D and can be based at LaMotte's Newark, Delaware or Chestertown, MD facilities. A hybrid work arrangement may be available based on business and project needs; regular on-site work is required for laboratory testing, formulation development, prototyping, and manufacturing support. Occasional travel to other locations may be required.

Job Responsibilities:

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead or contribute to the development, evaluation, and improvement of new and existing water-analysis products, reagents, technologies, and processes.
• Design, conduct, document, and analyze experiments to develop and optimize liquid, dried, and solid-state reagent systems.
• Apply scientific and/or engineering principles to solve complex formulation, analytical, product-performance, stability, and manufacturing problems.
• Develop and optimize reagent formulations, including lyophilized/freeze-dried systems, tablet or compressed-reagent systems, powders, pellets, coatings, deposited reagents, or related delivery formats as appropriate.
• Investigate the effects of moisture, temperature, oxygen, light, packaging, excipients, raw materials, and material interactions on reagent stability and analytical performance.
• Design accelerated and real-time stability studies and use results to improve formulation robustness and support shelf-life expectations.
• Troubleshoot formulation and product-performance issues using structured experimentation, data analysis, root-cause analysis, and sound scientific judgment.
• Participate in the product-development lifecycle from concept and feasibility through optimization, verification, validation, scale-up, and transition to manufacturing.
• Work with Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, engineers, product managers, suppliers, and external partners to ensure products and processes are robust, manufacturable, reliable, and appropriately documented.
• Evaluate raw materials, excipients, packaging materials, vendors, and manufacturing processes for suitability in reagent products.
• Prepare clear test plans, technical reports, presentations, specifications, procedures, and product-development documentation.
• Maintain accurate laboratory and development records in accordance with company, quality, regulatory, and safety requirements.
• Manage multiple technical priorities, communicate risks and recommendations clearly, and take ownership of assigned problems through resolution.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to scientists, chemists, engineers, technicians, and other team members as appropriate.
• Stay current with relevant scientific, formulation, analytical, and manufacturing technologies and identify opportunities to apply them to LaMotte products.
• Promote a collaborative environment in which technical assumptions can be challenged constructively and decisions are guided by data.
• Conduct oneself professionally, maintain confidentiality of company and personnel information, and comply with all applicable safety and company policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Materials Science, Formulation Science, or a closely related scientific or engineering discipline. An equivalent combination of education and directly relevant technical experience may also be considered.
• 5+ years of relevant industrial R&D, formulation, product-development, process-development, or closely related experience is preferred. Candidates with advanced degrees and particularly relevant hands-on experience may be considered with fewer years of industry experience.
• Demonstrated ability to independently solve complex technical problems and carry work from problem definition through recommendation, implementation, or product-development milestone.
• Experience taking a chemical formulation, reagent system, technology, or related product from laboratory concept through optimization, stability evaluation, scale-up, and/or manufacturing transfer is strongly preferred.
• Experience in one or more of the following is strongly preferred: organic chemistry, lyophilization/freeze-drying, tablet formulation or compression, solid-state or dry reagent formulation, reagent stabilization, excipient selection, or moisture-sensitive chemical systems.
• Additional relevant experience may include UV-Vis/colorimetric chemistry, fluorescence, water analysis, polymer or coating chemistry, powder handling and blending, encapsulation, packaging compatibility, design of experiments (DOE), or manufacturing process development.
• Experience with experimental design, laboratory equipment, data analysis, and technical reporting.
• Strong understanding of laboratory practices, chemical safety, and accurate preparation and handling of reagents and standards.
• Experience working in a cross-functional product-development environment and supporting transfer from R&D into manufacturing is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical information to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while collaborating effectively across scientific, engineering, manufacturing, quality, and commercial functions.
• Demonstrates curiosity, adaptability, accountability, and willingness to learn outside their primary area of expertise.
• Comfortable challenging assumptions and being challenged by others; willing to revise conclusions when supported by new data.
• Balances scientific rigor with practical progress and demonstrates a strong commitment to transparency, simplicity, speed, trust, concern, and respect.
• Must be able to pass a color test.

Environmental Factors & Mental / Physical Demands

Works primarily indoors in laboratory, engineering, office, and manufacturing environments. Handles various chemicals, powders, testing solutions, laboratory equipment, and prototype products. Requires good problem solving, judgment, communication skills, attention to detail, and color perception. Requires walking, standing, sitting, bending, reaching, good manual dexterity, and transporting up to approximately 30 pounds. Must be able to wear required PPE as appropriate to the work being performed.

Work-life and Culture:

LaMotte Company, a 100+ year-old global industry leader in developing and manufacturing premier water analysis solutions, operating in Newark, DE, Chestertown, MD and Warwick, UK. Our products are used around the world to accurately, quickly, and conveniently test water in a multitude of applications.

LaMotte relies on the success of our employees and are committed to supporting their growth. We offer competitive pay, along with performance-based increases. LaMotte offers a range of different shifts such as mornings, afternoons, evenings, and 12-hour shifts between both facilities to fit employee’s needs. LaMotte offers paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays. We have several employee events including holiday events, employee appreciation events, community events, employee engagement, etc.

Full-time employees, who regularly work at least 30 hours per week, are eligible for employer-provided insurance including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, and supplemental insurance. Full-time employees are eligible to contribute to our 401(k) plan with an employer match available.

LaMotte is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, disability, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local laws.