R&D Chemist I

Job Title:

R&D Chemist I

Department:

Research & Development

Position Type:

Full-time

FLSA Category:

Salary, Exempt

Grade/Rate:

E47

Location:

Bradford Refinery

Reports to:

Manager of R&D

Schedule/Shift:

Days, M-F

INTERNAL CANDIDATES: Before submitting resume, it is required that you contact the area supervisor for an overview at which time the job will be explained in greater detail. If no applications are received, the Company may assign people to the vacancy.

Company Info

ARG is the longest continuously operating refinery in North America dating back to 1881. Privately held, the employees and leadership pride themselves on offering competitive pay, generous benefits and a supportive culture of growth and learning. In addition to a 401k retirement plan to which the company makes matching contributions, ARG offers participation in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to qualified employees, through which they share in the profits of the company.

Position Description

The R&D Chemist I position will have an emphasis on bench testing methods to simulate refinery processes including hydrogenation, dewaxing, distillation, solvent extraction, and propane de-resining. Job assignments will include operating the R&D hydrogenation unit and characterizing various petroleum fractions from crude oil assays. The role will also include exposure to instrumental methods of analysis including GC, HPLC, and FTIR. Other duties include method development, customer service projects, formulating and testing of refinery products &/or blended lubricants, as well as developing product specifications. Success requires specialized education and exposure to chemical concepts, laboratory practices, and interpretation of data, analytical instrumentation, and safety. Individuals in this role will report to the Manager of R&D.

Scope & Responsibilities

• Generate and analyze routine and non-standard laboratory tests &/or methods
• Support and comply with chemical hygiene plan
• Write technical reports and standard operating procedures
• Update and maintain product specification sheets
• Develop formulations for refinery products and blended lubricants
• Interact as required with customers and suppliers
• Perform document control in accordance with ISO 9001 standards and certification.
• Conduct literature searches on assigned research projects
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on various assignments
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned by Supervisor/Management

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry or chemical engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
• A minimum of 1-2 years of related experience is preferred
• Knowledge of petroleum chemistry, refinery operations or petrochemical products is desired.
• Proficient in the use of computers and Windows based programs including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook as well as other applicable software.

Competencies & Performance Areas

• Self-motivated and able to apply complex problem-solving techniques from knowledge acquired by reviewing technical literature, procedures, and specifications.
• Demonstrate well-defined interpersonal skills and effectively interact with internal and external customers.
• The ability to work independently with minimal supervision is essential.
• Successfully prioritize and multi-task handling several different activities simultaneously.
• Adaptable to change and challenges that commonly arise in R&D environment.
• Exhibit the desire to practice Servant-Leadership.

Physical & Cognitive Demands

COGNITIVE DEMANDS: Meet deadlines, focus attention, work independently, independent judgments, work with a team, communication, instruct/synthesize, reading comprehension, critical thinking/troubleshooting.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: seeing, speaking, hearing, smell, sitting, walk/climb, stand/reach, listening, writing, driving, keyboarding. Push/pull/lift/carry or otherwise transport 35 pounds.

This role requires strong visual abilities that specifically include close, distance, color, peripheral, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

May be required to work, overtime, weekends, holidays, &/or callouts to support business activities.

Additional Notes

This position, as well as every other position at American Refining Group, is required to conduct their work at a high level of safety and quality performance. We require our employees to adhere to safety policies and procedures and expect they will help and encourage colleagues to do so as well. Our goal is to strive for a Zero-Incident environment that is a benefit to our employees and community. Our commitment to safety is identified as one of our core values: "Safety is our Compass". Employees are expected to understand and operate under current Process Safety Management guidelines in accordance with their role. Adherence to our Refinery Conduct of Operations in refinery and safety-sensitive functions is critical to our ongoing commitment to reliable operations.

American Refining Group, Inc. executes and maintains an ISO certified Quality Management System to meet specified customer requirements for product performance, safety, and service. Employees are expected to understand and operate under the guidelines of the Quality Management System while executing the functions of their position.

ARG culture promotes ongoing training and mentoring that is intended to be a developmental partnership for all (employees are subject to ongoing performance evaluation and feedback).

This is not a job bid - external recruiting is being conducted concurrently with internal posting. Applicant will be selected based on qualifications and a job interview; final selection will rest solely with the Company.

Qualified individuals must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; they are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities.

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