Senior Chemist
Company: Orion Talent
Job Ref: # 663524
Date Posted: 1/28/2026 12:00:00 AM
City, State: South Holland, IL
Description
Go to end ⇓The Senior Chemist serves as a cross-functional technical leader responsible for overseeing product innovation, formulation development, quality control protocols, and technical services. This role ensures that all new and existing chemical products meet the highest standards of performance, safety, and consistency across their lifecycle-from bench formulation to field application and production scale-up. The ideal candidate will combine deep chemistry expertise with hands-on quality control experience, supporting internal teams and external customers with actionable solutions and insights. May serve as a technical mentor or informal leader to chemists, QC technicians, and lab staff. Collaborates with managers across R&D, QC, and Production to ensure shared project success.
Key Responsibilities
Research & Development
- Lead the formulation and performance development of new chemical products in alignment with company's commercial laundry applications and strategic goals.
- Screen and evaluate new raw materials for inclusion in company formulations based on performance, cost-efficiency, and supply chain viability.
- Conduct in-depth performance testing and internal benchmarks to ensure product reliability and innovation.
- Monitor long-term field performance of new product launches and recommend improvements based on lab and customer feedback.
- Create and maintain accurate Methods of Manufacturing for all new products and support production with process standardization.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with sales, technical service, and production teams to support product development and rollouts.
Quality Control
- Oversee and refine Quality Control protocols for raw materials, in-process batches, and finished products to ensure consistency and compliance with internal specifications.
- Work closely with QC personnel to define performance benchmarks, tolerances, and validation procedures for both new and legacy products.
- Analyze production batch discrepancies and troubleshoot manufacturing issues in coordination with the QC and production teams.
- Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for analytical and physical testing methods, calibration protocols, and lab safety compliance.
- Support the QC team in identifying and resolving quality issues through root cause analysis, corrective action planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure all QC testing aligns with company's ISO 9001 Quality Management System and applicable regulatory requirements.
Technical Services & Customer Support
- Serve as a senior technical expert to internal and external stakeholders, providing guidance on product performance, troubleshooting, and optimization.
- Conduct detailed analyses of textiles, chemicals, and water systems to diagnose performance issues and recommend solutions.
- Generate professional technical reports summarizing findings from lab analyses, field trials, and customer investigations.
- Support field service efforts, including site visits, training, and product performance evaluations at customer facilities.
Laboratory Operations & Corporate Confidentiality
- Ensure full operational readiness of R&D and QC labs, including inventory management, instrumentation calibration, and proper documentation practices.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of intellectual property, formulas, production processes, and proprietary databases.
- Lead lab team efforts in maintaining cleanliness, safety, and ISO-compliant work environments.
Must-Have Skills, Experience, and Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related scientific field (Master's preferred).
- Minimum 7-10 years of relevant experience in formulation chemistry, quality control, and/or product development within a manufacturing or industrial setting.
- Strong understanding of analytical testing methodologies, laboratory best practices, and chemical product scale-up processes.
- Demonstrated experience with ISO 9001 quality systems and regulatory compliance in a laboratory or production environment.
- Excellent technical writing, documentation, and communication skills.
- Skilled in presenting to large groups and customer audiences with clarity and confidence.
