The Senior Chemist is an individual contributor responsible for establishing, qualifying, operating, and maintaining a specialized chemical synthesis process used to produce a polyphosphazene-based solid material for medical device coating applications. This role provides deep technical chemistry expertise across process setup, raw material preparation, reaction execution, in-process controls, quality checks, analytical testing, documentation, and ongoing process performance.

Under general supervision, this position supports a hybrid scope that includes analytical laboratory metrology support for Receiving Inspection testing as well as hands-on batching of the chemical material for use in production at a sister facility. The Senior Chemist will lead and execute small-scale organic and polymer chemistry activities involving monomer preparation, trimer formation, subsequent reaction steps, and production of a polyphosphazene solid used as a key coating ingredient.

The role requires strong technical judgment, disciplined laboratory execution, excellent attention to detail, and a genuine passion for chemistry. The Senior Chemist will partner with internal teams and external vendors, including third-party analytical laboratories, to evaluate material quality and confirm process outputs using appropriate analytical methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance testing and other relevant characterization techniques.

This individual is expected to operate with a strong commitment to quality, safety, environmental responsibility, and clear communication. Because some process steps involve hazardous solvents and chemical handling, the Senior Chemist must model rigorous laboratory practices and help ensure that work is performed safely, consistently, and in accordance with applicable procedures and requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the setup, qualification, operation, and maintenance of specialized laboratory chemical synthesis processes used to produce polyphosphazene-based solid material for medical device coating applications.
• Execute complex organic and polymer chemistry processes, including monomer preparation, trimer formation, reaction execution, purification, isolation, drying, and handling of final solid material.
• Support analytical laboratory metrology activities, including operation, coordination, troubleshooting, documentation, and interpretation of testing used to evaluate raw materials, intermediates, and finished products.
• Set up, configure, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory glassware, reaction vessels, associated equipment, and supporting process materials required for chemical synthesis.
• Develop, maintain and recommend appropriate process controls, in-process checks, acceptance criteria, documentation practices, and quality control activities to ensure consistent material output.
• Perform or coordinate analytical and metrology testing to evaluate raw materials, intermediates, process outputs, and final polyphosphazene solid material.
• Coordinate testing with external analytical laboratories, including nuclear magnetic resonance testing and other chemistry characterization methods, as needed.
• Review, interpret, document, and communicate analytical results from internal testing and third-party laboratories to support material release, process evaluation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Order, receive, track, and maintain raw materials, solvents, reagents, consumables, and laboratory supplies required to support chemistry process operations.
• Ensure raw materials, reagents, solvents, and process supplies are appropriately specified, documented, stored, labeled, controlled, and available to support planned laboratory work.
• Develop, revise, and maintain laboratory procedures, work instructions, batch records, test methods, process documentation, and technical reports.
• Support process qualification activities, including protocol development, execution, data review, deviation investigation, and final report preparation.
• Identify, investigate and recommend complex chemistry, process, material, equipment, metrology, and analytical challenges using sound scientific judgment, data analysis, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve process consistency, yield, safety, efficiency, material quality, analytical reliability, and laboratory workflow.
• Partner with Analytical Lab, R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, EH&S, Supply Chain, Procurement, sister-site production teams, and external vendors to support material readiness for medical device coating applications.
• Maintain strong compliance with good laboratory practices, applicable quality procedures, chemical hygiene expectations, hazardous material handling requirements, and environmental, health, and safety requirements.
• Serve as a technical resource/subject matter expert for the polyphosphazene synthesis process, associated chemistry controls, analytical methods, and material quality expectations.
• Mentor and coach less experienced scientists, engineers, chemists, or technicians in laboratory practices, chemistry methods, documentation expectations, and safe execution of hazardous chemical processes.
• Communicate technical issues, process risks, quality concerns, supply constraints, and improvement opportunities to project teams and next-level management.
• Responsible for communicating business-related issues or opportunities to the next level of management.
• Responsible for ensuring personal and Company compliance with all Federal, State, local, and Company regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with Quality Procedures, Laws, and Regulations of applicable markets.
• Performs other duties assigned as needed.

• Significant hands-on laboratory experience with organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, process chemistry, specialty chemical production, or analytical chemistry support.
• Experience setting up, qualifying, operating, troubleshooting, and documenting chemical processes.
• Experience working with hazardous solvents, reactive materials, laboratory-scale chemical processes, and chemical hygiene requirements.
• Experience operating in GMP, GLP, or other regulated/quality-controlled laboratory or production environments preferred.
• Experience in a regulated industry such as medical device, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, specialty chemical, or other quality-controlled environment preferred.
• Experience coordinating testing with external analytical laboratories preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Certifications/Licenses:

• Advanced knowledge of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, process chemistry, and laboratory-scale synthesis.
• Strong understanding of chemical reaction setup, glassware configuration, reagent handling, solvent handling, purification, isolation, drying, and solid material handling.
• Knowledge of polyphosphazene chemistry or related specialty polymer chemistry strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of analytical chemistry methods used to characterize organic and polymer materials, including NMR, spectroscopy, chromatography, thermal analysis, or other relevant techniques.
• Ability to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and document laboratory equipment and testing/metrology systems used to support chemical process evaluation.
• Strong ability to review and interpret analytical data, identify trends, investigate unexpected results, and recommend scientifically sound actions.
• Strong documentation skills, including experience with laboratory notebooks, batch records, test records, technical reports, protocols, procedures, and quality records.
• Demonstrated ability to establish process controls, in-process checks, quality checks, and acceptance criteria for specialized chemical processes.
• Strong understanding of good laboratory practices, chemical hygiene, hazardous material handling, waste management, and EH&S expectations.
• Ability to safely work with hazardous solvents and chemicals while following required PPE, engineering controls, respiratory protection requirements, and company procedures.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage supplies, coordinate vendors, plan laboratory work, track deliverables, and communicate status.
• Ability to interact effectively with third-party laboratories, suppliers, technical vendors, Quality, Regulatory, EH&S, Procurement, Supply Chain, sister-site production partners, and internal project teams.
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to disciplined laboratory execution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to mentor and coach less experienced technical personnel.

Additional Position Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will work in a laboratory environment and may work with hazardous solvents, reactive chemicals, glassware, chemical process equipment, analytical/metrology equipment, and chemical waste streams.

This position requires the ability to wear required personal protective equipment, which may include lab coat, gloves, eye protection, chemical-resistant PPE, and respiratory protection. Respirator use is required for certain process steps and may be required for several hours at a time. The employee must be able to meet applicable medical clearance, fit testing, training, and use requirements for respiratory protection.

The employee must be able to follow chemical hygiene, hazardous material handling, spill response, waste disposal, and environmental, health, and safety procedures. The employee may occasionally work near moving mechanical parts or equipment.

The employee may be required to sit, stand, walk, reach, bend, use hands and fingers, handle laboratory materials, and communicate with others for extended periods. The work environment may include exposure to chemical odors or controlled chemical handling areas when appropriate engineering controls and PPE are in use.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

Travel requirement: up to 10%.