Formulation & Applications Chemist - Locus Fermentation Solutions

Location:  On-site, Solon, OH

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Formulation & Applications Chemist to help Locus Ingredients, a division of Locus Fermentation Solutions, to develop and test industry and application relevant formulations that use Locus' award-winning sophorolipid biosurfactant products.  Position uses existing knowledge of organic and analytical chemistry as well as industry and market formulation practices to create, prepare, test, benchmark, and analyze formulations. This is a hands-on role from the imagination and creation of tests and studies to carrying out experiments and data collection through to analysis and reporting.  This role is multifaceted and will include lab activities, research and investigation, analysis and reporting (written and verbal), and customer-facing technical service activities. 

This individual should have exposure to some, but understandably not all, of our key focus markets:  Industrial & Institutional cleaning, Paints & Coatings, Metalworking Fluids, other industrial markets. 

Applications where knowledge and expertise if of interest include chemistries which use surfactants in industrial and institutional cleaners including car wash, boat wash, and deck wash; general cleaners; degreasers; lubricants; paints and coatings; metalworking fluids; and/or others.  Other immediate areas of development focus include synergies of Locus biosurfactants as a co-surfactant in traditional and bio-based surfactant systems. 

This mission-critical role is located in our Solon, OH laboratory, working closely day-to-day with our technical manager and cross-enterprise with our central R&D team and other business unit technology groups (namely bioenergy and mining).

Key Responsibilities & Tasks:

• This will be a hands-on role with the expectation of the candidate to independently design and conduct experiments to develop, test, improve, and optimize chemical formulations containing Locus biosurfactants for various applications.
• Apply knowledge of existing industry application test methods and procedures to generate data and execute projects for new products, formulations, method development, or expanded application uses.
• Analyze data and interpret results to guide value proposition development working closely with the commercial team.  Must be able to present results of studies and experiments visually (graphs, charts, etc.) and coherently that is fact-based and provides convincing evidence to unique selling proposals.
• Design and conduct experiments to benchmark competitive products and other bi, bio-based, and traditional surfactant systems.
• Actively contribute to all ongoing projects for lab, field validation, and commercialization.
• This person will be customer facing and will participate in customer meetings to troubleshoot, brainstorm, and educate on formulating with biosurfactants.
• Perform customer-specific application experiments and can creatively design experiments to show the efficacy of Locus' solutions in customer-specific applications.
• Continuous product improvement based on customer and internal feedback.
• Apply out-of-the-box thinking with curiosity and creativity to position existing and new idea solutions for customer and market applications.
• Familiarity with ASTM and other standards for testing.
• Support business development strategy and growth by building relationships with the internal and external R&D and sales partners.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Develop and follow SOP's and protocols to maintain best industry practice and product quality.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Technical degree in chemistry, engineering, material science, or similar.
• Industry application test method knowledge.
• Knowledge of specific industry chemistries and formulating principles. 
• Knowledge of industry specific application testing and methods to quantitate the performance attributes of surfactants.
• Ability to understand and apply novel chemical solutions using biosurfactants.
• Travel requirements are minimal and may include tradeshow or conference attendance or customer visits.
• Organization, cleanliness, and lab safety of the utmost importance.