Associate Fellow

About this role

With a strategy centered on people and sustainability, Braskem is engaged in contributing to the value chain to strengthen the Circular Economy. Braskem’s 9,000 team members dedicate themselves every day to improving people's lives through sustainable solutions in chemicals and plastics. With its corporate DNA rooted in innovation, Braskem offers a comprehensive portfolio of plastic resins and chemical products for diverse industries, such as food packaging, construction, manufacturing, automotive, agribusiness, health and hygiene, and more. With 40 industrial units in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Germany, Braskem exports its products to clients in over 70 countries.

Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, as well as an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh and a New Renewable Innovation Center in Lexington, which focuses on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and chemical catalysis. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa .

Department: Innovation & Technology

Location: Lexington, MA

Travel Involved: Less than 10%

Job Type: Hybrid

Description:

Braskem is seeking an exceptional, highly motivated catalysis technical expert to guide research and development technical work focused on heterogeneous catalyst projects in the Global Catalysis organization. The Global Catalysis organization discovers and develops both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic solutions to enable Braskem strategic goals in the areas of bio-based chemicals, specialty products, and polyolefins catalysis.

The successful candidate will be expected to drive research and development on novel catalytic processes, and create new, impactful research programs to drive Braskem business strategies. They will provide both mentoring and technical oversight to catalyst researchers and oversee technical validity of catalysis project team results. They will also engage both internally and externally with partner technical organizations and business partners to efficiently deliver high-value technologies.

In addition, the candidate will work with the Global Catalysis management to define and implement the catalysis strategy in conjunction with the Braskem businesses and the I&T leadership. The candidate will also establish the capability roadmap, and develop organizational competencies as needed, for the catalysis team to discover, develop and deploy novel catalysts and catalytic technologies. This roadmap will define the internal and external capabilities necessary to efficiently develop and scaleup catalysts and catalytic processes.

Key Responsibilities and Activities Include:

• Mentoring and technical leadership for catalysis project teams in the research, development, and implementation of technologies that result in improved process efficiencies and new products for our clients.

• Understands Braskem’s processes and leads research into new catalysts and processes.

• Defines and guides execution of research activities for project teams, including establishing and supporting team deliverables, coordinating with partner groups to access needed capabilities, and mentoring researchers to ensure high technical quality for the team’s work products.

• Coordinates multiple programs, leads interdisciplinary project teams, and coordinates their solutions toward implementation

• Establishing catalyst development and scale-up roadmap including developing key vendor relationships to deliver lowest cost catalyst solutions to the business

• In partnership with the global catalysis manager, create, define, and implement the Global Catalysis strategy in conjunction with the Braskem businesses and the I&T leadership.

• Collaborate with management in the development of future research plans and gap analysis of the organization for its ability to conduct those plans.

• Develop and strengthen the existing key technical competencies in the Catalysts Organization

• Establish and/or oversee technological partnerships with universities, top Innovation centers, mature companies, and startup companies

• Role model and technical mentor to junior scientists, guiding their development and growth as scientists

Requirements:

The ideal candidate needs to have strong technical and interpersonal skills with the ability to technically lead catalyst research efforts and mentor to develop capabilities in the organization. The candidate should demonstrate a track record of developing catalyst technologies and leading teams in heterogeneous catalyst research. The position requires close coordination and cooperation with other technical departments across the global organization. Other requirements are a high level of creativity, a disciplined approach to complex projects, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate across functions.

Preferred Skills, Education, and Experience:

• Ph.D. Degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

• Minimum fifteen (15) years’ experience with catalyst discovery and/or development

• Leadership experience (either technical team or direct reports)

• Strong safety mindset

• Strong focus on mentoring

• Track record of working in a team environment

• Strong technical/problem solving aptitude

• Initiative, a drive for results, and ability to solve complex problems by identifying and enrolling appropriate resources

• Must be team and results oriented with the ability to lead and implement new technology improvements.

• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

What we offer

At Braskem, we offer more than just a competitive pay package. Our total rewards package includes a wide range of benefits you need for every stage of your life. Our benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefit

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