Laboratory/Analytical Scientist

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Laboratory/Analytical Scientist for our First Quality Home Care Products, LLC facility located in Trumbull, CT. This role involves planning and practically performing laboratory assignments: testing formulations’ physical characteristics, quantitative analysis of the key ingredients using written procedures, protocols or internal methods. Also, this role involves testing the Home Care formulations’ stability and participating in their performance testing.  The Laboratory/Analytical Scientist functions as part of an integrated cross functional R&D team.

Laboratory/Analytical Scientist will successfully organize daily activities which are effective, efficient, and aligned to tasks priority. A self-driven professional, this position will help in searching and applying new and innovative testing methods, and/or sample preparations.  He/she will actively help to drive R&D team performance, to stay engaged and committed.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Manages the 3-rd party testing on competitive Home Care products: National Brand (NB) and National Brand Equivalent (NBE), including samples preparation

• Manages competitive Home Care products inventory and database

• Follows Stability Protocol requirements - pulls out samples at the designated time intervals and prepares them for physical characteristics testing

• Performs stability and analytical testing of lab batches, pilot batches, production batches and raw materials (if required) using traditional wet chemistry techniques and analytical instruments such as FTIR, HPLC/UV-Vis-ELSD, GC, HS-GC/MS, KF with Thermoven, Auto Titrator and other small instruments.

• Collects, calculates or evaluates raw data and reports results according to standard operating procedures (SOPs) or methods in the laboratory books and electronic e-files

• Ensures accurate data/results are generated during laboratory testing by performing laboratory equipment/instruments calibrations and/or settings according to the SOP

• Prepares all standard and/or solutions required for testing

• Participates in development of analytical and instrumental testing methods, methods transfer and methods validation

• Maintains inventory of all consumables required for the instrumental and analytical testing

• Maintains storage of standards and standard solutions in accordance with the internal protocols and safety guidelines

• Maintains storage of raw materials, lab batches and finished products, including stability samples, in accordance with internal protocols and safety guidelines

• Maintains inventory and storage of competitive products

• Follow all Standard Operating Procedures and Policies and participate in all training sessions including self-development, safety, Good Manufacturing Practices, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System

• Helps perform cleaning performance testing of competitive National Brand and National Brand Equivalent products/formulations

• Initiates investigations for all out of specification results and reports findings

• Ensures the laboratory is kept in a clean, orderly, and safe manner and reports any deficiencies

• Performs Enzyme activity testing

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Education — Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry preferred

• Experience — 2+ years of relevant laboratory and industry experience

• Knowledge of testing methods and procedures used in the Microbiology Laboratory

• Strong communication skills, flexibility and adaptability to changing tasks’ priorities, attention to details, understanding the importance of meeting communicated timelines

Estimated annual base salary range for this position is $75,000- $85,000

Base pay is only part of our total compensation package, which also includes an attractive annual discretionary bonus and robust suite of employee benefits for which you are eligible to participate in starting on your first day of employment.

Base pay offered will be determined on an individualized basis and we will consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities

• Paid time off (three-week minimum)

• Medical, dental and vision starting day one

• 401(k) with employer match

• Paid parental leave

• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)

• Bundle of joy benefit (year's worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)

• Tuition assistance

• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums

• ...and more!