Laboratory Chemist

The Laboratory Chemist ensures that products meet or exceed customer specifications for quality and food-safety related requirements by developing an in depth understanding of specific systems including instrumentation, calibration, maintenance, crosschecks, methods, procedures, raw materials, food safety, and training. In this role, you will ensure customer satisfaction while helping to minimize cost, waste, and process variation.  Gaining knowledge of the relationship of lab data and production processes, will support maximizing process yield, and efficiency, and safety.  Functioning as a specialist backup is also part of the role.

Key Responsibilities

• Generates and analyzes data from well-established methodologies under standard conditions
• Follows template or standard procedure to review and present results
• Assure products meet specifications through in-process and final product approval compliance checks relative to internal and external specifications
• Completes specifically assigned tasks accurately and on time, including some instrument maintenance, drawing on detailed instructions or previous experience with similar tasks
• Generates and interprets technical results and documents information
• Provide process improvement support, specialized testing, training, system audit support, data analysis, trend identification, troubleshooting, corrective action, and communication regarding in process data and final product.
• Operates safely within NatureWorks policies, procedures and governmental regulations and fully participates in and champions NatureWorks Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) Programs

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• 1 year of experience
• Ability to contribute, both as part of a team and individually
• Microsoft Office proficiency (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Proven written and verbal communication skills
• Able to work a flexible schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong analytical skills and experience with good laboratory practices
• Proven ability to anticipate, recognize, solve process and laboratory problems
• Experience working with an enterprise resource planning platform, such as SAP
• Experience working with electronic lab data tools, such as LIMS
• Proven experience in prioritizing work and meeting deadlines

Other (knowledge, skills and abilities):

• Supports NatureWorks vision and values through project / teamwork
• Understands the plans for meeting the business strategy and objectives, and how it relates to daily activities
• Demonstrates speed and flexibility as appropriate in responding and adapting to changes
• Promotes cooperation within the team and between teams

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:

• Standard work hours; currently rotating shift. This position requires participation in laboratory, process modeling and production activities - on occasions, shift staffing coverage, and/or support for production trials may require extra work hours on weekends, shifts, or odd hours
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 pounds; will follow Company safety and ergonomic guidelines to avoid injury