Synthesis Chemist – CASE Additives & Thermoset Systems

Role details

Candidates must be willing to relocate to the Greater Chicago area; relocation assistance is provided.

A global manufacturer of specialty chemical intermediates is seeking a hands-on Senior Synthesis Chemist specializing in performance additives for thermoset polymer systems within the CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, & Elastomers) market.

Based in our primary R&D laboratory in the Greater Chicago area, you will lead the bench-scale design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel specialty additives—including functional surfactants, dispersants, catalysts, rheology modifiers, and reactive modifiers.

Key Responsibilities

• Additive Synthesis & Design: Design and execute bench-scale organic synthesis for custom functional additives (e.g., specialty alkoxylates, organo-silicones, phosphate esters, amine catalysts, and specialty surfactants) tailored for thermoset matrix integration.
• Thermoset Application Testing: Evaluate additive performance in thermoset formulations (polyurethanes, epoxies, polyureas, high-solids/radiation-curable systems) to optimize properties like surface wetting, defoaming, dispersion, adhesion, flow/leveling, and cure kinetics.
• Process Scale-Up: Work alongside process development engineers to transition synthesized additive molecules from multi-gram lab bench scale to pilot and full-scale manufacturing.
• Structure-Property Characterization: Utilize analytical techniques (FTIR, NMR, GPC, HPLC, surface tension, rheology) to confirm chemical structure, purity, and additive efficiency in thermoset applications.
• Commercial Collaboration: Partner with Technical Directors and Commercial Sales Managers to solve specific customer formulation challenges using custom-synthesized additive solutions.

Key Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Surface Chemistry, or Materials Science ( required ).
• Experience: 5\+ years of industrial R&D experience in synthetic chemistry, specifically focusing on additives for CASE and thermoset polymer technologies .
• Core Technical Expertise: Hands-on expertise in organic synthesis of functional molecules and performance additives (e.g., surfactants, catalysts, dispersants, reactive diluents, or surface modifiers).
• Relocation Requirement: Must be willing to relocate to the Greater Chicago area ( relocation package provided ).
• Analytical Capability: Strong proficiency in structural elucidation, surface physical chemistry, and thermoset crosslinking evaluation.