Analytical Method Development Scientist Jobs in Houston, TX

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Summary:
Rigaku Americas is seeking a Senior XRF Applications Scientist to serve as a hands-on technical lead for customer-facing XRF applications work in The Woodlands, TX. This role will lead the technical execution of pre-sales sample projects, method development, demonstrations, customer presentations, post-sales training, calibration support, and method implementation. The Senior XRF Applications Scientist will help execute those objectives by providing deep XRF expertise, ensuring high-quality project execution, and mentoring other XRF Applications Scientists and Applications Specialists on the team.
Responsibilities:
• Lead hands-on execution of XRF applications projects, including customer sample testing, feasibility studies, sample preparation, instrument operation, calibration, method development, data analysis, and reporting.
• Support pre-sales opportunities by proving analytical performance, demonstrating methods and ease of use, preparing results, and presenting findings with the commercial team in person or online.
• Develop, optimize, and document WD-XRF and ED-XRF methods for diverse sample types and industrial applications, including cement, mining, batteries, pharma, petrochemicals, metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and advanced materials.
• Provide post-sales applications support, including customer training, calibration and method commissioning, troubleshooting, how-to guidance, and ad hoc technical support.
• Review project scope, execution plans, analytical results, data reports, and customer deliverables prepared by Applications Scientists and Applications Specialists to strengthen quality, consistency, and technical rigor.
• Mentor and develop other XRF technical team members in XRF fundamentals, sample preparation, method development, data interpretation, customer communication, and project discipline.
• Support readiness and proper operation of XRF instruments while coordinating needs and priorities with the XRF Applications Manager.
• Support sample preparation workflows and equipment, including grinders, pellet presses, fusion equipment, reference materials, standards, lab supplies, and consumables.
• Contribute technical proof points, application notes, demonstration workflows, and best practices that support growth of Rigaku's XRF business and key account relationships.
• Participate in strategic growth areas, automation-ready XRF workflows, and AI-driven autonomous lab concepts integrating XRF with XRD, Thermal Analysis, and other analytical technologies.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree or higher in chemistry, materials science, geology, physics, engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• Strong hands-on experience with XRF spectroscopy, including method development, calibration, sample preparation, data interpretation, instrument operation, and customer-facing applications support.
• Working knowledge of WD-XRF and/or ED-XRF instrumentation and analytical workflows; experience with both is preferred.
• Practical experience with XRF sample preparation techniques such as pressed pellets, fused beads, powders, liquids, solids, metals, and application-specific workflows.
• Experience leading complex technical projects, reviewing analytical results, and delivering clear recommendations to customers or internal stakeholders.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and raise the technical quality of other applications team members without requiring direct line-management responsibility.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain methods, assumptions, limitations, results, and next steps to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience supporting pre-sales demonstrations, post-sales training, method implementation, calibration support, troubleshooting, or customer success activities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, maintain high standards of laboratory work, work regularly on-site in The Woodlands, TX, and travel as needed, estimated at approximately up to 50% annually, for customer sales opportunities, consulting, training, trade shows/conferences, factory coordination, and product planning/development activities.
• Preferred experience includes Rigaku or comparable XRF platforms, industrial XRF applications, MicroXRF, TXRF, XRD, Thermal Analysis, automated laboratories, robotics-enabled sample handling, LIMS connectivity, or AI-driven lab workflows.