R&D Principal Chemist

Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company, is seeking an experienced and motivated Principal Chemist to join its innovation efforts and support customers in the Global High Tech industry. The company is establishing a dedicated EU GHT RD&E team in Leiden, the Netherlands. In this role, you will primarily contribute to the development and deployment of innovative water treatment technologies that prevent scale and corrosion in cooling water applications. The role also encompasses customer field and application support for industrial cooling water applications. The ideal candidate has a strong technical background, is self-motivated, collaborative, and a creative problem solver.

What’s in it for you:

• The opportunity to take on meaningful challenges supporting customers in clean water, safe food, abundant energy, and healthy environments
• The ability to make an impact and shape your career with a company and team that is passionate about growth
• A culture that values safety first, including training and personal protection

The main responsibilities of the role are to:

• Lead and collaborate in innovation development and deployment of products that prevent scale and corrosion in different cooling water applications
• Provide customer support to cooling water field applications in the context of corrosion and scale prevention and control, as well as product line support for the GHT cooling water portfolio

This involves:

• Being a key technical contributor on multiple projects by leading and conducting both lab and field tests, ensuring that data is analyzed, documented, and results communicated in a clear and concise manner
• Supporting and contributing to the development of application guidelines and operational windows for new products and technologies
• Collaborating with a global team and various functions on the development of technologies that meet customer needs
• Providing insight on technical hurdles or risks in innovation development and brainstorming approaches and strategies to overcome them
• Identifying and understanding customer needs and challenges within cooling water applications in the global high tech industry through field visits and engagement with customers and industry experts, and using these learnings and experience to build the EU innovation roadmap
• Providing advanced technical support to sales and customers, including application guidance, technical exchange, troubleshooting, and field visits

Qualifications and experience:

• BSc in Chemistry or related field with ideally more than 5 years of industry experience
• Master’s in Chemistry or related field with ideally more than 3 years of industry experience
• PhD in Chemistry or related field with ideally more than 1 year of industry experience
• Knowledge of and industry experience in cooling water treatment (closed loop, open-recirculating systems)
• Knowledge of materials science, corrosion, formulations, or electrochemistry is an advantage
• Experience in the Global High Tech industry, and associated cooling technologies such as Direct to Chip cooling and adiabatic systems, is an advantage
• Self-starter with great initiative and a hands-on approach
• Good communication skills, with the ability to deliver complex information in an easy-to-understand format
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in English, both written and verbal, required
• Willingness and ability to travel 10–20% of the time