Senior Scientist

The Heritage Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned business focused on construction and materials, environmental services and specialty chemicals. Over the last 90+ years, the Heritage portfolio has grown to include more than 50 companies that employ more than 6,000 people. What unites this diverse group of businesses and individuals is our commitment to create a safer, more enriching, and sustainable world by harnessing the power of family.

The Heritage Research Group assists The Heritage Group companies, customers, and partners in evolving and adapting to an ever-changing marketplace. Heritage Research Group provides innovative products, processes, and training that constantly improve the way The Heritage Group companies serve their clients and deliver solutions to address the myriad of challenges their clients face. It also creates new technologies that fuel further business opportunities for The Heritage Group.

The Senior Scientist is a hands-on technical leader who applies advanced expertise in scientific disciplines and materials characterization to solve complex, high-impact problems. This role is responsible for independently designing and executing experiments using advanced analytical techniques such as SEM, AFM, FTIR, NMR, GPC, and thermal analysis, and for interpreting data to drive innovation in product and process development.With a strong understanding of both core and adjacent scientific fields, the Senior Scientist mentors and trains junior staff, leads cross-functional collaborations, and contributes to strategic initiatives across the organization. They proactively identify unmet technical needs, generate innovative solutions, and serve as a trusted partner to internal teams and external stakeholders.This role also plays a key part in developing and validating analytical methods, maintaining intellectual property assets, and ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards. The Senior Scientist is expected to contribute to the broader scientific community within the organization by reviewing research outputs, sharing insights, and continuously advancing best practices.***This position is based on-site in Indianapolis, IN. Qualified candidates must currently be located in the Indianapolis, IN area or be willing to relocate.***

Essential Functions

• Demonstrate advanced expertise in their scientific discipline and a working knowledge of related disciplines, understanding how they interrelate and contribute to broader research goals.
• Exercises judgment in selecting or suggesting methods, techniques and criteria for evaluating results and determining trends.
• Analyzes data and draws relevant conclusions from experiments for highly complex problems of broad scope.
• Brainstorms creatively to generate new ideas and innovative solutions, identifying patterns and connections that others may not see.
• Solves problems that are only vaguely defined and diverse in complexity and scope.
• Thinks critically about the best approach to solve complex problems of broad scope based on data, and makes recommendations on solutions after all options have been reviewed and weighed.
• Proactively seeks to understand customer needs and partners with them to design solutions.
• Uses insight into emerging technologies to identify potential areas of value creation for customers.
• Explains complex technical concepts effectively and influences internal and external audiences to broaden their perspective.
• Completes timely and high-quality reports describing in detail findings and methods used to inform future experiments.
• Ensures group and/or project team members are properly documenting work performed and placing it in the appropriate secure location that can be accessed by those who need it.
• Contributes to the development of modified or new safety protocols, guidelines, equipment, SOPs as new risks, hazards, and requirements are identified for HRG.
• Provides guidance to all HRG employees in their lab area(s) in proper safety practices, material handling, equipment usage and compliance requirements. Role model for safety behaviors.
• Supports others to identify and solve new problems in line with business needs. Develops and implements work plan to do so in collaboration with sponsor(s) and relevant team(s) and/or group(s).
• Ensures healthy collaboration with cross functional individuals and teams where applicable and necessary. Builds relationships with all team members and cross-functional colleagues that are professional and considerate.
• Recognizes the difference between productive and unproductive conflict and proactively works to resolve the latter in a healthy manner.

• Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned, including but not limited to continuously growing in alignment with the Company’s core values, competencies, and skills.

Education Qualifications

• Required PhD PhD in Chemistry with 5-8 years industrial laboratory experience or equivalent experience with a bachelors or masters.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated hands-on expertise with the following advanced analytical techniques: SEM, AFM, Optical Microscopy, Raman, GPC, FTIR, NMR, and thermal analysis to characterize materials and interpret complex data.
• Comprehensive scientific knowledge, experience in advanced material science characterization and analytical chemistry.
• Strong material science and problem-solving skills.
• Extensive experience with method development, method validation, and method transfer.
• Understanding and implementation of safe laboratory practices.
• Creative problem-solving skills to develop solutions to new and ongoing business opportunities.
• Experience handling hazardous waste and knowledge of hazardous waste classifications is preferred.
• Direct hands-on experience with a range of material characterization techniques is a plus: CHNOS Analyzers, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Macro-TGA, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Flash Chromatography, Saturates-Asphaltenes-Resins-Aromatics (SARA) Analysis, Optical Microscopy (including hot stage microscopy), Acid Number Determination, Karl Fischer.
• Demonstrated application of scientific principles, theory, and experimental design.
• Experience with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
• Serves as a peer coach and provides constructive advice on projects within the team while accepting peer advice.
• Strong organizational and communication skills (oral and written).
• Ability to use independent judgement and to abstract form specific problems to generate solutions.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

• Ability to travel as needed
• Standing and sitting in a lab and office environment
• Able to lift 50 pounds.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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