๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐.
Pave Talent is recruiting on behalf of a 100-year-old, family-owned industrial coatings manufacturer in Sheboygan, WI. They are hiring an entry-level chemist to join a nine-person R&D lab that formulates across epoxies, polyurethanes, alkyds, acrylics, and UV and electron beam (E-beam) chemistry. You do not need to know paint going in. The team will teach you, starting from day one.
๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ
- You have a STEM degree and real curiosity about why materials behave the way they do
- You want hands-on bench work, not a QA lab or a QC checklist role
- You are a self-starter who asks questions before waiting to be told what to do next
- You are energized by learning from experienced chemists who have decades of formulation knowledge
- You want broad exposure: this team will involve you in customer calls, procurement conversations, operations, and planning as you grow
๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐จ๐ก๐๐ง๐
You will report to senior chemists and the VP of Technology and Research Operations. The lab has nine chemists in Sheboygan, all of whom are expected to mentor. This is a backfill driven by two long-tenured retirements (33 and 35 years each), which means you are joining a team that takes its people seriously and keeps them for a long time.
Day to day, you will work on real formulation projects alongside senior chemists, not pipetting samples in a corner. Starting responsibilities include:
- Conduct performance and property testing on paint and coating formulations
- Modify existing formulations under senior guidance: raw material substitutions, gloss adjustments, viscosity changes, color matching
- Build and test lab batches and document your results
- Learn to operate and interpret analytical instruments including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rheometer, tensiometer, goniometer, weatherometer, and color spectrophotometer
- Support project work managed through Microsoft Forms and the company's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
- Join customer calls and plant visits as you build your technical foundation
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
The hiring manager said it directly: "We might not get the best talent in the world, but if you have motivation and curiosity, we'll be with you every step of the way."
That means real investment, not just a line in a job description. Chemists here have attended Datacolor training in New Jersey, BIC (Biennial International Conference) seminars, Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce leadership courses, and industry workshops. Small company means broad exposure. If you want to explore product management, procurement, operations, or planning at some point in your career, this is a place where that path stays open.
๐ค๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ:
- Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, biology, geology, materials science, or a related STEM field
- Genuine curiosity about how things work and why materials behave the way they do
- Self-motivation: you do not wait to be told what to do next
- Comfort working in an industrial laboratory setting and following standard operating procedures
- Strong written and verbal communication
- Computer fluency; ability to learn internal systems
- Permanent work authorization in the United States (sponsorship is not available for this role)
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐๐:
- Coursework or internship in coatings, polymer chemistry, or formulation
- Hands-on experience with FTIR, rheometer, color spectrophotometer, or similar instruments
- Interest in color science or color theory
- Experience with statistical software such as JMP, Minitab, or Matlab
- Note: a PhD is not needed for this role and may not be the right fit for the entry-level track
๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐: $60,000 to $75,000 depending on background
๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ฒ: Flexible; options include 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, or similar; consistent once chosen; some work-from-home allowed once established
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company matching contributions
- Generous paid time off and company-observed holidays
- Paid industry training, conferences, and leadership programs
Interested? Apply via LinkedIn and we'll be in touch. Confidential search; your application is fully private.
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