Quality Control Chemist

Vantage is a fast-growing, leading global supplier of naturally derived specialty ingredients and formulations that cater to the evolving needs of consumer and industrial markets. Through our chemistries, our customer focus and our vertically integrated farming, manufacturing, and formulation facilities around the world, we are Enabling Tomorrow's Solutions Today.
With more than 1,000 employees, $1+ billion in sales and a footprint in 13 countries around the world, Vantage is driven by an intense focus on our customers, providing a broad portfolio of customized solutions, formulations and ingredients that are tailored to meet their specific needs.
Vantage is structured in two divisions: Consumer Solutions is focused on market segments where we have the right product portfolio and technical capabilities to win. Our Beauty & Personal Care and Food business units aim to be the customer's partner of choice in delivering solutions, formulations and ingredients that best meet their needs. Performance Solutions encapsulates our Performance Materials and Oleo business units and is focused on select industrial applications where we offer differentiated solutions built on our foundational oleo chemistry.
Under the leadership of Steve Doktycz, a 27-year chemical industry and strategic development veteran, its tenured leadership team represents decades of industry experience coupled with entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for natural chemistries. Vantage is headquartered in the United States (Deerfield, IL, a Chicago suburb).
Since its inception in 2008, Vantage's continued growth has been realized through a combination of focused commercial efforts, significant capital investment into our manufacturing assets, strategic entry into geographic markets and niche acquisitions to develop our leading portfolio of natural-based specialty ingredients.
Vantage™ is backed by H.I.G., a leading global alternative investment firm with $43 billion of equity capital under management with a focus on the small and midcap segments of the market, with a minority investment by The Jordan Company.
For more information: www.vantagegrp.com
The Role
QC Chemist
POSITION SCOPE
To safely and effectively coordinate the activities in the QC Lab under direction from the Lab manager. These activities cover safe laboratory practices, staff training, QC testing, lab procedures and the use of LIMS. The testing covers raw materials, in process samples and final products and is done in a timely way. This ensures materials are approved by QA when needed and results are properly communicated, along with any issues. All work is done within the ISO 9000 and cGMP framework and procedures.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Safely conduct analytical testing by following SOP's, AOCS, USP/NF or other methods on samples using all instruments in the QC Lab.
• Supervise and train the QC technicians to work safely, to be able to use all the lab equipment, LIMS and other systems so that the lab reports results in a timely way.
• Inspect materials as a review and release to allow operators to carry out Repack activities.
• Have hands on GC instrument operation, empower software quantitation and calibration for volatile chemicals.
• Maintain and troubleshoot the lab instruments.
• Ensure the lab equipment is within calibration and good record keeping of this is maintained so results are always validated.
• Investigate, or help to investigate, any Out of Specification results obtained in the QC lab, as well as assist with customer complaint investigations, so that anomalies are corrected.
• Order supplies and maintain inventory of all needed chemicals, consumables or parts to ensure readiness for timely sample preparation and testing.
• Prepare stock lab solutions if they are not commercially available. Keep records of the COAs and documentation which arrive with supplies.
• Maintain good safe housekeeping, contribute to overall cleaning, glassware washing and organization as well as maintaining retains and their proper storage, so the lab functions well.

Note: The duties listed above are not all inclusive and may be subject to periodic updating or revision.
The Ideal Candidate
Desired Background
Must have a minimum of an associate degree in science or bachelor's in chemistry and a minimum of three years lab experience.
Knowledge, Skills & Talents
More specifically, we would seek the following attributes and competencies for the position:

• AOCS or USP/NF Testing experience.
• LIMS experience.
• cGMP and ISO 9000 lab experience.
• Must have two years of experience using Analytical Instruments such as HPLC and GC as well as wet chemistry techniques.
• Must have good organizational and record keeping skills, ability to make decisions based on results and prioritize lab needs and daily work.
• Must be able to distinguish colors and olfactory results to given standard.
• Computer competence to include email, MS Office, also internal databases, operating system (Epicor) and LIMS.