Specialist – CURE CHEMICALS

Gradiant is a Different Kind of Water Company. With a full suite of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions for advanced water and wastewater treatment powered by the top minds in water, the company serves its clients’ mission-critical operations in the world’s essential industries, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, lithium and critical minerals, and renewable energy. Gradiant’s innovative solutions reduce water used and wastewater discharged, reclaim valuable resources, and renew wastewater into freshwater. The Boston-headquartered company was founded at MIT and has over 1,400 employees worldwide. Discover us at www.gradiant.com.

Job Overview

Senior R&D Engineer/Specialist-CURE chemicals is a role designed to attract senior professionals with expertise in refinery, upstream oil & gas, petrochemicals, industrial wastewater treatment chemicals, specialty formulations, product commercialization, and customer-facing technical leadership. This role involves supporting the development, implementation, and optimization of chemical treatment programs for various applications, including refineries, oil and gas transportation, and water and wastewater treatment.

The Senior R&D Engineer/Specialist will lead a multidisciplinary team, fostering collaboration and innovation. They will develop project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation plans, as well as establish lab testing capabilities to validate process applications. Compliance with safety regulations and environmental standards will be ensured, and findings will be presented to stakeholders and cross-functional teams to integrate R&D outcomes into operational practices.

The R&D Manager/Senior Specialist-CURE chemicals will lead the development, qualification, commercialization, and technical support of Gradiant’s specialty chemical portfolio. This portfolio serves markets in refineries, upstream oil and gas, petrochemicals, industrial water, and wastewater treatment.

The successful candidate will bridge research, operations, sales, and customer requirements to deliver differentiated chemical solutions that improve asset reliability, process efficiency, water sustainability, and operational performance.

Specific Duties/Responsibilities

Technical Support

• Provide technical support for the application of CURE Chemicals across various industries, including Oil & Gas, Refinery, Petrochemical, Upstream O&G applications, Utility equipment and Wastewater Treatment.
• Lead the development of Gradiant’s CURE chemicals, encompassing formulation evaluation, lab-scale validation, performance optimization, and application testing.
• Assist in product trials, pilot testing, and new product introductions.
• Prepare technical submissions, chemical treatment proposals, and performance reports.
• Offer advanced technical support to customers in the refinery, petrochemical, upstream production, industrial utility, and wastewater treatment sectors.
• Perform field troubleshooting, failure investigations, and root-cause analysis.
• Lead product performance reviews and optimization studies.
• Support business development through technical presentations, workshops, and proposals.
• Participate in site audits, pilot trials, commissioning, and performance evaluations.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert for CURE Chemicals technologies.

Innovation and Technology Development

• Stay abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and regulatory changes in the water treatment sector.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and lead the development of new products or processes that enhance water treatment efficacy and sustainability.

Product Management

• Lead the formulation development of various specialty process chemicals, including corrosion inhibitors, scale inhibitors, antiscalants, oxygen scavengers, antifoams, CIP chemicals and biocides etc.
• Drive New Product Introduction (NPI) activities, from concept to commercial