R&D Microbiologist

Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company, is seeking an experienced and motivated applied microbiologist 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.

The Microbiologist will primarily be responsible for contributing to the development and/or deployment of technologies and products that prevent microbiological growth in cooling water applications. The role will also encompass a significant amount of customer field/application support for industrial water applications. The company is seeking a candidate with a strong technical background and practical field/application experience, who is self-motivated, collaborative, and a creative problem solver.

What’s in it for you:

• The opportunity to take on some of the world’s most meaningful challenges, helping customers achieve clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments
• The ability to make an impact and shape your career with a company and a 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:

• Plan and perform relevant experiments and interpret results to develop solutions to complex microbiological problems related to Ecolab’s Data Center coolant portfolio
• Support the field deployment of products and solutions that prevent microbial growth in different cooling water applications
• Provide customer support to cooling water and other industrial water field applications in the context of microbiological prevention and control, as well as remediation techniques for biofouling

This involves:

• Being a key technical contributor on multiple projects by conducting both lab and field tests, ensuring that data is analyzed, documented and results communicated in a clear and concise manner
• Contributing to the development of application guidelines and operational windows for new products and/or technologies
• Collaborating with a global team, various functions, and potential third parties 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 to build the EU innovation roadmap
• Providing advanced technical support to sales and customers, including technical training, application guidance, technical exchange, troubleshooting, and field visits

Qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology or related field with ideally >1-2 years of industry/field experience
• Strong understanding of microbiological analyses and processes
• Understanding of cooling water biocidal products is an advantage
• Experience in the Global High Tech industry and associated cooling technologies such as Direct to Chip cooling and Adiabatic 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
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Proficiency in English, both written and verbal, required
• Willingness and ability to travel 10% of the time