R&D Professional, Milliken Research Operations

Date: Sep 22, 2026

Location: Spartanburg, SC, US, 29303

Company: Milliken and Company

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations.

Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at  and on Facebook , Instagram and Linked In .

R&D Professional, Milliken Research Operations

Internal analytical leader within Research Operations Analytical group, partnering across business units and chemistry platforms to solve material and chemistry problems and define appropriate analytical strategies. Practical analytical scientist with deep hands-on chromatography and mass spectrometry expertise, functional/scientific instrument understanding, independent troubleshooting ability, curiosity to learn complementary techniques, and interest in future technical or organizational leadership. Supports polymers, chemicals, materials, and emerging technologies.

Position located at corporate headquarters in Spartanburg, SC; typical hours Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm.

• Use chemical and materials science principles, GC/LC/MS/HRAM, and complementary techniques to determine why products perform, fail, or change and recommend actionable solutions.
• Own GC, LC, and MS instruments and HRAM workflows, including readiness, documentation, queue discipline, data quality, method stewardship, maintenance, troubleshooting, repair coordination, and capability development.
• Define critical measurements, develop first-principles analytical strategies when the correct approach is not known, lead technical discussions, and establish testing programs.
• Solve R&D, raw material, quality, regulatory, and high-throughput analytical challenges across diverse platforms.
• Identify unknowns, monitor reactions, quantify knowns, and characterize materials from small molecules to high molecular weight polymers.
• Develop, optimize, validate, transfer, maintain, and troubleshoot sample preparation, chromatography, MS, interpretation, and reporting methods using hypothesis-driven root-cause analysis.
• Manage work streams from sample intake through analysis, interpretation, reporting, follow-up communication, and technical recommendations.
• Partner with product development, manufacturing, regulatory, research, and business teams; communicate results in reports, tables, charts, presentations, and project discussions.
• Learn, support, and help establish complementary capabilities including separations, wet chemistry, elemental analysis, spectroscopy, microscopy, thermal analysis, and physical testing.
• Comply with all safety requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree plus 4 years’ experience, Master’s degree plus 2 years’ experience, or Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry or related technical field.
• Demonstrated hands-on proficiency with chromatographic separations and mass spectrometry, including GC, LC, column selection, mobile phase design, sample preparation, method development/optimization, troubleshooting, repairs, instrument function, and HRAM analyses.
• Proven ability to develop, troubleshoot, validate, document, transfer, maintain, and steward analytical methods.
• Ability to operate effectively when the correct analytical approach is not known and…