Research Chemist

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Location:

Northfield, IL, US, 60093

The Research Chemist in the Polymer Group at Stepan will be responsible for working collaboratively in a team environment to drive both short and long-term strategic projects to completion. The Research Chemist will conduct polymer synthesis, chemical analysis, formulation studies of new products and applications testing. In addition, the Research Chemist will develop initial business cases (e.g. white papers) for long-term initiatives to help populate the strategic project portfolio while collaborating between various functional groups to enable the project’s success.

• Organic and polymer synthesis, including kinetic and process-related experiments
• Polyurethane foam formulating and physical property testing
• Conduct analytical testing relevant to polyol projects, including NMR, FTIR, GPC, and other wet chemistry analytical methods
• Scale-up and process development for new polyol processes
• Pilot-scale development of new polyurethane foams
• Contributes to and actively participates in safety/waste programs and steadfastly adheres to safety policies/standards.
• Conceives of projects and ideas to contribute to company growth
• Interdepartmental collaboration on requests and technical projects
• Communicate project results to both internal and external customers

• Strong thermodynamic understanding and application to both new laboratory experiments and plant processes
• Experience integrating artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive modeling, and autonomous research tools into scientific workflows to enhance innovation, decision‑making, and research productivity.
• Strong organizational, writing, people, and communication skills.
• Good understanding of analytical capabilities related to organic molecules, including NMR, FTIR, GPC, TGA, etc.
• Understanding of structure-property relationships of polymers

• B.S. in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering with at least 8 years’ industrial experience
• Ph.D. Chemistry or Chemical Engineering with 0-5 years’ industrial experience.

$86,000 - $133,400

• Discretionary Bonus
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401K with Match
• Profit Sharing
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (STD / LTD)
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Reactions – Recognition Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Stepan Company does not accept or retain unsolicited resumes or phone calls and/or respond to them or to any third party representing job seekers.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Stepan is a global specialty and intermediate chemical manufacturer that has been serving a broad range of industries for over 90 years. Today, Stepan is a $2.7 billion revenue company. Our continued success is driven by the passion and commitment of our 2,500+ employees around the world.

• Stable & Growing
• Collaborative Environment
• Make a Difference & Be Recognized
• Committed to Safety & Sustainability
• Value Driven Culture

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