Principal Chemist

Lead Chemist

Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company, is seeking a talented scientist to join the Pulp & Paper Applications Research Group located in Naperville, IL.The mission of this team is to develop advanced technology that allows our packaging-board and tissue industry customers to improve the efficiency of their production processes, improve the end-use performance of their products, and improve the sustainability of their operations through efficient use of natural resources like water, fiber, and energy.

What’s in it For You:

• The opportunity to take on some of the world’s most meaningful challenges, helping customers achieve their objectives around Water, Food, Health and Climate.
• The ability to make an impact and shape your career with a company that is passionate about growth.
• The support of an organization that believes it is vital to include and engage diverse people, perspectives, and ideas to achieve our best.

What You Will Do:

• Develop solutions to complex research problems requiring creativity and ingenuity.  Plan, perform, and interpret results from relevant experiments and present data in a concise and usable format.
• Collaborate with a team of scientists and marketing associates with diverse backgrounds to develop new solutions to deliver enhanced strength attributes for the packaging (boxboard) market, to support the increased demand for e-Commerce.
• Ensure successful design, development, and deployment of new technologies by establishing effective working relationships with other company researchers at first, and increasingly with marketing, sales, and manufacturing over time.
• Interact directly with external and internal customers and suppliers to understand their processes, needs, and offers. Provide direct support to assist in the technology deployment process.  At times, this will require travel at a level up to 20%.
• Appropriately document all research and support activities using formal/informal reports and presentations.
• Ensure that all research activities are performed with safety as the top priority.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science or related discipline and 5 years experience working in an industrial RD&E environment; or
• MS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science or related discipline and 3 years experience working in an industrial RD&E environment; or
• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, or related discipline
• Ability to travel up to 20%
• Immigration sponsorship not offered for this position

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science, or related discipline and 2+ years experience working in an industrial RD&E environmen
• Demonstrated ability to solve challenging technical problems through laboratory research
• Proven track record of creative thinking, problem solving, and consistent delivery of results
• Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, prioritize, and execute research as an individual contributor and as a member of a team.
• Demonstrated learning agility.
• Strong interpersonal skills with respect to collaborating with co-workers and establishing effective networks.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Understanding of fundamental physical/chemical properties and structural activity relationships.
• Working knowledge of statistics
• PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
• Experience in commercialization of new products and technology solutions.
• Strong project management and communication skills.

A trusted partner at nearly three million commercial customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $12 billion and more than 44,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights, and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world.

When you come to work at Ecolab, you get to take on some of the world’s most meaningful challenges and have the opportunity to learn and grow, shape your career, make an impact and quickly see the importance of your work.

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