Process Safety Lab Scientist

Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, seeking, and adjusting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how to make them work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious?

Are you always solving?

Then we’d like to meet you and bet you’d like to meet us.

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for someone to join our team as a Scientist in our Process Safety Lab. This position is visible and significant and will report to the Applied Research Group Leader in Bridgewater, NJ.

This position will be located in Bridgewater, NJ.

To learn more about Ashland Specialty Ingredients, visit: www.ashland.com.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Work closely with process and plant engineers and quality and regulatory personnel to generate material and process hazard data, enabling Ashland and external customers to handle materials in manufacturing operations in a safe, sustainable and compliant manner.
• Maintain and calibrate lab equipment and instrumentation. Diagnose and repair faulty instrumentation, as needed.
• Keep detailed records of experiments, interpret test data and write test reports.
• Follow all safety policies and procedures, performing all duties in a safe manner.
• With supervisor, design and perform non-routine experiments to obtain calorimetric and manometric process safety data related to run-away reactions.
• With experience, the candidate will develop an understanding of testing methodologies, enabling design of custom testing protocols, and will obtain the problem-solving skills to identify causal factors for anomalies in test data.
• Process and evaluate test requests and incoming chemicals and samples, performing sample preparation and pre-test safety reviews.
• Maintain inventories of chemicals and spare parts. Ensure timely disposal of waste to keep work area clean and organized.
• Maintain detailed inventory of igniters and generate monthly NJ explosives use report.

In order to be qualified for this role, you must possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or chemical engineering
• Ability to work in highly collaborative, cross-functional environment involving global customers, labs, and manufacturing sites
• Understanding of chemical principles, good lab skills, neat working habits and excellent oral and written communication
• Good time management and organizational skills for supporting multiple projects
• Ability to obtain New Jersey Grade H permit to use explosives and to pass NJ State Police and ATF background checks
• Authorization to work in the United States

• Mechanical skills to work with common tools and small diameter tubing and tube fittings
• Ability to lift and move safely equipment and materials weighing up to 40 pounds

The following skill sets are preferred by the business unit:

• 2 to 5 years of work experience in process safety testing, analytical testing or quality control
• Knowledge of electrical principles and pressure and temperature measurement
• Experience working with compressed gases
• Experience in particle size analysis, moisture analysis, particle size reduction (milling and sieving), adiabatic calorimetry and Dust Hazard Characterization testing (20L sphere, MIE, MAIT, LIT, etc.)
• Knowledge of ASTM and EU combustible dust testing standards
• Knowledge of UN Tests for flammable solids, self-heating solids and oxidizing solids
• Understanding of synthetic and mechanistic organic chemistry

Perks of working at Ashland:

• Team and individual recognition rewards, employee engagement events, and company bonus plan
• Comprehensive benefit package, medical, dental and vision starting on day one for you AND your family
• Generous 401(k) plan with company match
• Referral bonus plan – get a job with us and get paid to refer your friends
• Good work/life balance with options for flexibility in work schedule

Excited to grow your career?

We value our talented employees and, whenever possible, strive to help one of our solvers grow professionally before recruiting new talent to our open positions. If you think the open position is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

Our solvers make all the difference in our success.

Ashland is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.