Formulation Department Manager

Formulation Manager | Head of Agricultural Formulation Development

Position Summary

Lead the development, optimization, scale-up, and commercialization of agricultural chemical formulations including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, adjuvants, plant growth regulators, and related products. Responsible for taking formulations from concept and laboratory development through pilot scale, commercial manufacturing, stability evaluation, and market launch.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and improve SC, EC, SL, SE, emulsions, microemulsions, WDG/WG, WP, fertilizer, granular, adjuvant, and tank-mix formulations.

• Formulation Development

• Optimize formulation components including solvents, surfactants, dispersants, emulsifiers, wetting agents, rheology modifiers, preservatives, antifoams, and stabilizers.

• Evaluate active ingredient compatibility and improve formulation performance, stability, manufacturability, and cost.

• Scale-Up & Manufacturing

• Lead scale-up from laboratory to pilot and commercial production

• Resolve issues related to mixing, milling, emulsification, granulation, drying, viscosity, particle size, and stability.

• Develop manufacturing processes, specifications, and critical process controls.

• Stability, Performance & Compliance

• Oversee accelerated and real-time stability studies.

• Investigate formulation issues including sedimentation, crystallization, phase separation, viscosity changes, and degradation.

• Generate technical documentation and ensure compliance with EPA and other regulatory requirements.

• Support product performance investigations and customer concerns.

• Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work with regulatory, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and marketing teams.

• Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting support for commercial production.

• Support continuous improvement and cost optimization initiatives.

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Agricultural Chemistry, Formulation Science, or a related discipline.

Experience

• 10+ years of agricultural formulation development experience with increasing technical and leadership responsibilities.

• Experience developing and commercializing agricultural chemical formulations.

• Strong knowledge of surfactant chemistry, colloidal systems, emulsification, rheology, solubility, crystallization, and formulation stability.

• Experience scaling formulations from laboratory development to commercial manufacturing.

• Experience with EPA/FIFRA product development and registration preferred.

Technical Skills

• Hands-on experience with HPLC, GC, AA, GC-MS, and HPLC-MS.

• Experience with particle size analyzers, viscometers, centrifuges, and related characterization tools.

• Strong technical writing, project management, problem-solving, and communication skills.

• Work Environment

• Laboratory, pilot plant, and office environments.

• Occasional travel to manufacturing sites, suppliers, symposiums, and industry events.

• May involve handling hazardous chemicals using appropriate PPE.

• Key Performance Indicators

• Successful development of stable, scalable formulations.

• Time-to-market for new products.

• Cost optimization and raw material efficiency.

• Regulatory approval support.

• Product performance during scale-up and field trials.

• Development and retention of technical personnel.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Memphis, TN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $150000.00 - $170000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision
- Company-paid basic life, AD&D, short-term…