Lead Staff Scientist

Lead Staff Scientist

Group: Eng Materials Group N. America

Division: Elastomer Process Materials (EPM)

Location: USA Erie PA LORD

Job Family : Science

Job Type : Regular

Posted : Jul 17, 2026

Job ID: 66810

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Job Description

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The Lead Staff Scientist is responsible for the research, development, and scale-up of chemical intermediates and formulated products in support of Parker LORD EPM business objectives. The role has accountability for planning, coordinating, executing, interpreting, documenting, and communicating scientific and development work.

This position serves as a technical leader within cross-functional development teams and provides day-to-day leadership, coaching, and oversight for laboratory technicians and other assigned laboratory personnel. The role requires strong technical depth in polymers, adhesives, coatings, and formulation science, along with a demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and compliance.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership and Product Development

• Develop adhesive and/or coating formulations that balance performance, processing, regulatory requirements, sustainability considerations, and commercial objectives
• Provide full technical responsibility for coordinating, organizing, executing, and interpreting assigned scientific and development programs
• Plan and manage experimental programs by defining objectives, establishing timelines, evaluating results, and recommending next steps
• Serve as an in-house technical resource and maintain awareness of: relevant technologies, materials and raw material trends, competitive developments, scientific advances

Project and Cross Functional Execution

• Lead or actively contribute as a key member of cross-functional product development teams.
• Drive projects to completion through effective coordination of technical assignments and alignment with broader business goals.
• Prepare and deliver technical reports, proposals, presentations, and other communications for internal and external stakeholders.
• Support customer and team interactions through limited domestic and global travel, as required.

Laboratory Leadership and Supervision

• Provide technical leadership and direct supervision to one or more exempt or non-exempt employees, as assigned
• Lead laboratory technicians by assigning work, setting priorities, monitoring progress, coaching performance, ensuring alignment with project goals and standard procedures
• Train and develop team in safe laboratory practices, proper experimental methods, documentation standards, project responsibilities
• Review and supervise subordinate experimental work and laboratory notebook entries to ensure technical accuracy, completeness, conformance with research objectives, and compliance with company procedures

Documentation, Compliance and Safety

• Maintain an accurate and current laboratory notebook and ensure proper technical documentation for projects and experiments
• Procure outside services, raw materials, and supplies necessary to support project execution
• Perform responsibilities associated with Equipment Expert and Waste Disposal Person roles in compliance with company requirements
• Protect proprietary information and ensure compliance with company and department quality procedures.
• Promote, model, and enforce strong laboratory safety practices, including the safe handling of hazardous chemicals

Qualifications:

• Strong technical expertise in Polymers, Chemistry, Thermosetting polymer reactions, Emulsions, Dispersions, Adhesives, and Coatings

• Demonstrated capability in formulation development for adhesives and/or coatings

• Leadership capability in supervising laboratory personnel and guiding technical work execution

• Ability to lead teams, influence cross-functional stakeholders, and drive projects to completion

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English

• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Proficiency with personal computers and standard software tools

• Strong laboratory safety awareness and commitment to quality and compliance

• Experience in research, product development, or scale-up of chemical intermediates or formulated products

• Experience in adhesives and/or coatings technology

• Experience leading projects and coordinating technical assignments

• Experience supervising, mentoring, or directing laboratory technicians or other technical staff

Required Education-

• BS or equivalent in chemistry, chemical engineering, material science, polymer science, or other relevant technical field with 5+ years of applicable experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with design of experiments and statistical methods

• Knowledge of internal and external quality systems

• Supervisory experience in an industrial laboratory or product development environment

• Experience evaluating performance trade-offs, processing considerations, commercial value drivers

• Exposure to sustainability and supply-chain resilience considerations in product development

• International experience and/or foreign language capability

• Strong technical writing and presentation skills

• Mechanical aptitude and familiarity with coatings application equipment

• Advanced scientific or engineering education

• Broader leadership experience with laboratory teams

• Demonstrated success in customer-facing technical support and cross-regional collaboration

This position is subject to meeting U.S. export compliance and/or U.S. Government contracting citizenship eligibility requirements.

Parker Hannifin is a Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies. For more than a century, we've enabled engineering breakthroughs that make energy cleaner, transportation safer, medical treatments more effective, and manufacturing more efficient.

With empowered team members in more than 40 countries, Parker serves customers across aerospace & defense, energy, HVAC & refrigeration, in-plant & industrial equipment, off-highway and transportation.

Our scale is global, but our purpose is personal. We enable breakthroughs that improve lives, strengthen communities and create a brighter future.

Our Purpose - Enabling Engineering Breakthroughs that Lead to a Better Tomorrow - comes to life through our people-first culture where teamwork drives performance, inclusion fuels innovation and growth is encouraged. This environment fosters collaboration and empowers team members from engineering and manufacturing to finance, supply chain, human resources, information technology and beyond.

By combining deep expertise with an entrepreneurial spirit, we help customers succeed in markets that demand performance, reliability, and sustainability.

As we look to the future, Parker is advancing initiatives in energy efficiency and sustainability while developing the next generation of talent and leaders to engineer a better tomorrow.

Parker is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Parker is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job related reasons regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. However, U.S. Citizenship, Permanent Residency or other appropriate status is required for certain positions, in accord with U.S. import & export regulations.

("Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran / VEVRAA Federal Contractor")

If you would like more information about Equal Employment Opportunity as an applicant under the law, please go to Employees & Job Applicants | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Drug-Free Workplace

In accordance with Parker's policies and applicable state laws, Parker provides for a drug-free workplace. Therefore, all applicants seeking employment with Parker will be subject to drug testing as a condition of employment.

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