Phytonutrient Chemist

Job Title

Job Summary This role has two equal parts. The first is expanding and deepening Ralco's compound library by sourcing, authenticating, and chemically profiling natural compounds, drawing from botanical, phytonutrient, and other natural sources. Every compound added must carry a complete, defensible chemical profile and specification (identity, constituent profile, purity, stability) and a literature-grounded understanding of its known activity and safety, so that every research hypothesis built from that data is trustworthy and well-supported.

The second is formulation chemistry: ensuring each compound's chemistry remains stable and functional once it moves from the database into a finished product. Success here means manufacturing and the customer's product experience are smooth, with no chemistry-driven failures that compromise use or efficacy. This job description is not meant to be all-inclusive, and duties may vary based on departmental and company needs.

Source and evaluate enough new candidate compounds to advance at least 5 per quarter, drawing from scientific literature, suppliers, and botanical leads

Run standard lab testing (GC, HPLC, MS) on 100% of new compounds prior to database entry, confirming identity, purity, and stability, and complete authentication within 1 month of intake

Complete a literature review establishing known biological activity, mechanism, and safety profile for every compound before it enters the database

Maintain a complete chemical profile, including constituent specification, purity, and other relevant parameters, and literature citation for every compound in the database

Proactively deliver compound-level data to the in-vitro science team within 1 month of receiving a sample, rather than waiting on requests

Apply chemical engineering knowledge to determine formulation success and stability, and help solve manufacturing hurdles related to product composition

Partner with production and manufacturing teams to ensure each compound's chemistry remains stable and functional once incorporated into a finished product

Participate in the quarterly review of the compound library, contributing novel ingredient recommendations based on gaps identified

Collaborate with others on the Innovation team to move new ideas through the formulation stage, championing novel compounds into new solutions

Maintain full compliance with chemical handling and documentation protocols, and take responsibility for reviewing ingredient safety and compliance

Compound extraction, isolation, authentication, and characterization

Proficiency with GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC, and other analytical instruments

Chemical engineering principles applied to formulation stability and manufacturing troubleshooting

Troubleshooting and maintaining lab instrumentation

Literature-based compound profiling and functional chemistry application

Education:

Master's degree (minimum) in Biochemistry, Phytochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Engineer, or a closely related discipline supporting animal and plant health

Experience:

Hands-on laboratory experience in compound extraction, isolation, authentication, and characterization of natural components

Technical:
Proficient in GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC, and other analytical instruments. Chemical engineering experience is applied to formulation stability and solving manufacturing hurdles related to product composition.

Travel:
Some travel required and travel between Balaton MN and Marshall MN facilities.

Location:

Balaton/Marshall, MN

Demonstrated experience operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining GC, MS, and HPLC instrumentation

A genuine, unbiased drive to understand each compound to its fullest depth, identifying ambiguous or unexpected results rather than settling for a passable profile

A track record of pushing ideas and components further than prior work has established

Prior industry experience in botanical, essential oil, agricultural chemistry, and/or nutraceutical animal or plant health

Experience collaborating with in vitro / microbiology teams on compound screening

Ralco is a family-owned agricultural health and nutrition company with a global presence, distributing products in over 40 countries. Inspired by nature and powered by science, Ralco develops innovative, natural solutions to support plant and animal health.