Now hiring! Chemist II - Automotive Refinish (Whitehouse)

Whitehouse, OH

We are looking for a Chemist II to join our Coatings team in Whitehouse, OH.

Come create chemistry with us!

BASF's Coatings division is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. This portfolio is supplemented by "Beyond Paint Solutions", which enable new applications with innovative surfaces.

As a Chemist II in the automotive refinish division (ECR), you will play a key role in both the technical and collaborative aspects of product development. You will be responsible for the development, evaluation, testing, and quality of new products requested by regional and/or global ECR marketing teams, as well as maintaining existing products within their life-cycle in the refinish portfolio. Products could include pigmented topcoats and auxiliary products for the automotive refinish market. In addition, you will also contribute to process improvements, formula modifications, and sustainability initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency and profitability.

As a Chemist II - Automotive Refinish (Whitehouse), you create chemistry by...

• Developing products for the refinish segment that meet global or other regional requirements, in close collaboration with marketing and technical teams.

• Modifying existing global ECR products to meet North American regional requirements, working with colleagues across regions to ensure consistency and quality.

• Designing experimental plans with supervisor approval, independently executing experiments, and communicating results to stakeholders to validate performance of coating formulations.

• Interacting regularly with production staff at various locations in North America and EMEA, using strong communication skills to address and resolve manufacturing challenges.

• Participating in global meetings with peers from technical, marketing, and supply chain, presenting your work and collaborating on solutions to shared challenges.

• Performing a variety of scientific tasks without direct supervision, while maintaining open lines of communication with your supervisor to set priorities and report progress.

• Reviewing product requirements and incorporating them into the quality system (SAP-QM), ensuring all stakeholders are informed of updates and changes.

• Participating actively in vendor meetings, communicating technical needs and building collaborative relationships. Staying current with state-of-the-art coatings, testing, process, and equipment technologies, and sharing relevant insights with your team. Managing intellectual property as it relates to ECR strategic concerns, and communicating implications to leadership as needed.

Collaboration and Communication Responsibilities:

• You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, production, and supply chain, to ensure that product requirements are clearly understood and met.
• Effective communication is essential, as you will regularly interact with production staff at various North American and EMEA manufacturing sites to solve manufacturing problems and optimize processes.
• You will participate in global meetings with peers from technical, marketing, and supply chain functions, presenting your work and sharing learnings from North America. This includes preparing and delivering technical reports that clearly outline activities, findings, and recommendations.
• You will actively engage in vendor meetings, fostering strong partnerships and ensuring alignment on technical requirements and quality standards.
• Your ability to communicate complex technical information in a clear and concise manner will be critical when collaborating with internal teams and external partners.

If you...

• Hold a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering (preferred)
• Have 3+ years relevant experience in product development of automotive coatings, preferably automotive refinish related coatings
• Have good laboratory skills and the ability to carry out laboratory work in a controlled environment, including proper use of a laboratory notebook to record data and observations accurately
• Demonstrate knowledge of safe laboratory practices
• Have good project management skills to execute a project in a time/cost efficient manner
• Are skilled with common paint manufacturing and testing equipment, e.g., milling, dispersing, blending, viscosity testing, FT-IR, physical testing
• Are familiar with design of experiments, control charts, statistical process control
• Have knowledge of intellectual property protection, including proper documentation
• Can handle obstacles in a calm and assertive way
• Are able to adjust to changing priorities

Create your own chemistry with you@BASF

At BASF, you will have the chance to do meaningful work towards building a more sustainable future. In addition to competitive compensation and benefits, BASF provides you with access to a wide range of elements to help you be your best. It’s what we call you@BASF. We are committed to providing benefits, programs, and opportunities that support our employees’ overall well-being, personal growth, and a safe, collaborative, and inclusive work environment.

Just some of the many benefits we offer include:

• Flexible work arrangements whenever possible
• Highly competitive retirement savings plan with company match and investment options
• Well-being programs that include comprehensive mental health support for you and your household family members
• Family forming benefits (fertility, adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, maternity/parental leave, and more)
• Back-up child and elder care with discount programs for families of all ages and stages
• Mentoring and career development opportunities that allow you to share, learn, and thrive
• Matching gifts program that allows you to deepen the impact of your contributions to qualified charities.
• Employee crisis support for when the unexpected happens
• Access to our BASF wine cellar, employee discounts, and much more!

About us

As one of the largest chemical companies in North America we have been finding solutions for your everyday needs and addressing the most complex economic, environmental, and sustainability challenges for more than 150 years!

At BASF we empower our employees with the tools, guidance and opportunities they need to advance and succeed in work and life. Giving you the support you need to be your best and fulfill your personal ambitions is what helps us create chemistry. After all, our success is linked to yours. Whatever path you envision, BASF is a great place to build a rewarding, successful career.

Belong to Something Bigger. #belongatBASF

Privacy statement

BASF takes security & data privacy very seriously. We will never request financial information of any kind via email, private text message or direct message on any social medial platform or job board. Furthermore, we will never send a candidate a check for equipment or request any type of payment during the job application process. If you have experienced any of the above, please contact myhr@basf.com to report fraud.

Equal employment opportunities

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, citizenship, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, disability status, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.