Description
R&D Laboratory Supervisor
Company: Hitachi Industrial Equipment & Solutions America, LLC.
Division: Industrial Components & Equipment Division (ICED)
Location: Charlotte, NC
Status: Regular, Full-Time
Summary
Hitachi Industrial Equipment & Solutions America seeks to ‘Inspire the Next’ Chemist to supervise others within our R&D laboratory with a goal of providing quality continuous inkjet printing products for our customers. This position is open for a chemist to support the inkjet fluid business for marking and coding of everyday/ industrial products. The ideal candidate would be responsible for supervising others while supporting the development of inkjet inks and related products as requested by HIESA product management and the Sales teams.
The candidate would work with chemists in Charlotte and a team in Japan to learn/teach formulation and develop products alongside both factories. Candidate must have strong interpersonal skills and be willing/able to work independently as well as in a small team environment. Candidates who have a strong desire to design new inks, bring experience, knowledge, and openness to learning printer mechanics are the individuals are who we believe suit this role. The chemist will be expected to work closely with Hitachi industrial printers and must be willing to learn and then teach its operation to confirm ink performance and support/provide recommendations for field issues to the product teams and/or support global inquiries. Individuals with a passion for science, applied technologies, and prepared to keep pace with ever-changing needs in today’s global marking and coding business would be the ideal.
Responsibilities
- To supervise the day to day running of the laboratory ensuring that all activities are completed on schedule and according to written test procedures, in full accordance with company policy and procedure.
- Review of regulatory requirements while staying ahead of changes within the marketplace.
- Methodical formulation and development of new inks while taking into consideration established concepts and proven formulary techniques.
- Finding new raw materials by communicating with the suppliers, technical departments of those suppliers to support development strategies.
- Communicating chemistry concepts to the team and non-technical customers
- Test new fluids on continuous inkjet printers to confirm stability, usability, and performance. Items will need to be recorded and properly reported according to established standards to the Quality department for review.
- Investigate and propose solutions to printer issues as it pertains to the fluid.
- Responsible for maintaining a safe and clean working laboratory environment in compliance with OSHA and local safety regulations.
- Responsible for supporting/teaching maintenance, calibration, and accuracy of instrumentation and the reporting issues to senior management.
- Other assigned duties as brought on by new circumstances.
Requirements
- The successful candidate has a BS or MS in Chemistry, ChemE or relevant chemicals background. Candidates with experience will be considered based on their work/education history.
- Ability and willingness to work with hazardous solvents and chemicals is required.
- Must have a strong mechanical and/or electrical aptitude with the ability to learn to troubleshoot industrial printers as needed.
- Safety awareness in the laboratory and manufacturing environment
- Experience in data analytics and attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with high level of professionalism
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including willingness to learn needed functions/mentor others in something you may be more experienced with
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds safely.
- Ability to travel domestically and/or internationally if required.
Preferred Experience
- Knowledge of Design of Experiments and apply this concept/theory to create a development roadmap.
- Record of leadership i.e. project management and mentoring of other Chemists, technicians and manufacturing to achieve the expected quality efficiently
- Experience with gas chromatograph, UV-Vis, viscometer, Karl Fischer, and associated analytical methods.
- Experience with development of pigmented inks and dyes and their potential interactions
- Experience with development in chemical formulation in the ink / coatings industry
- Experience with ISO, cGMP, EuPIA standards
- Knowledge and understanding of polymers, interactions between materials, additives, and colorants for coatings.
- Support optimization of manufacturing process of developed products, lab equipment methods, and evaluating new equipment as needed per the project, price comparisons for ROI calculations, communication with vendors, and assist in procurement of any other needed equipment.
