Senior Chemist

WHO ARE WE

For more than 65 years, Dober has built practical, high-impact chemistry, software, and automation solutions by starting with the customer's problem, not a product on a shelf. Our team develops advanced coolant and heat transfer chemistries that protect everything from heavy-duty engines to the precision cooling loops inside today's data centers, alongside water treatment, agronomy, and laundry technology platforms (including our Spindle software and robotics division) that help customers run smarter and more sustainably. That problem-first mindset is why global OEMs, blenders, and technical teams turn to us when the questions get hard, and it's part of why Dober was named a Crain's 2025 Best Place to Work in Chicago. Here, curious, hands-on scientists and engineers get real ownership of the problems they solve and the customers they support.

POSITION SUMMARY

Dober is seeking a Coolant/Corrosion & Scale Chemist to join our laboratory team as we continue to expand our product line and expertise on coolant chemistry, corrosion inhibition, and heat transfer fluid performance.

This role owns the deep technical knowledge behind Dober's global coolant additives portfolio and supports the company's growing position in data center and advanced thermal management applications. It is both an expert bench-and-field scientist role and a trusted technical resource for customers, partners, and internal commercial and manufacturing teams.

The ideal candidate combines a strong foundation in corrosion science and inhibitor formulation chemistry with hands-on experience in glycol-based heat transfer fluids. We recognize that deep expertise in heavy-duty engine cooling and deep expertise in data center / precision cooling rarely reside in the same person; the priority is a scientist who understands the shared fundamentals -corrosion, inhibitor chemistry, materials compatibility, and fluid testing - well enough to lead confidently in one domain and grow into the other.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Corrosion Science & Inhibitor Chemistry

• Serve as the company's technical authority on corrosion mechanisms: galvanic, crevice, pitting, cavitation, and concentration-cell corrosion across the mixed-metal systems found in coolant and heat transfer applications.
• Partner with R&D team on advancing chemistry across OAT, NOAT, HOAT, and inorganic (IAT) packages: formulation, performance evaluation, failure-mode analysis, and technology selection based on system metallurgy, fluid-life requirements, and customer specifications.
• Participate in laboratory testing of coolant performance across the full parameter set: freeze/boil protection, corrosion inhibition, pH and reserve alkalinity, conductivity, thermal stability, microbial stability, and materials compatibility.
• Evaluate raw materials and formulation components - organic acids, carboxylates, silicates, nitrites, phosphates, hybrid blends, biocides, and dyes - for performance, compatibility, and regulatory suitability.
• Interpret and apply industry test methods and standards, including ASTM corrosion and coolant methods (e.g., D1384, D3306, D6210, D8040), reserve alkalinity (D1121).

Engine & Heavy-Duty Coolant Application

• Act as the technical escalation point for the coolant additives for customers and internal teams turn to when questions require genuine application depth.
• Provide authoritative, application-specific technical support to global coolant blenders and OEM accounts, reinforcing Dober's institutional knowledge advantage in heavy-duty and conventional coolant markets.
• Investigate and resolve field performance concerns, contamination events, and product quality issues with documented root-cause analysis and corrective action.

Data Center, HVAC & Precision Cooling Applications

• Evaluate, and support inhibited water-glycol heat transfer fluids for direct-to-chip (DTC) liquid cooling, facility cooling loops, and HVAC applications, using ethylene glycol and propylene glycol systems.
• Apply corrosion and inhibitor expertise to precision cooling requirements: high-purity / deionized makeup water, chloride and sulfate control, pH buffering, cold-plate and quick-disconnect material compatibility, microbial control, and re-inhibition over long service life.
• Support technical evaluation and product positioning against thermal-performance and corrosion criteria relevant to mission-critical cooling loops.

Formulation, Quality & Cross-Functional Support

• Support scale-up, production trials, batch manufacturing root-cause investigations.
• Prepare technical reports, product recommendations, test summaries, and corrective-action documentation.
• Monitor competitive products, emerging cooling technologies, and industry trends across engine and data center markets.
• Support product stewardship: SDS review, labeling, regulatory compliance, and safe-handling guidance.
• Collaborate across quality, production, engineering, sales, and supply chain to ensure products are manufactured and applied correctly.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering, with a research or applied focus in corrosion science, surface chemistry, or inhibitor chemistry.
• Demonstrated expertise in corrosion mechanisms and inhibitor chemistry, with hands-on formulation or evaluation experience across OAT, HOAT, and/or inorganic inhibitor packages.
• Ability to interpret and apply relevant industry standards (ASTM, NACE/AMPP, ASHRAE, ISO, or OEM specifications).
• Proven ability to communicate technical findings with authority to both technical and non-technical audiences, including customers, field engineers, and internal leadership.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills, with a track record of resolving complex fluid chemistry or product performance issues.
• Ability to work independently and cross-functionally across manufacturing, sales, engineering, and customer-facing teams.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in heavy-duty or automotive engine cooling, OEM coolant approval processes, or additive chemistry for industrial coolant applications.
• Familiarity with fuel cell or EV thermal management — where automotive durability requirements meet high-purity, low-conductivity fluid chemistry.
• Experience testing corrosion protection across mixed-metal systems: copper, brass, aluminum, cast iron, steel, stainless steel, and solder alloys.
• Proficiency with analytical techniques such as titration, ICP, ion chromatography, FTIR, GC, pH/conductivity analysis, refractometry, and microbiological screening.

“Above and Beyond” Qualifications

• PhD or Masters Degree in chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering, with a research or applied focus in corrosion science, surface chemistry, or inhibitor chemistry.
• Experience with data center liquid cooling, direct-to-chip fluids, closed-loop HVAC chemistry, or industrial process cooling.
• Experience in customer technical service, field troubleshooting, or OEM technical account support.
• Familiarity with Open Compute Project (OCP), ASHRAE data center cooling standards, or similar industry consortia.
• Working knowledge of glycol-based heat transfer fluids (ethylene glycol and propylene glycol systems) and their performance, compatibility, and degradation behavior.