Job Description:
About Us:
ITW Car Care is a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), specializing in automotive aftermarket products. The division offers a diverse portfolio of brands such as Rain-X wiper blades, visibility enhancing products, and water repellent treatments, including our 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner. Black Magic to support all your wheel and tire needs including Tire Wet.
Summary:
The ideal candidate will bring a blend of technical and formulation expertise in aftermarket car care product development and strategy. Under the technical collaboration and/or direction of an R&D Leadership, the candidate will develop multiple projects in a fast-paced innovative environment. They are responsible for research,
development,
technical
evaluation
and
testing
of
the
formulations.
This
position
requires
a
creative individual with a passion for technical learning and curiosity. The Senior Lead Chemist will spend approximately 50% of
their
daily activity working at the lab bench
to create new
products and solve complex technical problems to support the ITW Global Brand’s business strategies.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Translates customer needs/consumer paint points into effective product designs and customer-driven innovation strategies by partnering with Marketing & Technical Service/Application Engineering.
- Identifies, plans, recommends and completes major technical programs leading to innovative applications or extensions of existing and new technologies that have significant impact on the organization.
- Collaborate with various raw material suppliers/cross functional teams to research, develop and create differentiated products and solutions using surfactants, silicone fluid and its derivatives, polymers, and solvents.
- Lead formula development & manage technical aspects of assigned projects within ITW’s stage-gate process in conjunction with a project manager.
- Clearly identify project goals, product design requirements, technical approach, test strategy, and conduct laboratory evaluations, comparison testing and issue final comprehensive reports.
- Conduct patent searches to monitor competitive innovations and generate intellectual property in own area of development in the form of patents, formulation know-how, and trade secrets.
- Support the scale-up of formulations from lab scale to mid- and full-size manufacturing batches. Coordinate and work with internal departments on the technology transfer for scale-up, and commercialization, and determine the appropriate design and product specifications to maximize ease of manufacturing and customer applications. Knowledge of ISO practice/requirements for manufacturing scaleups will be added advantage.
- Provide short- and long-term support for current products to maintain ITW’s reputation for quality and performance by qualifying alternative sources of raw materials and validating performance.
- Manage multiple projects/tasks independently and as part of a team and fully utilize analytical laboratory equipment.
- Understand, follow and stay abreast of important safety, health, environmental, quality and regulatory requirements affecting this industry.
- Minimal business travel required (< 10%)
- Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master’s degree, or higher, in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. Ph.D. preferred.
- Minimum 6-8 years product formulation experience, preferably with consumer-packaged goods.
Additional qualifications to help you succeed in the role:
- Experience in surfactant/silicone/solvent/inorganic and polymer chemistry. Knowledge of surface wetting / non-wetting phenomena, knowledge of reactive chemistry a plus.
- Experience in physical/chemical characterization of surfaces.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced innovative environment.
- Ability to work independently and as a contributing team member.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and logical approach to solving scientific problems.
- Detail oriented, flexible, innovative and self-motivated.
- Must demonstrate ability to perform tasks correctly and consistently.
- Willing to collaborate and work in cross-functional teams to advance ideas and projects.
- Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills are essential with the ability to clearly present ideas to a cross-functional team and manufacturing partners.
