Principal Development Chemist

About this Position

At Henkel, you’ll be part of an organization that’s shaping the future through innovation, sustainability and collaboration. With our trusted brands like Persil®, ‘all®, Loctite®, Snuggle®, and Schwarzkopf® and our cutting-edge technologies, you’ll have countless opportunities to explore new paths and grow. This position is with our Adhesive Technologies business unit – where we empower our people to transform industries and provide our customers with a competitive advantage through adhesives, sealants and functional coatings.

What You'll Do

• Develop and optimize innovative adhesives aligned with market needs and business growth priorities
• Design and execute laboratory experiments, including synthesis, formulation, and performance testing, to meet critical application requirements
• Evaluate processing behavior and bonding performance through application-relevant testing and customer simulations
• Lead and manage laboratory workstreams, ensuring high-quality data, clear documentation, and effective communication of results
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing and supply chain teams to scale up new products and support existing ones
• Partner with application engineering and commercial teams to plan and execute customer trials and validations
• Provide technical support to external customers
• Proactively drive projects forward by identifying risks, defining next steps, and ensuring efficient progression through development stages
• Ensure all work complies with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements
• Stay current with industry trends, competitor technologies, and the IP landscape; contribute to patent generation and protection
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, including lab digitalization and automation

What Makes You a Good Fit

• Ph.D. (preferred) or master’s degree in chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
• 3-5 years of lab experience ideally in adhesives, sealants, coatings, or polymer systems
• Strong knowledge of polymer science, structure–property relationships, and adhesive formulation
• Experience with organic synthesis and formulation of polyurethanes, silanes, and acrylics is an advantage
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions
• A self-driven, proactive mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment

Benefits

• Health Insurance: affordable plans for medical, dental, vision and wellbeing starting on day 1
• Work-Life Balance: Paid time off including sick, vacation, holiday and volunteer time, flexible & hybrid work policies (depending on role), and vacation buy / sell program
• Financial: 401k matching, employee share plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares, annual performance bonus, service awards and student loan reimbursement
• Family Support: 12-week gender neutral parental leave (up to 20 weeks for parents giving birth), fertility support, adoption & surrogacy reimbursement, discounted child and elderly care, and scholarships
• Career Growth: diverse national and international growth opportunities, access to thousands of skills development courses, and tuition reimbursement

Pay Range

The salary range for this role is $95,000.00 and $115,000.00. This range represents the good‑faith minimum and maximum wages the Company reasonably expects to offer for this role at the time of posting. In addition to base salary, this position may be eligible for incentive pay or other forms of compensation, as applicable. The Company also offers a comprehensive benefits package as described above. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate’s skills, experience, education, training, and work location.