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Formulation Scientist Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Red Boot Beverage

Associate Scientist

Des Moines, IA · On-site

S. Work Authorization Required Position Summary The Associate Scientist performs hands-on lab work, formulation testing, process optimization, and data analysis. The successful candidate will work ...

Kelly Services

Embryology Scientist

Coralville, IA · On-site

Media formulation * Aseptic laboratory techniques * Strong laboratory documentation and ... D. in a relevant life science discipline. * Experience with molecular and cellular biology ...

Kent Corporation

SR SCIENTIST

Muscatine, IA · On-site

$85K - $117K/yr

Knowledge of quality control and formulation in the pet or food products industry is a plus TRAVEL ... with the R&D Scientist. Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all ...

Varsity Tutors

Data Science Tutor

Iowa City, IA · Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Skilled at teaching the full data science workflow from question formulation through insight communication. Guides students through data cleaning with Pandas, exploratory analysis with visualization ...

Varsity Tutors

Data Science Tutor

Ames, IA · Remote

$18 - $40/hr

Skilled at teaching the full data science workflow from question formulation through insight communication. Guides students through data cleaning with Pandas, exploratory analysis with visualization ...

Kemin

Associate Scientist - Food Science

Des Moines, IA · On-site

We are seeking a scientist with a food science and technology background and hands-on experience of developing ingredients and/or food applications. This role will focus on developing new ingredients ...

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Formulation Scientist information

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$18

$35

$68

How much do formulation scientist jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for formulation scientist in Iowa is $35.33, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $23.70 and $40.87 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a formulation scientist?

To thrive as a Formulation Scientist, you need a strong background in chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field, usually supported by at least a bachelor's or master's degree. Familiarity with laboratory instrumentation, analytical techniques (such as HPLC or GC), and regulatory guidelines is essential, and relevant certifications like Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) can be advantageous. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication skills help distinguish outstanding performers. These competencies are crucial for developing safe, effective products and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

What are some common challenges a formulation scientist faces when developing new products?

Formulation Scientists often encounter challenges such as ensuring product stability, optimizing ingredient compatibility, and meeting strict regulatory standards. Balancing the desired efficacy and sensory attributes of a formulation while maintaining cost-effectiveness can require extensive experimentation and problem-solving. Additionally, working closely with cross-functional teams like analytical chemistry, quality assurance, and manufacturing is essential to address scale-up issues and ensure a seamless transition from lab to production.

What is the difference between Formulation Scientist vs Chemist?

AspectFormulation ScientistChemist
Required CredentialsBachelor’s or Master’s in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related fieldsBachelor’s or Master’s in Chemistry or related fields
Work EnvironmentLaboratories focused on product development, formulation, and testingResearch labs, manufacturing, or quality control settings
Industry UsagePharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, and chemical industriesBroadly across chemical manufacturing, research, and academia

Formulation Scientists specialize in developing and optimizing product formulations, often working closely with R&D teams to create new products. Chemists have a broader scope, including analyzing substances, conducting experiments, and understanding chemical properties. While both roles require chemistry knowledge and lab skills, Formulation Scientists focus more on product development and application-specific formulations, whereas Chemists may work on fundamental research or quality analysis.

What is a formulation scientist?

A formulation scientist designs, develops, tests, and evaluates products. Their job duties involve blending and mixing chemical components to create effective products, often for the pharmaceutical or cosmetics industries. Formulation scientists play an integral role in the product development process by implementing testing procedures, inspecting manufacturing approaches, and creating detailed reports to fix errors and promote improvements. To become a formulation scientist, you need a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a related field, although many also pursue master’s degrees or a doctorate.

More about Formulation Scientist jobs
What are the most commonly searched types of Formulation Scientist jobs in Iowa? The most popular types of Formulation Scientist jobs in Iowa are:
What are popular job titles related to Formulation Scientist jobs in Iowa? For Formulation Scientist jobs in Iowa, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Formulation Scientist jobs in Iowa look for? The top searched job categories for Formulation Scientist jobs in Iowa are:
What are popular job titles related to Formulation Scientist jobs in IA? For Formulation Scientist jobs in IA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Formulation Scientist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Formulation Scientist job openings in Iowa as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% Internship, 1% As Needed, 84% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $73,484 per year, or $35.3 per hour.

Formulation Scientist I

The University Of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Other

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 14 days ago

University Of Iowa rating

6.9

Company rating: 6.9 out of 10

Based on 85 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

457th of 616 rated colleges and universities

Job description

The Formulation Scientist I will report to the Director of Preformulation and Formulation Development and provide support by conducting experiments, investigations, or evaluations. The incumbent will participate in the formulation and process development for small molecule and biotherapeutic agents. This is a laboratory-based position performing formulation and process development activities specifically for therapeutic products from pre-clinical and Ph I clinical trials through late stage, license application and commercialization. This position performs all assigned formulation and analytical chemistry techniques with minimal supervision after the training period. This position will demonstrate a strong desire and ability to learn scientific principles and their cause and effect on scientific outcomes. This position will review other scientist's protocols, reports, specifications and test methods and will be responsible to efficiently learn to present interpretations. This position will be responsible for preparing data summary presentations, compiling data, and authoring technical reports and regulatory filings associated with their work. Effective communication skills are desirable for interactions with laboratory scientists, project managers and colleagues performing various functions, serving on multi-disciplinary project teams within UI Pharmaceuticals.

About the University of Iowa Pharmaceuticals

UI Pharmaceuticals is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) within the College of Pharmacy at the University of Iowa. Our mission is to improve quality of life by applying our pharmaceutical expertise to advance innovative products into clinical trials. Our vision is to be the premier partner for biotech, government, and research institutions.  

We are located on the main campus in Iowa City, which offers a great place to live, top rated schools, a vibrant night life, and world class health care facilities. As a University of Iowa employee, you will have access to an excellent benefits package.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Research, Experiments, Investigations and Evaluations

  • Coordinate and implement multiple research projects/programs under the direction of departmental Director.
  • Perform basic and complex techniques as outlined in research plans, assure fidelity to scientific protocols, assist in design of research plans/protocols.
  • Experience in lab scale process of drug product formulation and scale-up of formulations through pilot scale.

Collect, Analyze and Summarize Data

  • Collaborate and interact with scientists, chemists, and manufacturing personnel, and plan and execute the generation, characterization, and analysis of pharmaceutical materials.
  • Collect and interpret experimental data to guide subsequent experiments aimed at pharmaceutical product and process development.
  • Develop formulations and processes suitable for manufacturing clinical trial supplies, in co- operation with internal manufacturing and analytical research groups.

Compliance

  • Assure safety and compliance with required organization and regulatory policies for laboratory activities, respond to compliance and safety violations.
  • Responsible for the appearance, function, maintenance, and compliance of the group's equipment and physical space.
  • Ensure compliance with UI policies and procedures.

Administrative and Project Management

  • Collaborate and interact with collegiate faculty, particularly in the division of Pharmaceutics and Translational Therapeutics (PTT) to advance research and development projects within University of Iowa Development Consortium (UIPDC).
  • Coordinate and manage equipment at facility.
  • Produce written materials in business- and industry-specific technical language related to development of a variety of pharmaceutical products.

Human Resources

  • Assist with Human Resource functions, including interviewing, selection, training, performance review, may provide input in annual staff performance reviews.
  • Design, evaluate, and coordinate training of employees on basic and new laboratory techniques and procedures needed to execute development projects.

To obtain the full job description including key areas of responsibility, technical competencies, and desirable qualifications, please contact Libby Kleppe at libby-kleppe@uiowa.edu.


 

Required Qualifications

Education

  • MS in Pharmaceutics, Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering; or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

Experience

  • Minimum 2 years Industry experience in preformulation/formulation development functions preferred or equivalent postgraduate experience to include:
    • Demonstrated ability to apply scientific principles to preformulation/formulation development of pharmaceutical dosage forms.
    • Hands on experience with basic analytical techniques such as HPLC, UV-Vis, and other routine lab instruments.
    • Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively.
    • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
    • Demonstrated ability to apply good documentation and record practices.
    • Candidate should be knowledgeable with scientific investigation and thinking, proactively identify issues, and develop solutions.

Desirable Qualifications

  • Expertise in the development of freeze-dried formulations for small molecules and biologicals.
  • Expertise in addressing solubility and bioavailability issues in the development for oral or parenteral pharmaceutical products.
  • Expertise in characterization of pharmaceutical materials and an understanding of material properties and their influence on product quality.
  • Working knowledge of cGMPs, including CMC regulatory information required for INDs/NDAs/ANDAs with respect to API, preformulation, formulation, analytical methods, and dosage form manufacturing processes.
  • Working knowledge of statistics relevant to pharmaceutical product development.
  • Knowledge of requirements to safely work with Safebridge 3 compounds.
  • Skillful at authoring and reviewing technical documents including, standard operating procedures, product development reports, batch records etc.

Application and Position Details

  • In order to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the following documents and mark them as a "Relevant File" to the submission:
    • Resume
    • Cover Letter
  • Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days. This job may be removed from posting and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. For additional questions, please contact Libby Kleppe at libby-kleppe@uiowa.edu.
     

Benefits Highlights

  • Regular salaried position. Pay level 4A. Located in Iowa City, Iowa.
  • Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental, life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans.
  • For more information about Why Iowa? Click here.

Joining the University of Iowa means becoming a vital part of the Hawkeye community, where your work directly impacts education, research, and student success.

Enjoy exceptional health coverage, university-paid life insurance, robust retirement plans, and generous leave policies. Benefit from 24/7 support services, well-being resources, and access to UI Health Care specialists. Grow professionally with advanced training, leadership development, and tuition assistance.

Iowa City offers a great quality of life with world-class performances at Hancher Auditorium, Big Ten athletics, top-ranked public schools, and outdoor recreation.

Join us in making a difference at a leading Big Ten university and premier public research institution. 


 

Additional Information
  • Classification Title: Research Associate
  • Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
  • Schedule: Full-time
  • Work Modality Options: On Campus
Compensation
  • Pay Level: 4A
Contact Information
  • Organization: College of Pharmacy
  • Contact Name: Libby Kleppe
  • Contact Email: libby-kleppe@uiowa.edu

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