Overview As an R&D Scientist in BASF's Refinery Catalysts group in Attapulgus, you develop and scale innovative catalyst formulations for FCC base catalysts or additives. You'll work across lab, pilot plant, and plant trials to move products toward commercial scale and possibly develop deactivation/testing methods. You collaborate with team members to optimize performance, deliver results to stakeholders, and may lead technicians while upholding safety and SOPs. This role supports BASF's mission to enable sustainable refinery processes.
Compensation / Benefits- Flexible work arrangements
- retirement plan with company match
- well-being programs including mental health support
- family forming benefits (fertility, adoption, surrogacy)
- backup child and elder care support
- mentoring and career development opportunities
Responsibilities- Develop new catalyst formulations and improve existing products for FCC base catalysts or additives
- Scale-up promising formulations to commercial production
- Develop deactivation/testing methods as needed
- Design and conduct safe lab and pilot plant experiments; submit samples for analysis and interpret results
- Collaborate with team to optimize performance and communicate results to stakeholders
- Possibly manage and mentor technicians and perform performance reviews
- Create or update Standard Operating Procedures and participate in BASF safety practices
Key requirements- Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or Material Science OR MS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or Material Science with 3+ years of related experience
- In-depth knowledge of research principles and techniques; familiarity with heterogeneous catalysis formulations and manufacturing preferred
- Strong written and verbal communication, data analysis, organization, time management, and interpersonal skills
- Experience with statistical tools such as DOE; digitization skills a plus
- Proficiency with MS Office tools
- strong communication (written and verbal)
- problem-solving
- organization and time management
- catalyst development for FCC
- heterogeneous catalysis formulations
- DOE (design of experiments)
