As the Principal Scientist at a profitable start-up company, you’ll shape innovation in chemical formulations for the water treatment industry, working hands-on in the lab while driving the technical vision for R&D. You’ll collaborate closely with key teams to ensure products meet industry standards and customer expectations.

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You’ll Want to Explore this Opportunity Because: 

• Autonomy & Access: You’ll have significant independence, reporting directly to a dynamic CEO while working in a satellite lab with a small, focused product development team.
• Scientific Leadership: You’ll serve as the organization’s go-to authority in water treatment chemistry, shaping products end-to-end. The company disrupted its market and reached profitability within its first two years, now focused on product improvement and supply chain stability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: You’ll work closely with Operations, Marketing, and the chemistry team to translate scientific ideas into successful commercial products.

Location: Lab space in Wilmington DE, with corporate headquarters in New York City.

What You’ll Be Doing: 

Lead the development of chemical formulations and new product forms (granules, liquids, tablets, advanced delivery systems), with significant hands-on time in the lab.

• Improve existing products to enhance performance and address supply chain constraints.
• Evaluate and characterize third-party products to support internal development and registration efforts (reverse engineering).
• Operate and troubleshoot analytical instrumentation to support formulation decisions.
• Complete pilot studies and field trials to confirm real-world performance and scalability.
• Translate market insights and company priorities into actionable product improvements and new product concepts.
• Oversee efficacy, user experience, safety, shelf life, and regulatory testing to support commercialization decisions.
• Serve as the scientific expert in water treatment chemistry, supporting customer service and technical education.
• Work closely with Operations and Marketing to move products from development through commercialization.

What You’ll Bring to the Job: 

Your ability to work hands-on in a product development and analytical chemistry lab, combined with technical project leadership experience.

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, preferably Inorganic Chemistry.
• 5+ years of progressive industry experience in product or process development, within the specialty chemical or water treatment industry, beyond academic research.
• Demonstrated success formulating products and supporting commercialization.
• Strong foundation in water treatment chemistry, with deep knowledge of inorganic and/or organic chemistry relevant to treatment technologies. Foundational expertise may come from earlier academic research.
• Experience with a range of analytical instrumentation.
• Strong expertise in experimental design and statistical data analysis.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as EPA, NSF, and FIFRA, and associated safety testing protocols.
• Solids handling experience is a strong plus.
• Must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer without sponsorship now or in the future.

Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer with fantastic benefits as described below: 

• 20 days PTO
• Medical Insurance: 3 plan levels ($300–$6,350 deductibles; 80–100% coverage)
• Dental Insurance: PPO plan with $1,500 annual max; 100% preventive, 90% basic, 60% major; orthodontia up to $1,500
• Vision Insurance: $10 copays; $150 frame or contact allowance every 12 months
• Life Insurance: 2× salary up to $500,000, company-paid
• Voluntary Life & AD&D: Employee up to $300K; spouse/child up to 50% of employee coverage
• Long-Term Disability: 60% of monthly earnings, up to $12,000, company-paid
• Continuing Education & Tuition Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program and Wellness Benefits