Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP

Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, sketching, seeking, and adapting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how they can work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious?

Are you always solving? Then we’d like to meet you.

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for a creative Platform R&D Staff Scientist to join our Specialty Additives business unit at our Wilmington DE research center. This is a very visible, significant role within the company and the specialty additives business unit. You will be responsible for working on new product development and its characterization and identifying new areas for product application. This position will report to the Global Technology Lead of recently launched Ashland Technology Platforms.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead the evaluation of Ashland’s innovative platform technologies in Industrial applications.


• Responsible to develop leading-edge chemical additive solutions utilizing bio-based building blocks for industrial applications to meet emerging sustainability needs


• Ideate and execute to create new & different technologies, including generating new IP, to meet diverse industry needs


• Drive innovation projects through stage-gate process; lead cross-functional team on new application development in coatings


• Design and execute experiments, interpret data, and build structure-property-performance relationships; possibly direct technician support; assist in filing of IP as required


• Work with marketing and sales professionals to understand industry needs


• Lead or participate in multiple research projects with members of multi-disciplinary teams to achieve targets


• Communicate effectively with global internal and customer bases; build relationships with industrial colleagues


• Maintain up to date understanding of critical science for development efforts


• Actively contribute to the organizational goals by taking initiative, executing goals, and focusing on performance and safety


• Improve the organization capacity and capabilities through building collaborative relationships, optimizing diverse talent and utilizing positive communications and influence with others

In order to be qualified for this role, you must possess the following:

• MS with 5-10 years of specialty chemical industrial experience with coatings formulation, testing, and evaluation methodologies


• Creative mindset with good scientific and problem-solving skills.  Knowledge of polymers and an understanding of rheology and interfacial phenomena is desirable


• Have proven record of innovation


• Have strength in experimentation, hands-on skills set, and insightful data analysis


• Have experience working with multicultural and multidisciplinary project teams


• Effective oral and written communications skills


• The ability to help the company drive greater value through creating the new and different

The following skill sets are preferred by the business unit:

• PhD in polymer science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or related discipline


• 2-5 years of specialty chemical industrial experience with coatings additives & formulations, testing, and evaluation methodologies


• Application or formulating experience with alkyd systems for industrial applications, epoxy's, adhesives.


• Synthesis or application experience of utilizing bio-based, natural or nature derived building blocks such as vegetable oils.


• Knowledge of polymer structure-property-application relationships, especially in the context of understanding the industrial coatings systems is highly desired.

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland LLC. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, personal care and pharmaceutical. Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer.
 
At Ashland our vision is to be a leading, global specialty chemicals company whose inspired and engaged employees add value to all we touch. In fact our people, employees, customers and vendors define who we are. They are the driving force behind everything we do.
 
Not only do we value our customers but we value our employees, and we work to offer them a dynamic and challenging environment. We hold ourselves to high standards at Ashland, and we value integrity and honesty.
 
Ashland has a history of attracting the best people and keeping them. The reasons are simple: industry competitive salary and benefits, pay-for-performance incentive plans and a diverse work environment where employees feel challenged and valued. People come to Ashland and stay. As a growing Fortune 500 specialty chemicals company, we offer opportunities for development and advancement throughout our global organization. Our values define who we are and what we care about as a company. If you are looking for a relationship with a company instead of simply a job, this may be a great fit.

Ashland is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. NOTE:  We do not accept resumes from external staffing agencies or independent recruiters for any of our openings unless we have a signed recruiting agreement in place to fill a specific position.