Scientist II - CASE market

About the role

We are looking for a Scientist II to join our Care Chemicals team in Southfield, MI (on-site). BASF’s Care Chemicals division is a globally leading supplier to the cosmetics, detergents, cleaning, technical applications, and crop protection industries. Together with our customers, we create innovative solutions to meet current and future societal needs sustainably.

As part of BASF Industrial Formulators, you will serve specialized markets—including CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers)—with speed and agility. The role focuses on applying technical expertise in chemistry and chemical engineering, particularly in surfactants and dispersants, to deliver value-added solutions for unmet market and customer needs in emulsion polymerization, aqueous emulsification of polymer resins, and rheology modifiers.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Technical Service Industry Managers, Marketing, and Product Management to translate unmet customer and market needs into well-defined technical criteria for scientific projects.
• Develop robust, optimized technical solutions using BASF’s portfolio of surfactants, water-soluble polymers, chelates, and acids.
• Create presentations that capture and promote the value proposition of BASF’s Industrial Formulators portfolio.
• Present findings and solutions at external scientific meetings and industry events.
• Interact and exchange information with global BASF Care Chemicals research groups.
• Propose new ideas to enable R&D groups to develop novel technologies addressing CASE market needs.
• Build relationships with technical counterparts in other regions to accelerate solution development and transfer global solutions to North American customers.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and collaborate with marketing to create promotional literature.
• Work with fellow scientists to find efficient, effective solutions.
• Communicate research findings internally and externally through presentations at conferences and meetings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum of 1–2 years of research experience, including exposure to emulsion polymerization and surfactants.
• Strong foundation in chemical engineering and chemistry, with experience designing and conducting organic reactions.
• Ability to translate unmet customer and market needs into clear technical success criteria.
• Experience managing multiple projects and creating promotional literature in collaboration with marketing.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with scientists, engineers, marketing, sales, regulatory, and R&D management.

Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements whenever possible.
• Highly competitive retirement savings plan with company match and investment options.
• Comprehensive well-being programs, including mental health support for employees and household family members.
• Family-forming benefits (fertility, adoption, surrogacy reimbursement, maternity/parental leave, and more).
• Back-up child and elder care with discount programs.
• Mentoring and career development opportunities.
• Matching gifts program for charitable contributions.
• Employee crisis support for unexpected events.
• Access to BASF’s wine cellar, employee discounts, and additional perks.

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