MillerAg.com Consulting

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: College degree required; a Master of Science or Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, or materials science preferred. An advanced degree is not required for individuals with adequate experience. Knowledge of agricultural formulations, their use, physical testing requirements and new technologies amounting to at least 5 years

The Director of Process Chemistry manages and mentors all members of the Process Chemistry group, including R&D Chemists, Process Chemists and Scientists located at all sites. The Director is responsible for project management and the performance of their direct reports including hiring, managing and training. This position supports the Research and Development efforts through the development and enhancement of chemical processes that provide the company with a competitive advantage in the agricultural chemicals market. Processes developed will have lower cost of manufacture (raw materials, improved conversion and lower capital), environmentally sustainable manufacturing profiles (minimal waste) and are safe to operate. Travel to support manufacturing efforts at various sites, domestically and internationally, to further business objectives will be required.

JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage and mentor the members of the Process Chemistry group including R&D Chemists, Plant Support Chemists, Process Chemists and Scientists
• Responsible for all aspects of process chemistry research within our laboratories and with various outside entities
• Provide durable and sustainable solutions to the company
• Develop new process concepts and improve processes that we can use to differentiate itself from competitors
• Support troubleshooting efforts for process and manufacturing with emphasis on maximum speed to resolution, internal communication and coordination, and minimal economic impact
• Process Chemistry
  

The position oversees all Agricultural Sciences operations including eFate, Metabolism and Residue studies. The incumbent will have experience in conducting these and other relevant studies in support of N. American, European and Japanese regulatory submissions as well as the assessment and registration of other chemical products.

• Proactive decision maker with evidence of technical expertise combined with operations and business management experience
• Demonstrated supervisory experience
• Demonstrated ability in resource management/allocation/priority setting
• Maintain knowledge of and enforce compliance with pertinent regulations
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to design and manage operations
• Demonstrated ability to oversee operational and financial concerns; Manage budgets and P&Ls, forecast revenues and capacity, and manage operating costs
• Evaluates the value (execution and market need) of technical service offerings and adjusts/realigns capacity to meet company goals
• Oversees the development and/or acquisition/integration of technical service offerings
• Establish and execute departmental procedural and technical training programs
• Oversee employee performance reviews and generate recommendations for employee hiring/promotions/terminations
• Establish operational performance goals for the technical operations staff
• Support and collaborate with QA to coordinate responses to client and regulatory audits
• Maintain and train sufficient staff to execute contracted work while simultaneously controlling departmental expenses
• Ensures that department workflow is optimized
• Provides, justifies, and acts upon initiatives to generate new service capabilities
• Will assist in new business generation, client relationship cultivation, or client relationship expansion by visiting new or existing clients.
• Will present at conferences, scientific meetings and at universities
• Justifies, authors and/or approves appropriation requests for new equipment
• Maintains and enforces strict adherence to client confidentiality issues
• Establishes departmental standards for quality (technical and regulatory) and safety and enforces them through SOPs, policies, training, and interactions with personnel
• Operates independently, with minimal guidance on day-to-day decisions
• Determines operating processes for delivering work product
• Responsible for allocating resources across the site for any business need
• Sets goals for subordinates
• Demonstrated supervisory experience, 5+ years
• Ability to lead through example and policy
• Establish and enforce companywide policies
• Maintain a high profile within the department
• Maintain high moral and ethical standards
• Demonstrated skill in problem solving, root-cause analysis, project impact determination (for anomalous or unexpected results) and/or conducting investigations
• Demonstrated skill at cost accounting, budgeting, P&L management, and capital acquisition management

BS, MS required with a PhD or equivalent strongly preferred in an appropriate scientific area. Will consider a BS with an MBA with relevant operational experience.

10+ years in an appropriate technical environment and 5+ years in a supervisory/group management position with a total of 15+ years of experience

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