ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Independent Contractor Chemist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Merck & Co.

Senior Specialist, Chemistry (Onsite)

Rahway, NJ

$117K - $184K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... perform independent analysis using various analytical characterization methods, and pays close ... contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and ...

New

previous page

Showing results 41-60

All Jobsfreelance JobsScience JobsChemistry JobsScientist JobsIndependent Contractor Chemist Jobs

Independent Contractor Chemist information

See salary details

$17

$30

$52

How much do independent contractor chemist jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average hourly pay for independent contractor chemist in the United States is $30.99, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.04 and $35.58 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an independent contractor chemist?

An Independent Contractor Chemist is a self-employed professional who provides chemical analysis, research, or consulting services to businesses, laboratories, or government agencies. Instead of being a full-time employee, they work on a contract basis, managing their own schedules and projects. Their responsibilities may include formulation development, quality control testing, regulatory compliance, and technical consulting. This role requires strong expertise in chemistry, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work independently.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an independent contractor chemist?

To thrive as an Independent Contractor Chemist, you need a solid background in chemistry, analytical techniques, and laboratory practices, often supported by at least a bachelor's degree in chemistry or a related field. Familiarity with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), chromatography, spectroscopy instruments, and relevant safety certifications are typically required. Strong organizational skills, self-motivation, and excellent client communication set outstanding professionals apart. These capabilities enable chemists to deliver accurate results, manage projects independently, and build successful client relationships in a flexible work environment.

What types of clients and projects might an independent contractor chemist typically work with?

As an Independent Contractor Chemist, you may work with a diverse range of clients including pharmaceutical companies, environmental agencies, manufacturing firms, or research organizations. Projects can vary from performing quality control analyses and developing new formulations to conducting compliance testing or environmental sampling. Your assignments may be short- or long-term and often require adapting quickly to different client protocols and laboratory settings. This diversity provides valuable experience with various chemical processes, broadening your expertise and professional network.

Who hires the most independent contractor chemists?

Independent contractor chemists are often hired by pharmaceutical companies, research laboratories, and environmental testing firms. These organizations seek specialized expertise for short-term projects, product development, or compliance testing, often requiring relevant certifications and laboratory skills.
More about Independent Contractor Chemist jobs

What cities are hiring for Independent Contractor Chemist jobs?

Cities with the most Independent Contractor Chemist job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Chemist jobs?

The most popular types of Chemist jobs are:

What states have the most Independent Contractor Chemist jobs?

States with the most job openings for Independent Contractor Chemist jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Independent Contractor Chemist jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Independent Contractor Chemist jobs are:

Independent Contractor Chemist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Independent Contractor Chemist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 73% Full Time, 19% Part Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $64,466 per year, or $31 per hour.

Senior Assay Development Consultant / Contractor POC IVD Clinical Chemistry

Essenlix

Monmouth Junction, NJ • On-site

$93K - $127K/yr

Part-time

Re-posted 16 days ago

Job description

Job Title:
Senior Assay Development Consultant / Contractor POC IVD Clinical Chemistry | Lab-on-Spin-Disk | Lyophilized
Reagent Beads
Location:
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey 08852
On-site preferred; part-time / project-based consulting arrangement
Employment Type:
Consultant / Contractor / Part-Time / Hybrid
About Essenlix Corporation:
 Essenlix Corporation is a fast-growing medical device company focused on developing innovative point-of-care diagnostic platforms for decentralized clinical testing. Our technologies integrate microfluidics, precision instrumentation, imaging, automation, and scalable manufacturing to enable accessible, high-quality diagnostics worldwide.
Our overseas manufacturing facility is ISO 13485 certified. We are expanding our U.S.-based assay development and product development capabilities while advancing next-generation POC diagnostic platforms from feasibility through commercialization. 
Position Summary:
We are seeking an experienced POC IVD Assay Development Consultant / Contractor to support and accelerate the development of clinical chemistry assays for a Lab-on-Spin-Disk / centrifugal microfluidic diagnostic platform. 
This role is intended for a consultant with strong hands-on experience developing biochemical or clinical chemistry assays that can be translated into manufacturable IVD products, especially assays using dry reagent formats, lyophilized reagent beads, or stabilized reagent systems.
The consultant will help design, optimize, troubleshoot, and productize assays for analyzer-based POC diagnostic systems. Prior experience with Lab-on-Disk, Lab-on-Spin-Disk, cartridge-based clinical chemistry platforms, or similar POC IVD systems is highly preferred. 
Target assay areas may include, but are not limited to: 
glucose, albumin, creatinine, lipid panel, triglycerides, cholesterol, metabolic panel, electrolyte panel, and liver function markers such as AST and ALT. 

 Key Responsibilities:
  • Develop, optimize, and troubleshoot biochemical and clinical chemistry assays for POC IVD platforms. 
  • Support assay development on Lab-on-Spin-Disk, Lab-on-Disk, centrifugal microfluidic, or equivalent cartridge/analyzer-based systems. 
  • Design and optimize reagent formulations, including enzyme systems, buffers, calibrators, stabilizers, surfactants, preservatives, and dry reagent formats.
  • Develop or improve lyophilized reagent bead formulations suitable for product integration and manufacturing transfer.
  • Evaluate assay performance, including precision, accuracy, linearity, sensitivity, specificity, reportable range, interference, and matrix effects.
  • Conduct method comparison studies against reference analyzers or established clinical chemistry systems.
  • Support real-time and accelerated stability studies for liquid, dried, and lyophilized reagent formats.
  • Troubleshoot assay performance issues related to reagent chemistry, sample matrix, disk/cartridge design, fluidics, optical detection, and instrument interaction.
  • Work closely with engineering, instrumentation, software, manufacturing, QA/QC, and regulatory teams to ensure assay-platform compatibility.
  • Provide technical guidance to accelerate assay development from feasibility to productready design.
  • Support transfer of assays from R&D to manufacturing and quality control. 

Required Qualifications:
  •  PhD in Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Clinical Chemistry, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field;     or MS/BS with significant relevant industry experience.
  •  5+ years of hands-on IVD assay development experience, preferably in POC diagnostics, clinical chemistry, or     analyzer-based system. 
  • Strong experience developing assays for automated analyzers, cartridge-based systems, Lab-on-Disk platforms, or    similar diagnostic platforms.
  • Solid understanding of enzymatic assays, colorimetric/spectrophotometric assays, clinical chemistry principles, and reagent formulation.
  • Experience translating assays from feasibility into robust product development.
  • Experience with assay verification, validation, performance characterization, and troubleshooting.
  • Proven ability to identify root causes of assay failure and improve assay robustness.
  • Ability to work independently as a senior technical consultant while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Direct experience with Lab-on-Spin-Disk, Lab-on-Disk, centrifugal microfluidics, or  similar POC diagnostic platforms. • Experience developing multi-analyte clinical chemistry panels.
• Experience with dry chemistry, lyophilized reagent beads, reagent stabilization, or dry reagent manufacturing for IVD
   applications.
• Experience with clinical chemistry panels such as glucose, albumin, creatinine, lipid panel, metabolic panel, electrolyte
   panel, liver panel, AST, ALT, and related assays.
• Experience with product commercialization, design transfer, or regulatory submissions for IVD products.
• Familiarity with statistical tools for assay evaluation, including regression analysis, correlation studies, Bland–Altman
  analysis, precision studies, and method comparison.
• Prior experience at diagnostics companies such as Abaxis, Abbott, Roche Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers,
  Beckman Coulter, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, or similar companies.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate is not only a strong assay scientist, but someone who has previously helped bring clinical chemistry assays into real diagnostic products. We are especially interested in candidates who understand the practical challenges of converting liquid reagent chemistry into stable dry or lyophilized formats for POC platforms.
The candidate should be able to provide senior-level technical direction, quickly diagnose assay development bottlenecks, and help the internal team accelerate development toward a manufacturable and commercially viable product.
Soft Skills:
• Strong hands-on problem-solving ability in assay development.
• Practical understanding of product development, not only academic assay design.
• Strong experimental rigor and attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate technical findings clearly to scientific, engineering, and business teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup/product development environment.
• Able to work independently with limited supervision.
• Collaborative mindset across assay, engineering, manufacturing, QA/QC, and regulatory functions.
What We Offer:
• Flexible consulting / contractor arrangement.
• Competitive hourly or project-based compensation.
• Opportunity to contribute directly to commercial POC IVD product development.
• Hands-on involvement in next-generation Lab-on-Spin-Disk diagnostic platform development.
• Collaborative cross-functional R&D environment.
• Opportunity for technical leadership and potential longer-term collaboration.
How to Apply:
Please submit your resume and a brief summary of your relevant experience in POC IVD assay development, clinical chemistry assay development, Lab-on-Disk/Lab-on-Spin-Disk systems, or lyophilized reagent bead development.