Advanced Scientist - Agricultural Coatings & Materials Innovation

General Summary We have a great opportunity for an Advanced Scientist to join the Global Research & Development (R&D) organization, supporting both Agriculture and Materials Innovation.

Informed by market needs, customer challenges, and emerging technology trends, you will develop waterborne formulations and application-focused solutions by connecting structure-property relationship with functional performance.

Your ability to identify meaningful problems, evaluate new technologies, and create differentiated solutions will help establish compelling reasons to believe in the benefits of Michelman materials and accelerate growth across both areas.

Success in this role will require strong problem-solving skills, creativity, hands-on formulation experience, and the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues in R&D, Sales, Marketing, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and other functions to convert promising concepts into commercially viable product platforms.

Your will become a go-to technical resource for optimizing coating and material performance in agricultural and emerging materials applications.

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

Lead the development of application-focused solutions enabled by Michelman technologies across Agriculture Coatings and Materials Innovation.

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

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

Lead the design, development, and optimization of seed coating technologies and innovative materials applications using synthetic, bio-based, and biodegradable polymer platforms

Conduct hands-on laboratory work, including formulation and batch preparation, application trials, pilot-scale simulations, and performance characterization such as adhesion, abrasion resistance, drying behavior, particle size, rheology, and film properties

Evaluate coating performance on target substrates, including seeds and other relevant materials, evaluating properties such as plantability, dust-off, active ingredient loading, biological compatibility, adhesion, and durability.

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

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

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

Provide reports (written and verbal) on technical results/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

Partner with commercial and customer-facing teams to tailor solutions based on market needs and application methods

Multiply your individual expertise by drafting effective and easily-understood user guidelines for Michelman’s products – both as “application ready” solutions and as additives to be formulated with other materials

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

Scout and evaluate emerging technologies, materials, and external capabilities that could strengthen Michelman’s existing portfolio or enable new product platforms

Assess the technical feasibility, scalability, performance differentiation, and potential risks of new materials and formulation concepts

Support the transfer and scale-up of successful formulations from laboratory development to pilot and commercial production

Engage and support external collaborations with academic institutions, industry…