Senior R&D Specialist

About the role

Your Job INVISTA is seeking a Senior R&D Specialist – Experimental Operations to join our Katy Technology Center team. This senior hands-on role will execute and own safe, reliable execution of complex laboratory, pilot-scale, and semi-works campaigns supporting product and process development. The successful candidate will combine strong operations capability, equipment and controls expertise, disciplined troubleshooting, and a willingness to share knowledge and coach others.

Our team transforms laboratory concepts into larger-scale experimental processes through bench-scale, pilot-scale, and semi-works research. Scientists and experimental technologists work together to design experiments, build and operate equipment, generate defensible data, troubleshoot process and equipment issues, and develop technologies for scale-up and commercialization. In this role, you will serve as a senior technical resource for the team—partnering across R&D, analytical, controls, maintenance, EHS, operations, and business functions while providing guidance and knowledge sharing with scientists and technologists.

Responsibilities

• Execute complex bench-, pilot-, and semi-works experimental campaigns in support of product and process development objectives.
• Translate research objectives into practical experimental plans, equipment configurations, operating procedures, sampling strategies, and success criteria.
• Build, modify, commission, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain laboratory and pilot-scale process equipment, instrumentation, and control systems.
• Apply structured problem-solving methodologies to identify and resolve process, equipment, instrumentation, controls, and operating issues while implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Generate high-quality, defensible experimental data through disciplined execution, sampling, analysis, traceability, and documentation practices.
• Perform and support analytical testing and sample preparation activities using techniques such as GC, LC/HPLC, NMR, and other relevant methods.
• Develop and improve standard work processes, procedures, test plans, troubleshooting guides, equipment documentation, and other knowledge-sharing resources that support repeatable execution.
• Serve as a senior technical resource during experimental readiness reviews, hazard assessments, startup activities, campaign execution, and post-run evaluations.
• Share technical expertise and provide hands-on guidance to scientists and technologists to support safe, effective experimental execution and problem solving.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve safety, reliability, maintainability, data quality, throughput, and technology scale-up efforts.

Requirements

• Associate degree or higher in chemistry, chemical technology, process technology, engineering technology, chemical engineering, or another relevant technical experience.
• 5+ years of relevant hands-on experience in chemical R&D, process development, pilot-plant operations, polymer processing, manufacturing support, or a related technical environment.
• Experience building, operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining laboratory, pilot-scale, or process equipment and instrumentation.
• Experience using structured problem-solving methods to diagnose process, equipment, instrumentation, or controls issues and implement effective corrective actions.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant hands-on experience in chemical R&D, process development, pilot-plant operations, polymer processing, manufacturing support, or a related technical environment.
• Experience supporting complex experimental work from planning and equipment