Senior R&D Chemist

NewMarket
Richmond, Virginia
Full Time

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Overview

ABOUT US:

Afton Chemical Corporation is part of the NewMarket Corporation (NYSE: NEU) family of companies, and is one of the largest global suppliers of lubricant additives and offers a broad line of fuel additives worldwide.

JOB SUMMARY: Undertake projects to develop fundamental understanding of lubricant performance and develop new components to address those needs.

Responsibilities

Develop fundamental understanding of lubricating oil performance, including developing structure/function relationships of componentry, reaction kinetics, dose-response relationships, and other mechanistic tools to deepen our understanding of our products.

Use mechanistic understanding to design, and synthesize new components. Be able to practically characterize those components using standard analytical techniques, including NMR, MS, and spectroscopy.

Test, and commercialize new components to enable next generation lubricant additives. Understanding and use of statistics to analyze test data, and ensure robust performance. Work with Afton Process Development to translate the component synthesis to full scale manufacture, and provide critical quality parameters.

Maintain a current understanding of chemical industry suppliers and raw material supply chains. Work with Afton Environmental, Health, & Safety to ensure chemical safety and compliance.

Work with Legal team to ensure effective protection and generation of IP for Afton.

Maintain accurate, up-to-date lab notebooks in accordance with established company policy. Maintain objectivity and accuracy in reporting and recording data.

Interact and maintain technical relationship with 3rd party suppliers.

Technical project management in line with Afton Product Development Process. May coordinate several workstreams in parallel.

Where necessary, represent the company in technical societies and other industry activities. Maintain adequate level of technical expertise and self-development through study, seminars, etc. Keep informed of advanced developments inside and outside the company.

May direct the work of technicians and other chemists assigned to projects.

Complete special assignments and participate in project teams as required for business needs and for your personal development.

Take personal responsibility for a safe working environment in the office and laboratory. Know, understand and consistently adhere to established safety policy and procedures. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of changes or additions to safety procedures and assist in safety training activities as required.

Qualifications

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE MINIMUMS:

BS/PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or equivalent.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE PREFERRED:

BS/PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or equivalent.
Experience in chemical synthesis, and chemical characterization are necessary. Experience of reaction kinetics and mechanism is preferred. Experience with multi-step synthesis and purification techniques is preferred. Expertise in chromatography and spectroscopy for chemical characterization and ability to interpret analytical data are necessary. Other areas that are useful are polymer chemistry, S/P chemistry, alkylation, isomerization, tribology, surfactants, and surface chemistry.
Use of statistical analysis software for analyzing large data sets is preferred.

SKILLS/ABILITIES:

Good technical understanding BS/PhD or equivalent in Chemistry or Engineering
Effective project manager demonstrate the ability to manage complex technical projects and work productively in cross functional teams on a global basis.
Computer skills beyond Microsoft suite
Strong analytical skills
Ability to effectively solve problems.
Natural inquisitiveness
Ability to flex to changing priorities and time demands
Ability to communicate information clearly and succinctly and ultimately in an engaging and compelling manner at all levels.
Organizational skills able to prioritize work, develop appropriate timelines and work to deadlines
Drive and focus to achieve challenging goals; identifies key difficulties and moves quickly to resolve the situation
Able to travel as required

Working at Afton

Who We Are - We're a diverse, global family of individuals, who share a passion for developing innovative solutions. We build our professional relationships on respect, integrity and a commitment to safety and quality. Just as these values apply to our professional relationships, they also apply to the way we feel about our neighbors and communities.

Our Work - At Afton, our innovative R&D programs lead to global growth. Our lubricant and fuel additives are among the most highly developed and widely used in the petroleum industry. Afton is a recognized and trusted supplier of driveline lubricant additives, engine oil additives, fuel additives and industrial lubricant additives.

Benefits / Compensation - We offer competitive compensation and benefit packages that reflect our commitment to our employees. Our employees are our most treasured asset and we have dedicated resources that allow us to reward our employees for their commitment on an ongoing basis - ensuring our compensation packages are competitive in the industry

An Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to the individuals race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit based factors.

Job ID: 478754237

Originally Posted on: 5/28/2025

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