R&D Lab Technician

About the Role

This R&D Lab Technician position plays a key role on our R&D team focused on the formulation and development of new paint products, ensuring they meet performance, quality, and regulatory requirements. This role will offer you growth by working directly with our chemists and VP of R&D with the potential to move into higher level roles within our R&D department based upon gained skills. It's an opportunity to get your foot in the door and have career security by gaining valuable experience!

About Fenix Group

Fenix Group's inception brought together several smaller brands, each born from the vision of small business owners. These entrepreneurs shared a profound love for their industry, a passion for their products, and an unwavering commitment to their loyal customers. Their businesses thrived because customers could rely on quality products, friendly service, and dedicated technical support. Each brand became synonymous with exceptional quality, performance, and genuine care.

What united these brands was a shared dream—a dream to transcend individual success and create a meaningful impact on the industry. Under one unified team, Fenix Group, they aimed to achieve the extraordinary. With that in mind, we are executing on a transformation to build a results-driven and goal-oriented culture cemented by our core values of reliable, can-do, curious, team player, and achievement. We are focused on listening to customers to better understand and service their needs, identifying opportunities for growth within the market, and pursuing ways to leverage technology and automation both within our manufacturing plants, but also across our entire organization for our long-term success.

R&D Vision

Our R&D Department serves as a valued strategic partner driving technical excellence within Fenix Group. This partnership extends beyond products and innovation as the department serves as a conduit for alignment, ensuring that the company aspirations around "make it right the first time" and a consultative selling process, resonate across all departments.

Responsibilities

Assist With Chemistry Projects

• Partner with our 3 chemists to develop and optimize paint formulations.
• Conduct experiments and tests to evaluate the performance and properties of formulations, including viscosity, adhesion, durability, and color stability.
• Work with a mix of both existing products that need to be optimized/corrected or new products.
• Analyze and interpret documented experimental data to make informed recommendations and decisions about formulation adjustments or improvements.

Support Operations Activities

• Partner with our purchasing team to source and evaluate raw materials, additives, and pigments for use in paint formulations as part of efforts to reduce the number of raw materials or product cost.
• Support scale-up activities for the successful transfer of formulations to manufacturing, which may include following batches through the production process and resolving any issues that may arise.
• Cross-train in Quality Control (QC) to support that department as needed.
• Own the process of closing all batch tickets after the product has shipped in order to spot opportunities for formulation improvements to support "right the first time" manufacturing.

Complaint Resolution

• Serve as the primary point of contact when a customer complaint is entered pertaining to the formulation or performance of a product.
• Investigate the complaint to ensure enough information is available and provide a root-cause analysis.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or related field.
• 0-2 years of experience in paint formulation or related R&D role within the coatings industry.
• Familiarity with ISO and regulatory requirements and standards applicable to paints and coatings (i.e. VOC regulations, REACH, etc.) preferred.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills in order to clearly and concisely explain the data gathered or problem to a chemist, customer service rep, or manufacturing floor employee.
• An ability to correctly follow directions consistently and be observant when conducting tests to provide detailed and thorough reports back to Chemists with timely follow up.
• A strong problem-solving ability to work through and recommend solutions to challenges that arise.
• A curiosity to learn, grow, and develop to take on additional responsibilities.