Senior Process Chemist
Shakopee, Minnesota, United States of America
Full Time
2 days ago
Key skills
LeadershipSales
About this role
Senior Process Chemist - microSource Shakopee, MN
Full-Time - In-Person
Location: 7632 County Road 101, Shakopee, MN 55379
Job Summary:
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Process Chemist to support the manufacturing of fertilizer and plant nutritional products in a production-scale environment. This role is hands-on and process-based, focusing on large-scale chemical reactions, ammoniation processes, and real-time troubleshooting of manufacturing and quality issues. The ideal candidate will bring deep practical experience in inorganic chemical or fertilizer operations and be comfortable working directly with operators, maintenance, and management to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent production.
About microSource:
microSource manufactures, packages, and distributes best-in-class crop nutrient products from our facility located in Shakopee, MN. We are a private label partner to many of the leading agricultural sales and distribution companies in the US. We produce and package superior quality products and provide premium service within sustainable workplace environment where your ideas fuel innovation. Join our growing team and help power the future of precision agriculture.
microSource is a division of Savannah, GA based MacroSource, LLC, the leading wholesale, global distributor of bulk fertilizers, with over seventy dry and liquid terminals throughout the USA. Learn more at www.macrosource.com
Key Responsibilities:
• Oversee, support and optimize large-scale production of plant nutritional products, including acid-based reactions and ammoniation.
• Monitor reaction parameters and product quality to ensure consistency with specifications.
• Troubleshoot process upsets, off-spec material, foaming, scaling, crystallization, and stability issues.
• Provide hands-on technical support on the production floor during batch and continuous production.
• Assist with formulation adjustments, raw material variability, and seasonal production changes.
• Investigate quality deviations and implement corrective and preventative actions.
• Support scale-up and implementation of new or modified plant nutritional products.
• Develop, maintain, and improve batch records, SOPs, and process documentation.
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to improve process reliability and efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or related scientific discipline (4-year degree required)
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in plant nutritional products, fertilizer manufacturing, or related chemical production.
• Strong hands-on experience with ammoniation and acid-based chemistry in large-scale systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot chemical processes in a manufacturing environment.
• Solid understanding of fertilizer raw materials, intermediates, and finished products.
• Strong mathematical aptitude for formulation calculations, scaling, and process adjustments.
Technical & Analytical Skills:
• Experience using and interpreting analytical instruments and techniques, including:
◦ pH meters
◦ Density Meters
◦ Viscometers
◦ XRF
◦ HPLC
• Ability to interpret analytical data and apply findings to process control and product quality.
Equipment & Process Knowledge:
• Practical knowledge of chemical processing equipment, including:
◦ Reaction vessels and neutralizers
◦ Pumps and piping systems
◦ External cooling systems and heat exchangers
◦ Mixing and blending equipment
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience with nutritional liquid plant products (UAN, KTS, phosphate-based products, micronutrients.)
• Familiarity with additives such as surfactants, defoamers, stabilizers, and inhibitors.
• Experience in continuous or semi-continuous fertilizer production systems.
• Background supporting process optimization and continuous improvement.
Personal Attributes:
• Hands-on, self-motivated, and comfortable working in a production environment.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with a practical, operations-focused mindset.
• Effective communicator able to work closely with operators and leadership.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, and environmental stewardship.
Training and Development:
At microSource, we are committed to your growth and provide hands-on training. Build new skills, advance your role, and shape your future in a company that invests in you. As a growing company with a state-of-the-art facility, we take pride in promoting from within to fuel your success.
Benefits and Pay:
Join microSource and enjoy a competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off, medical, dental, vision (insurance available from day one,) employer-paid Short/Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, a company funded HSA account, and a 401k with company matching. At microSource, we celebrate your hard work with meaningful benefits.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
All interns and employees must undergo a drug test, background check, and motor vehicle report.
Full-Time - In-Person
Location: 7632 County Road 101, Shakopee, MN 55379
Job Summary:
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Process Chemist to support the manufacturing of fertilizer and plant nutritional products in a production-scale environment. This role is hands-on and process-based, focusing on large-scale chemical reactions, ammoniation processes, and real-time troubleshooting of manufacturing and quality issues. The ideal candidate will bring deep practical experience in inorganic chemical or fertilizer operations and be comfortable working directly with operators, maintenance, and management to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent production.
About microSource:
microSource manufactures, packages, and distributes best-in-class crop nutrient products from our facility located in Shakopee, MN. We are a private label partner to many of the leading agricultural sales and distribution companies in the US. We produce and package superior quality products and provide premium service within sustainable workplace environment where your ideas fuel innovation. Join our growing team and help power the future of precision agriculture.
microSource is a division of Savannah, GA based MacroSource, LLC, the leading wholesale, global distributor of bulk fertilizers, with over seventy dry and liquid terminals throughout the USA. Learn more at www.macrosource.com
Key Responsibilities:
• Oversee, support and optimize large-scale production of plant nutritional products, including acid-based reactions and ammoniation.
• Monitor reaction parameters and product quality to ensure consistency with specifications.
• Troubleshoot process upsets, off-spec material, foaming, scaling, crystallization, and stability issues.
• Provide hands-on technical support on the production floor during batch and continuous production.
• Assist with formulation adjustments, raw material variability, and seasonal production changes.
• Investigate quality deviations and implement corrective and preventative actions.
• Support scale-up and implementation of new or modified plant nutritional products.
• Develop, maintain, and improve batch records, SOPs, and process documentation.
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to improve process reliability and efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or related scientific discipline (4-year degree required)
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in plant nutritional products, fertilizer manufacturing, or related chemical production.
• Strong hands-on experience with ammoniation and acid-based chemistry in large-scale systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot chemical processes in a manufacturing environment.
• Solid understanding of fertilizer raw materials, intermediates, and finished products.
• Strong mathematical aptitude for formulation calculations, scaling, and process adjustments.
Technical & Analytical Skills:
• Experience using and interpreting analytical instruments and techniques, including:
◦ pH meters
◦ Density Meters
◦ Viscometers
◦ XRF
◦ HPLC
• Ability to interpret analytical data and apply findings to process control and product quality.
Equipment & Process Knowledge:
• Practical knowledge of chemical processing equipment, including:
◦ Reaction vessels and neutralizers
◦ Pumps and piping systems
◦ External cooling systems and heat exchangers
◦ Mixing and blending equipment
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience with nutritional liquid plant products (UAN, KTS, phosphate-based products, micronutrients.)
• Familiarity with additives such as surfactants, defoamers, stabilizers, and inhibitors.
• Experience in continuous or semi-continuous fertilizer production systems.
• Background supporting process optimization and continuous improvement.
Personal Attributes:
• Hands-on, self-motivated, and comfortable working in a production environment.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with a practical, operations-focused mindset.
• Effective communicator able to work closely with operators and leadership.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, and environmental stewardship.
Training and Development:
At microSource, we are committed to your growth and provide hands-on training. Build new skills, advance your role, and shape your future in a company that invests in you. As a growing company with a state-of-the-art facility, we take pride in promoting from within to fuel your success.
Benefits and Pay:
Join microSource and enjoy a competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off, medical, dental, vision (insurance available from day one,) employer-paid Short/Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, a company funded HSA account, and a 401k with company matching. At microSource, we celebrate your hard work with meaningful benefits.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
All interns and employees must undergo a drug test, background check, and motor vehicle report.