Job Summary

It’s an exciting time to be part of the IFF family. The combination of IFF and DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences unites us to form a global leader in taste, scent, nutrition and biosciences, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy.

This Polymer Derivatization Lead Engineer position will join the Health and Biosciences business division (formerly DuPont). He/she will be one of the key members in Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials™ product development, at the junction between discovery and manufacturing.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of polymer derivatization processes.
• Conduct hands on small-scale syntheses in the laboratory to generate new derivatized polymers for performance and stability studies.
• Maintain and operate high-pressure reactors, ensuring proper maintenance of equipment.
• Coordinate and enable execution of pilot-scale campaigns to produce representative materials for regulatory and commercialization purposes.
• Evaluate the feasibility of scaling the technology and collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate experimental and pilot-scale data into commercial-scale processes.
• Solve complex engineering problems where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of various factors to get to the root cause(s).
• Provide technical guidance and expertise in identifying and troubleshooting polymer derivatization process problems.
• Actively participate in the execution of scale-up/scale-down methodology for polymer derivatization processes, including design and analysis of experiments.
• Handle hazardous chemicals and perform hazard analyses, ensuring process safety and proper documentation. Actively participate in safety reviews, HAZOP processes, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations and IFF safety standards.
• Work collaboratively with functional group leaders and team members to enable efficient execution of projects’ objectives.
• Work as an individual contributor to conduct experiments and advance projects. Pursue novel technical ideas aligned with delivering business impact.
• Contribute to chemistry and process improvement efforts through different methodologies, such as supporting the implementation of screenings and small-scale assays.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and team members.
• Document experiments, deliver technical presentations, and generate progress, technical, legal, and/or regulatory reports.
• Increase level of professional expertise of self and team through scientific literature and network contacts.
• Identify shortcomings in existing research procedures and systems and propose solutions to address them.

Requirements:

• Ph.D. degree in relevant Engineering or Polymer Science disciplines with at least 4 years industrial experience

OR

• Master’s degree in relevant Engineering or Polymer Science disciplines with at least 8 years industrial experience

OR

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant Engineering or Polymer Science disciplines with at least 12 years industrial experience
• Experience in successfully introducing polymer-based organic reactions to the commercial scale, including contract manufacturing, by working at various scales (benchtop, pilot and commercial scales)
• Demonstrated success in trouble shooting during process development
• Strong understanding of organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, reaction mechanisms, and process optimization.
• Experience with high-pressure reactors and maintenance of such equipment.
• Expertise in organic chemistry, chemical transformation, solvent handling, and process safety.
• Demonstration of exceptional capabilities in educational pursuits and associated work/study programs
• Experience applying design of experiments, statistical analyses, and developing cost estimates
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and mentor junior engineers. Experience in fostering a collaborative and innovative team environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter with good organizational skills, attention to detail, and project leadership experience
• Flexible to work on an agile team in a dynamic environment
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Some travel required
• Position located in Wilmington, DE

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with vetting tolling options for derivatization processes
• Knowledge in analytical chemistry and familiarity with analytical tools
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements for polymer products
• Strong skills as demonstrated by publications in peer reviewed journals and/or intellectual property
• Automation & process control experience is a plus