R-R&D Scientist II

• Compensation: USD 80,000 - USD 110,000 - yearly

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance.

Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results, and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement.

Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here. For more information visit: vista

Position Title: Scientist II, Applications R&D

Position Summary

Vantage Specialty Chemicals is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented Scientist II, Applications R&D, to support formulation design, process development, and application testing within the Vantage Personal Care R&D team. This role requires a strong foundation in personal care ingredients and formulations, proficiency with established laboratory methods, sound scientific judgment, and the ability to adapt procedures to solve moderately complex technical problems. The Scientist II collaborates with cross-functional teams, external partners, and customers to translate technical needs into practical solutions developed and proven by well-designed experiments.

The role also advances the team’s formulation and performance testing capabilities, contributes to project-level technical direction, and supports continued professional proficiency.

Position Scope

This role is part of the VPC Global Applications R&D team and supports the Personal Care business, with a primary focus on skin care and hair care applications. The Scientist II contributes to formulation design, process development, application testing, and technical problem-solving for projects that support ingredient performance, customer needs, and commercial execution. The role works on-site in the Warren, NJ laboratory and collaborates with internal cross-functional partners, external testing providers, and customers to support project execution, data generation, and technical communication.

The position requires increasing independence, sound scientific judgment, strong documentation practices, and the ability to manage defined project activities while seeking guidance on highly complex or unfamiliar issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Develop personal care formulations, primarily for skin care and hair care applications, to showcase the benefits of Vantage ingredients.
• Conduct stability studies and evaluate prototype performance to support formulation development and optimization.
• Design, plan, and conduct in-house application testing; coordinate testing with third-party service providers as needed.
• Investigate formulation and application challenges and develop practical, scientifically sound solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners…