Senior QC Chemist

AXEL is looking for a Senior Quality Control Chemist to join our team and play an important role in maintaining the quality and compliance of our specialty additives and coatings portfolio. Reporting to the Technical Director, this position works closely with colleagues across the laboratory, production, and other functional teams, offering the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a collaborative, hands-on environment. We’re seeking someone who is curious, proactive, and solutions-oriented—an individual who enjoys solving problems, can work independently, and is able to communicate complex technical issues clearly and effectively to a range of internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Quality Control Testing and Reporting

• Perform QC bench-top testing of incoming raw materials and out-going finished products from daily production.
• Use and maintain various analytical equipment (thermal DSC/TGA, flashpoints), viscometric, gravimetric, optical (UV-Vis, FTIR, refractive index, color), titration (Karl Fischer, pH, acid numbers), coating (slip, quality, coalescence) following ASTM methods.
• Maintain and improve QC data logs, monitor process control, and author finished product certificates of analyses (COA), product specification sheets and reports.
• Develop and improve QC testing methods for new and existing products.
• Oversee QC investigation and troubleshooting of customer complaints in coordination with internal teams.
• Run SPC statistics and create reports.

Production Support

• Attend meetings supporting plant production.
• Monitor incoming raw materials.
• Author batch tickets for lab to production scale-up and modifications.
• Troubleshoot batches, replacement raw materials and waste stream disposal.

Quality Assurance

• Manage ISO 9001 quality management system.
• Maintain Quality Management System training files.
• Issue document change notices.
• Lead internal audits.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering or equivalent relevant degree.
• 5+ years of chemical industry bench work experience highly desired.
• Demonstrated knowledge of working in a quality department and the use of chemicals in an industrial setting.
• Experience preferred with using and maintaining various analytical equipment (thermal (DSC/TGA, flashpoints), viscometric, gravimetric, optical (UV-Vis, FTIR, refractive index, color), titration (Karl Fischer, pH, Acid numbers), coating (slip, quality, coalescence) following ASTM methods.
• Excellent communication skills with experience interfacing with internal (cross-functional teams) and external (vendors; regulatory representatives, etc.) groups at all levels.
• Experience with ISO 9001 or a similar quality management system
• Strong skills in the Microsoft 365 Suite and working knowledge of electronic publishing/file management systems.
• Minitab statistical software experience
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems experience; highly desired-Chempax.

Key Interfaces:

Technical Director

QC Chemist

Regulatory Team Lead

R&D Team Lead

VP Operations

Production Manager

Operations Manager

Chief of Staff

About AXEL:

AXEL is a leading manufacturer of mold release and process aid additives, based in Monroe, Connecticut. AXEL is a privately held company in its third generation of family ownership that is celebrating 85 years in operation. The business is certified to ISO 9001:2015 quality management system and is ISO 14001 and 45001 compliant. The company and its products are fully compliant with REACH and other major worldwide regulatory requirements. To learn more about us, our culture, and our team, please visit