Americas

Agricultural Formulation Scientist

Job Location: Americas

Job Category:

Job Schedule: Full Time

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Michelman is a global developer and manufacturer of environmentally friendly advanced materials for industry, offering solutions for the coatings, printing & packaging, and industrial manufacturing markets. The company’s surface modifiers, additives, and polymers are used by leading manufacturers around the world to enhance performance attributes and add value in applications including wood and floor care products, metal and industrial coatings, paints, varnishes, inks, fibers, and composites. Michelman is also well-known as an innovator in the development of barrier and functional coatings, as well as digital printing press primers that are used in the production of consumer and industrial packaging and paper products, labels, and commercially printed materials. Michelman serves its customers with production facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia, product development and technical service centers in several major global markets, and a worldwide team of highly trained business development personnel.

General Summary

We have a great opportunity for an Agricultural Formulation Scientist to join the Global Research & Development (R&D) organization for our Seed Coatings segment.

Informed by important market needs and new trends, you will develop waterborne agricultural product prototypes through your ability to connect structure and property fundamentals with novel product functionality.

Your mindset for identifying problems and creating solutions will fuel a “reason to believe” for the novel functional benefits to be provided by Michelman materials in a way that will help accelerate the growth of the Seed Coatings segment. 

Excellent problem-solving skills and creativity will be essential to your success as they will allow you to quickly screen new technologies and materials to fit both with the market and with Michelman. Further, it will be essential that you develop a strong collaborative network with other groups including sales, technology, marketing, and manufacturing teams to convert those novel concepts into successful product platforms.

Expect to become a go-to resource for your internal customers as it relates to optimizing seed coating performance in the end-use application(s).

Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate with sales and marketing to develop problem statements based both on trends in the market and on latent customer needs

• Lead in the development of new application-centric solutions to be enabled by Michelman technologies within the Seed Coatings technical team

• Design new (and sometimes complex) product development experiments to be conducted at the lab scale – either by you or by others

• Develop and characterize seed coating formulations with new technical features

• Build a working knowledge of coatings-centric application methods and performance tests which will enable the development of new concepts

• Develop new product prototypes by iteratively preparing lab scale batches for evaluation and testing them against market-relevant success criteria or controls

• Test and optimize the existing products based on customers’ feedback to improve the products as needed

• Document thoroughly and accurately all experiments, analyses, and testing results

• Ensure timely delivery of project-related information or results to company partners

• Plan, initiate, and execute projects using the Michelman project management process

• Provide reports (written and verbal) on technical results or conclusions to business and technology leadership

• Build an effective collaboration with the global technical team to foster a culture of idea exchange and knowledge transfer

• Multiply your individual expertise by drafting effective and easily-understood user guidelines for Michelman’s products, mainly as additives to be formulated with other materials

• Provide technical support for customer trials

• Lead internal discussions to ensure that colleagues remain up-to-date on relevant product or application issues

• Maintain a clean and safe work environment

• Perform related duties as assigned or as the situation dictates

Critical Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of biopolymer and experience in wax or polymer emulsification is highly desired

• Excellent analytical and observation skills

• Demonstrated track record of innovation and technology scouting. Experience in technology transfer is required

• Basic understanding of the range of substrates to be coated in Seed Coatings applications and the methods used to apply coatings to them

• Experience with stage-gate project management is a plus asset

• Agility and flexibility to adapt to changing business priorities and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously

• Ability to develop new laboratory methods as needed to address technical challenges and train others (as needed) in their effective use

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)

Education and Experience

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer/Materials Science, Biochemistry, or related field or at least seven (7) years of relevant experience

• Familiar with agricultural waterborne formulation development. Practical experience in developing seed coating or seed treatment formulations, additives, and/or products.

• Expertise in seed germination and seed safety testing is highly desired

Other

• Able to travel by car or plane to visit customers when needed

• The role may on occasion require long periods of standing and/or an extended work schedule

• The role will demand the appropriate use of PPE - including safety shoes

• The position is based in Cincinnati, OH. A relocation package is offered as needed.

Note: The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to the job. They are not construed to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

About Michelman

Michelman is proud of the values-focused work environment that we have crafted. We pride ourselves in our focus on our values of integrity, respect, success, collaboration, curiosity, and giving. With our dedication to your technical and professional growth in addition to our rigorous onboarding experience, we guarantee that you will find yourself challenged in new ways. We offer an excellent salary, incentive, and benefits package in a dynamic, empowered team environment.

No phone calls, please. Michelman does not hire individuals who use tobacco products. All candidates will receive a drug test prior to beginning employment which will include a test for tobacco products.

For more information about Michelman, please visit https://www.michelman.com/.

It is Michelman, Inc.'s policy to seek and employ qualified persons in all jobs in a manner that will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Michelman is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Disabled/Veterans

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