Chemist – Food Coatings & Packaging Systems

Locations: Cleveland, OH

Salary Range: $85,000 – $115,000

About the Opportunity

Brock11 is partnering with our client, a leading innovator in food coatings, edible films, and functional packaging solutions, to identify a Chemist to support the development of advanced coating systems used across food and food-contact packaging applications.

This role focuses on formulation, product development, and application performance. The position is ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on chemistry, solving real-world problems, and working at the intersection of food science and coating technology.

What You’ll Do

Formulation & Coating Development

• Develop and optimize edible coatings and barrier systems for food and packaging applications
• Work with materials such as waxes, emulsions, hydrocolloids, and film-forming systems
• Design coatings for moisture resistance, grease barrier, gloss, and durability

Packaging & Surface Performance

• Evaluate coatings applied to substrates such as paperboard, cellulose, PLA, and molded fiber
• Optimize adhesion, film formation, and barrier properties
• Support development of solutions for food-contact and sustainable packaging applications

Application Testing & Validation

• Conduct lab testing for barrier performance, coating stability, and surface characteristics
• Simulate real-world conditions (temperature, humidity, product interaction)

Scale-Up & Manufacturing Support

• Support technology transfer to manufacturing
• Troubleshoot product performance during production and application
• Collaborate with operations to ensure consistent quality and performance

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with sales, marketing, regulatory, and manufacturing teams
• Support customer-driven development projects
• Interface with suppliers and external partners

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for new materials and formulation improvements, including sustainable solutions
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies

What We’re Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Food Science, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering
• 3–8 years of experience in food ingredients, coatings, or packaging materials
• Experience with emulsions, waxes, hydrocolloids, or film-forming systems
• Strong formulation and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with food coatings or packaging barrier systems
• Knowledge of water/grease barrier technologies and surface science
• Familiarity with food-contact regulatory requirements
• Experience in application development or customer-facing technical roles

What You’ll Bring

• Strong hands-on formulation skills
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects
• Practical, application-focused mindset
• Effective communication across technical and cross-functional teams
• Curiosity and a passion for innovation

Why This Opportunity

• Work on products that directly impact food quality, shelf life, and sustainability
• Be part of a company focused on innovative and functional coating technologies
• Opportunity to bridge food science and materials/coatings chemistry
• Collaborative environment with strong connection between R&D and real-world application