Paint Formulation Chemist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄.

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.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲

- 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

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝘆

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

𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

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.

𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱:

- 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)

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀:

- 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

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦

𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆: $60,000 to $75,000 depending on background

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲: 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.

𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 | 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱