Entry Level Technical Service Coatings Scientist

Job Description

Entry Level Technical Service Coatings Scientist | Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP

The Tone:
This is an early career opportunity at Ashland Specialty Ingredients, GP, located in Wilmington, DE. Ashland is a global specialty chemicals company that provides technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Their chemistry is integral to various markets, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, personal care, and pharmaceutical. This role is a significant position within the Company and the R&D function, contributing to the Specialty Additives business by understanding how things work and figuring out how they can work better to deliver value.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Location: Wilmington, DE
• Team: Reports to a Senior Scientist
• Mission: This person evaluates coating additives, assesses additive performance, and supports product development and customer trials to enhance product solutions.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Experiment Design: Design and execute laboratory experiments to evaluate coating additives in paint formulations.
• Coating Formulation and Testing: Formulate and test architectural and industrial coatings to assess additive performance, including rheology, wetting, dispersion, and durability.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Analyze and interpret data to support product development initiatives, technical service requests, and customer trials.
• Documentation Creation: Prepare technical reports, presentations, and customer-facing documentation for various stakeholders.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with sales, marketing, and application development teams to provide essential technical support and recommendations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: BS minimum and MA/MS preferred in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer/Materials Science, or a related discipline, focusing on coatings.
• Experience: Minimum 3 years of experience in coatings formulation, additives, or a related field, with hands-on experience in paint testing methods such as viscosity, gloss, scrub resistance, adhesion, and opacity.
• Skills: Strong analytical skills, familiarity with coating additives like rheology modifiers, dispersants, defoamers, wetting agents, and biocides, and knowledge of structure-property relationships in coatings and additives.
• Bonus: Experience with customer interaction and providing technical service.