Principal Chemist (PhD in Chemistry, 4+ yrs , Pune)

About Ecolab

Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) is a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions, trusted by millions of customers worldwide. With $16B in annual sales, 48,000 associates, and operations across 170+ countries, we deliver science‑based innovations and data‑driven insights that improve sustainability, enhance food safety, and optimize water and energy use across industries including food, healthcare, life sciences, hospitality, and manufacturing.

Experience Range: 4+ Yrs

Location: Pune

Education: PhD in Chemistry with industry experience in the water and wastewater treatment

Job Purpose

The Principal Chemist will drive long‑term technology innovation and scientific excellence in water and wastewater treatment. Responsibilities include strategic research, platform technology development, scientific governance, and external technology scanning to address regulatory, environmental, and market challenges. The role also supports customer process improvement, automation tool development, and performance studies through advanced analytical methods. Candidates must bring strong expertise in water and wastewater treatment, excellent collaboration and teamwork skills, effective communication, agility, creativity in problem‑solving, and sharp observation and perception abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering innovative water treatment technologies in an industrial setting, with experience leading independent research projects.
• Ability to work effectively in a global matrix organization, manage multiple stakeholders, and consistently deliver on timelines.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Follow all safety policies and guidelines during laboratory work and site visits.
• Develop proof‑of‑concepts, laboratory frameworks, and validation protocols for breakthrough ideas.
• Lead project workstreams and commercialization in collaboration with multiple global functions.
• Collaborate with researchers and field technical consultants to develop and deploy water‑related innovations in field applications.
• Liaise with Global RDE, Global Marketing, and Regional Marketing teams, serving as the single point of contact for technology development and deployment for I+MEA innovation needs.
• Perform value calculations of technologies to demonstrate techno‑commercial viability.
• Liaise with I+MEA regional Regulatory, Supply Chain, and IP teams to secure approvals for technology deployment in the region.
• Provide technical support to field teams for customer discussions, pilot trials, and troubleshooting.
• Optimize product formulas and conduct performance studies on new formulations to drive Gross Margin Improvement.
• Represent the region as an advocate for water treatment innovation during global meetings and forums.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry /Biotechnology with 5–10 years of industrial/academic experience, or Master’s degree with 10–15 years of industry experience in the water domain.
• Strong written and oral communication skills; comfortable with public speaking and leading meetings with internal and external customers.