Principal Microbiologist

Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company, is seeking a talented scientist with expertise in microbiology and microbial control to join the Manufacturing R&D team located in Naperville, IL as a Principal Microbiologist.  The Manufacturing R&D team supports the Water businesses for institutional, transportation, manufacturing and textile care.  This role will lead microbial control innovation projects, work closely with divisional marketing leads, communicate regularly with the field/customers/business leaders, design/test/implement new programs, and ensure a robust pipeline for new products and platforms that help our customers solve complex cooling and industrial water related problems.

What you will do

• Manage and drive projects that deliver unique microbial solutions related to water usage and cooling for our manufacturing customers.

• Create and improve programs for microbial control for advanced and traditional cooling and industrial water applications.

• 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. 

• Ensure protection of Nalco Water intellectual property through patenting, licensing, and joint development agreements.

• Collaborate with a diverse, cross-functional team of sales leaders, researchers, industry technical consultants, functional business partners, marketing and OEM partners to develop new ideas that solve difficult problems related to water usage and energy efficiency in the manufacturing business units.

• Communicate project status and innovation impact regularly to stakeholders and business leaders.

• Support the microbial roadmap for traditional and new technologies within the water solutions space including water safety programs. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Degree or advanced degree in Microbiology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or related discipline:  BS and 5 years of related experience or MS and 3 years of experience or PhD.

• Experience in microbial control.

• Immigration Sponsorship not available for this role

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience in technical project leadership

• Extensive knowledge of cooling water technologies and/or industrial cooling.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.

• Knowledge of customer requirements, industry standards, and regulations related to cooling distribution units and cooling systems.

• Experience in project management and leading design/testing projects.

Annual or Hourly Compensation Range

The pay range for this position is $83,600.00 - $125,400.00. Many factors are taken into consideration when determining compensation, such as experience, education, training, geography, etc. We comply with all minimum wage and overtime laws.

Benefits 

Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits. 

If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here. 

Potential Customer Requirements Notice

To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer-facing roles may need to:

- Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.

- Be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including a booster if eligible, unless a religious or medical accommodation is requested by the applicant and approved by Ecolab.

 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

Ecolab will provide reasonable accommodation (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with our application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require accommodation assistance in this application process, please visit the Recruiting Support link in the footer of each page of our career website.