Formulation Chemist

Skills: ink, gravure ink, laminates, printing, formulation, ink formulation, press operations, UV/EB ink, pigments, resins

About the Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing Company / The Opportunity:

Join a forward-thinking organization at the forefront of the Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing industry, specializing in innovative solutions for decorative laminates and advanced printing applications. This opportunity allows you to serve as a technical leader, driving the development, optimization, and commercialization of cutting-edge gravure ink formulations. You will play a critical role in advancing product performance and supporting both customer projects and manufacturing excellence, while interfacing with cross-functional teams and customers in a hands-on laboratory environment.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, optimize, and troubleshoot gravure ink formulations for decorative laminate and printing applications.
• Formulate and adapt solvent-based, water-based, and UV/EB-curable ink systems to meet specific customer requirements.
• Lead technical support activities for customer projects, covering product development, qualification, and commercialization.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute commercial press trials, analyze results, and implement formulation improvements.
• Collaborate with customers, sales teams, and manufacturing staff to address technical issues and deliver high-impact solutions.
• Translate customer needs into commercially viable products that balance performance, manufacturability, and cost.
• Guide and oversee laboratory staff, offering technical assistance for formulation and product development activities.
• Qualify raw materials such as pigments, resins, and additives to enhance product performance and consistency.
• Document laboratory activities, maintain technical records, and adhere to testing and quality procedures.
• Support laboratory-to-production scale-up and continuous improvement initiatives.

Must-Have Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Materials Science, or a related scientific discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in ink formulation, coatings, or chemical manufacturing environments.
• Extensive hands-on expertise in gravure ink formulation for commercial printing applications.
• Experience with UV/EB-curable, solvent-based, and/or water-based ink systems.
• In-depth understanding of pigment, resin, and additive chemistry for advanced formulations.
• Proven experience supporting commercial press trials and troubleshooting production performance.
• Track record of translating customer requirements into market-ready commercial products.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and technical troubleshooting abilities.
• Experience supporting laboratory-to-production scale-up processes.

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Experience with decorative laminates, decorative printing, packaging, or industrial printing applications.
• Previous laboratory leadership or supervisory experience.
• Direct customer-facing experience in technical service, product development, or product launch/commercialization roles.
• Knowledge of flexographic printing technologies and advanced press operations.