Senior Research & Development Chemist (Colorants / Manufacturing / Chemical / Industrial) JohannesburgR 450 000 Per Annum (Negotiable depending on skills and experience)Global Manufacturing concern is seeking the expertise of a diligent Senior Research & Development Chemist to join their team. Main Purpose of the Role:Administrate and coordinate all activities in the research and development laboratory, to enable the Company to develop customized solutions for customers and optimize the cost and performance of existing products. Develop and implement continuous programs to review processes undertaken in all Operational departments to eliminate gaps within the processes and optimize efficiencyand eliminate waste.To identify areas of improvement, to increase operational efficiency of the production processes. Works with management to identify new process improvement opportunities in the areas of quality, cost, and performance. Ensuring all products are manufactured in a timely and cost-effective manner. Qualifications and Requirements:Degree in Chemistry / Engineering or related scienceMinimum 5 years experience in chemicals manufacturing environment, pigment dispersions, paint technology, or coatings applicationsDirect colorant and/or paint formulation experience is desirableAcademic background in coatings chemistry, polymer chemistry, surfactant technology, or rheology is desirableDemonstrated ability for problem solving and the capacity to handle several projects simultaneously are criticalExperience using color databases such as Data Color or LagoStrong foundation in advanced math, sciences, physics and chemistryCritical-thinking skills to create new systemsStrong organizational skills and very keen eye for detailDemonstrated ability to ensure best practices and procedures are followedAbility to manage complex batch production with a vast range of equipment and resources Key Responsibilities:R&D:Formulate new colorant products and reformulate existing products for improvementsPerform application testing to demonstrate properties of colorants for specific customer needsInteract with customers regarding technical mattersEvaluate new raw materials for potential use in our productsGenerate ideas for future developments and uses for colorants beyond ordinary applicationsInteract with raw material suppliersInteract with other technical personnel in manufacturing and QCPerform other duties from time to time as requested by the technical ManagerGeneral Lab housekeepingResponsible for adherence to all Health, Safety and Environment requirements and compliance with both Corporate and Legislative Policies and ActsAny other duties assigned by the Senior R&D/QC ChemistCreate and maintain records of work done with results for easy trace abilityProcess Improvement:Review the manufacturing process, to optimize the process and to minimize process times for every stage and eliminate wasteEvaluate raw materials to seek best performing raw material within its class and reduce complexity with the raw materials classLead projects which encompass product modification to improve performance and process abilityReview batch card instructions and undertake changes to provide clarity to facilitate ease of manufactureParticipate in batch card routing development and seek methods to optimize manufacturing process and reduce dwell timesInvolved in all problem solvingAnalyze and product First Time Right report and simultaneously undertake tasks and projects to elevate First Time Right to targetReview production schedules to understand methods that are applied and activities that take placeEnact Quality Control procedures to resolve production problems or minimize costsLiaise with Supply Chain & Warehouse to ensure Raw Materials are available to produce the required productsInform Managers and Sales staff of any issues in production which could delay delivery of product to the customerPerform experiments to ascertain the benefits of modifications before releasing to production