About Chem-Pak
Chem-Pak, Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned contract manufacturer specializing in aerosol and liquid packaging for some of the most respected brands in the world. For over 60 years, we've built a reputation for solving complex challenges with speed, flexibility, and technical know-how across industries ranging from automotive and industrial to consumer goods.
We're in an exciting phase of growth and transformation: expanding production capacity, launching new proprietary product lines, and investing in digital systems like Microsoft Dynamics F&O. Our commitment to quality and innovation is at the heart of it all — and that's where you come in.
Position Summary
We are seeking a Senior Research & Formulation Chemist to lead the creation, development, and optimization of aerosol and liquid products. This role combines innovative research with hands-on formulation work, bridging early discovery with real-world manufacturing.
The ideal candidate thrives in the lab exploring new raw materials, while also ensuring formulas scale up reliably, safely, and cost-effectively for production and customer use.
Key Responsibilities
Research & Innovation
- Lead evaluation of new raw materials, technologies, and chemistries aligned to customer needs and Chem-Pak innovation priorities.
- Design and execute experiments using a data-driven approach (DOE/statistical thinking), including stability, performance, and compatibility testing.
- Identify and advance opportunities for intellectual property and technical differentiation, including documentation to support invention disclosures.
Formulation & Development
- Lead development of new formulas and reformulation of existing products to meet performance, cost, sustainability, and regulatory targets.
- Interpret results, draw technically defensible conclusions, and produce clear technical reports and recommendations.
- Own formulation optimization for manufacturability, scale-up robustness, and cost efficiency.
- Lead pilot plant and production scale-up activities (tech transfer), including risk assessment, troubleshooting, and cross-functional issue resolution.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Operations, Quality, and Regulatory to ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, and relevant industry standards; translate requirements into formulation and process decisions.
- Serve as a senior technical resource for customer inquiries, field issues, and special projects; provide clear technical guidance and options.
- Maintain high-quality documentation of procedures, results, specifications, and recommendations per company protocols.
Safety & Lab Practices
- Maintain a safe, organized laboratory environment and set expectations for safe work practices across the technical team.
Leadership & Program Ownership
- Mentor and develop junior technical staff; provide coaching on formulation approaches, test methods, documentation quality, and problem-solving rigor.
- Act as a technical point of contact for key customer programs and internal stakeholders.
- Lead technical efforts in commercialization and cross-functional execution (R&D ↔ Ops/Quality/Regulatory), including decision-making on readiness-to-scale.
- Champion innovation and continuous improvement across products, processes, and technical capabilities.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
- 7–12+ years of hands-on experience in formulation, applied R&D, or product development (aerosol, coatings, adhesives, or related industries preferred).
- Strong laboratory skills in experimental design, with understanding of Design of Experiment (DOE) principles.
- Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation, testing methods, and raw material evaluation.
- Excellent problem-solving skills, data analysis ability, and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong communication skills for preparing technical reports and collaborating across teams.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with LIMS or lab documentation systems a plus.
Working Conditions
- Full-time, onsite role based in our Martinsburg, WV facility.
- Standard Monday–Friday schedule (8 hours/day).
- Requires extended periods of standing or walking in a manufacturing and laboratory environment.
Why Join Us?
At Chem-Pak, you'll be part of a collaborative team focused on innovation, sustainability, and customer success. As a Senior Research & Formulation Chemist, you'll help shape our technical roadmap, lead programs from concept to production, and drive meaningful product differentiation — while contributing to a company investing in growth, capability-building, and digital transformation. We work hard, support one another, and hold ourselves to a high standard.
No recruiters or third-party agencies, please.
