Product Development Chemist

Franklin International, a leading manufacturer of adhesives, coatings, and sealants is currently seeking a Product Development Chemist in our Adhesives & Polymers Research and Development Department. This position is responsible for supporting the lab’s efforts to develop new products and technologies as well as to improve current adhesive technologies by performing a variety of chemist and laboratory job duties.

Fundamental Job Tasks:

Product Development

• Independently lead product development projects from lab synthesis to plant production and customer trials;
• Responsible for internal/external communication on project progress through project team meeting, stage gate meeting, customer meeting, verbal or email communication;
• Manage projects through Stage Gate Process:
• Early engagement in customer interviews to develop clear technical requirements;
• Develop technical plan that includes technical approach, resource needs, testing methods and timeline that aligned with customer and business expectation;
• Synthesize, formulate, test the adhesives and analyze results;
• Upon customer approval of adhesive candidates, scale-up in pilot and production scale;
• Lead customer coating trials with the support of tech service group;
• Lead the project through final qualification and commercialization;
• Provide technical support after products are fully commercialized;
• Manage and develop technician and/or intern to support product development projects;
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to achieve growth target;
• Ability to perform in a team environment and encourage teamwork and information sharing;
• Manufacturing support, include new product scale up or existing products consistency and quality;
• Observe safety and environmental guidelines while handling products, raw materials and wastes.
• Conduct review meetings as is necessary to ensure that the Product and Process Development priorities are aligned with those of management of the functional areas (Administration, Sales and Marketing, Operations, Logistics, Quality, EH&S, etc.)

Customer Engagement 

• Attend or present technical work at Trade Meetings and Conferences as defined by the Business Leader and Technical Leader
• Build peer-to-peer relationships at customers as defined by the Business Leader and Technical Leader

 Knowledge and Skills:

• PhD in Polymer chemistry or Materials Sciences or chemical engineering with excellent background in polymers.
• 1-5 years of work experience in research institute or industrial product development group, pressure sensitive adhesive experience preferred but not necessary.
• Experience in emulsion acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive polymer design, synthesis, formulation, scale up, coating and manufacturing. 
• Must have strong understanding of polymer structure-property relationships along with chemistry/rheology/engineering and plastic processing fundamentals with conceptual skills.
• Experience in adhesion science, rheology, polymer characterization would be preferred. 
• Strong analytical, creativity and problem-solving. 
• Has a logical scientific approach to identify problem and solving by understanding the scientific fundamentals of issues.
• Demonstrated understanding of one or more of the following techniques, including method development: GC and/or GCMS, LC and/or LCMS, GPC/SEC, XRD, DMA, DSC, TGA.
• Bench chemistry formulation experience along with classic testing instrumentation knowledge.
• Excellent communications skills and strong inter-personal skills are required. 

About Us

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin International is among the largest privately held manufacturers of adhesives and sealants in the United States. We opened in 1935 as the Franklin Glue Company and today are known as Franklin International to reflect our global distribution across 60 countries on six continents around the globe. Our Construction Building Products division provides the Titebond brand of glues, adhesives and sealants for use in woodworking and all facets of residential and commercial construction. Franklin International employs over 400 people in its laboratory, R&D center, sales/marketing offices and manufacturing facility, all located at its corporate headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. We are an American family-owned, U.S.-based company and our products sold in the U.S. are made in America.

Franklin International is proud of our family-friendly atmosphere. We are small enough that people know your name, but big enough to have the resources available to do amazing things within our industry. Our award-winning benefits program includes a wide range of benefits from medical, dental, and vision insurance to more unique options like a free on-site fitness center, nurse health coach, 529 Plan matching, and adoption support. Our average employee tenure is over twelve years; learn more at www.FranklinInternational.com.

Our Vision: To be the most trusted adhesion company in the world.