Development Scientist

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets specialty ingredients that improve and enhance the health and well-being of life on the planet, providing state-of-the-art solutions and the finest quality products for a range of industries worldwide. Our corporate headquarters is located in Montvale, New Jersey and we have a broad network of sales offices, manufacturing sites, and R&D centers, primarily located in the US and Europe. Founded in 1967, Balchem is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ - BCPC) with annual revenues over $900 million and a market cap exceeding $4.0 billion. The company consists of three business segments: Human Nutrition & Health; Animal Nutrition & Health; and Specialty Products. Balchem employs over 1,400 people worldwide who are engaged in diverse activities, committed to developing the company into global market leadership positions. To learn more about our dynamic, stable and growing company, visit www.balchem.com.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Development Scientist is a member of the R&D Group based in Ogden, UT, reporting to the R&D Development Manager. They will engage in diverse projects, focusing on product development and process support for manufacturing Balchem's reaction products, including various choline salts, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), chelated minerals, and more. These products cater primarily to the food, feed, nutraceutical, personal care, and pharmaceutical markets and utilize technologies such as spray drying, agglomeration, granulation, distillation, crystallization, microencapsulation, milling, and blending. The role entails collaboration with multiple departments, including manufacturing, supply chain, quality, sales, analytical labs, and other R&D groups.

The Development Scientist will generate scientific data across lab, pilot plant, and commercial scales to facilitate the transition into manufacturing, including overseeing plant trials across multiple locations. The role encompasses, management of change administration, utilizing various quality systems for change approval, and implementing approved changes. The working environment encompasses office, laboratory, pilot production, and manufacturing settings, with occasional business travel required in domestic and international settings. The Development Scientist will serve as both a team member and a Project Manager/Technical Project Leader for new product development and support projects. This role demands strategic and tactical acumen, offering diverse challenges and opportunities for career growth. Responsibilities include participation in new process and product developments, process and product improvements, conducting lab-scale and pilot experiments, commercialization studies for new products and applications, product characterization studies, qualifying new raw materials, and performing analytical work. Additionally, the Development Scientist will provide technical and customer support for existing and new product lines

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Ensure safety compliance in all situations, including enforcement of safety policies and use of safety equipment (PPE).
• Develop processes and protocols for product manufacture using technologies such as spray drying, high-shear blending, fluid bed agglomeration and granulation, and other equipment.
• Act as either a Project Manager/Technical Project Leader or a team member for research projects aimed at designing, developing, and improving the product portfolio.
• Collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and other functional partners to develop and test product development solutions and troubleshoot issues.
• Effectively communicate project status and information with functional partners and management teams.
• Oversee and execute bench, pilot, and commercial scale trials to prepare for full-scale production.
• Design experiments, conduct technical experiments, analyze data, and report findings both written and orally.
• Maintain laboratory instruments and equipment and conduct performance verifications.
• Troubleshoot production problems related to raw materials, equipment, and processing conditions.
• Conduct research to improve formulations, evaluate processing methods, and enhance product and process quality.
• Document project work and activities for patent filing and future reference.
• Assist with contract manufacturing, technology transfers, customer complaint resolution, and out-of-specification investigations.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Travel up to 10% of the time and be available at non-traditional hours for scale-up trials as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a closely related field required.
• 2-4 years of industrial experience in process or product development and commercialization in the food, feed, nutraceutical, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries preferred.
• 2-4 years of benchtop laboratory and pilot plant experience preferred.
• Excellent communication, influencing, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Highly self-motivated, comfortable working individually and with teams, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently.
• Ability to apply scientific principles to new situations and provide innovative solutions.
• Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications; ability to learn new applications quickly.
• Experience with statistical software (Minitab, JMP, R), enterprise management systems (Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, SAP), Lean Six Sigma, and project management is a plus.
• Knowledge of food, dietary supplement, and pharmaceutical cCMPs preferred.

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Balchem is committed to a workplace culture that values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equal employment opportunities, and a work environment free of harassment and hostility.

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