Chemist II - Crop Protection Development

About the job

The Formulation Chemist is responsible for performing a wide range of tests and research services required for the development, manufacturing and support of fertilizers as well as pesticides on fertilizer for both liquid and dry. This position is also very involved with quality control of raw materials and finished goods.

About the company

Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC is a leading full-service agronomic solutions provider that's been in business since 1957. Our first location was in West Helena, Arkansas hence the name "Helena". We now have 450+ locations nationwide and over 6,000 employees. Our corporate office is located in Collierville, Tennessee, a suburb outside of Memphis. Year after year we rank at the top nationally for volume and sales in our industry. There are many facets to our company including product development, sales, operations, precision technology and manufacturing just to name a few.

What your day will look like

• Bench tests physical properties of agriculture products, such as pH, density, contact angle, water content, surface tension, viscosity, particle size distribution, emulsion performances, flashpoint and refractive index testing.
• Performs other quality control tests and analyses.
• Collections data and keeps appropriate records on all testing.
• Reports results to leader in a timely manner.
• Screens pure products and diluted mixtures for compatibility and stability.
• Blends small batches of finished goods for use in testing.
• Maintains chemical inventory, instruments, equipment, glassware and laboratory spaces.
• Aids in development and implementation of new laboratory methods and protocols.
• Maintains physical and electronic document storage including Safety Data Sheets.
• Cleans glassware per Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) instructions.
• Screens raw materials for sourcing approval.
• Interprets and maintains the reading of storage stability project samples weekly.
• Manufactures lab batches for field efficacy protocol trials.
• Responsible for data entry writing of SOPs in Filemaker Pro software.
• Writes certificates of analysis (COA) for production products when applicable.
• Attends vendor/supplier meetings as needed.
• Regularly attends product development/formulation development meetings internally.
• Assists in product quality notification complaint resolution.
• Visits manufacturing facilities for the quality control of new product production and/or troubleshooting production issues when needed.
• Aids in the determination of acceptable cleanout levels (ACLs) from product to product to support manufacturing.
• May be required to drive a company vehicle.
• Provides excellent customer service to all internal and external customers.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, biology, agriculture or related field is required.
• Five years of formulation development in agricultural formulations is required.

Skills & Qualifications

• General laboratory skills and critical thinking.
• Organizational, time management and record-keeping skills.
• Interpersonal and communication skills.
• Flexibility with changing objectives and priorities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including OneDrive, Teams and OneNote, is required.
• Travel by various means up to 10% of the time is required.
• Ability to read, write and speak in English is required.
• Communicating in Spanish is a valuable skill at Helena.
• Valid U.S. drivers license is required to drive a company vehicle.

Benefits

• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance starts the same day you do!
• Earn up to $3,000 in Reward Dollars from Helena for your Health Savings Account (HSA).
• Helena's robust 401(k) Savings Plan offers you a 100% company-match up to 5% starting on your first day. As your years of service with Helena increase, so does our company-match - up to 10% based on your contribution amount.
• Three-year vesting on company match with 1,000 hours of service.
• Access your earned pay between paydays through Earned Wage Access (EWA) with DailyPay.
• Up to 15 days paid time-off plus 9 paid holidays.
• Free Term Life Insurance at 1x your annual base pay - paid for by Helena at no cost to you.
• Free Short & Long-Term Disability.
• Up to 80 hours of paid Parental Leave.
• Education Assistance.
• And much more!

Work Environment & Physical Aspects of the Job

• The work environment for this position is that of a typical plant/laboratory environment where the noise level is usually moderate to loud.
• In this position, you will regularly work near moving equipment/mechanical parts and could be exposed to fumes, airborne particles, chemical and biological hazards, vibrations and a risk of electrical shock.
• This position requires you to use your hands for many different tasks and to talk, hear, walk, sit, stand, (8 hours a day or more), lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling (up to and including 50lbs or more), reaching overhead (up to and including 25lbs), climbing, gripping, grasping and twisting using hands and wrists, bending and stooping for long periods of time, working below knee levels for short periods of time and working above shoulder level for short periods.