Principal Scientist - Industrial Enzyme Applications
R&D
Kane County , IL, US
Added - 02/03/2026
Pay Rate Low: 100000 | Pay Rate High: 120000
Our client is a world class organization with a focus on delivering microbial enzymes to the Food, Dietary Supplement, Industrial, Diagnostic, and Regenerative Medicine Industries. They offer strong employee benefits, great career development, and lots of opportunities to grow within the organization!
Principal Scientist
Location: Kane County, IL
Salary: $100K-$120K annually
Job Type: Full-Time
Position Summary
The Principal Scientist leads advanced enzyme research and product innovation to drive revenue growth and expand market share. This role is approximately 75% hands-on laboratory work, combined with technical leadership, patent development, customer collaboration, and team management. The position supports food safety compliance, strengthens research partnerships, and enhances Technical Services performance.
Key Responsibilities
Conduct complex bench-scale laboratory research (75% hands-on).
Develop and commercialize at least three new enzyme-based product applications annually.
Lead new product development initiatives and support a minimum of two patent submissions per year.
Collaborate with global R&D, Sales, and Marketing to drive business growth.
Lead joint R&D projects with key customers and identify new market opportunities.
Supervise and mentor a multidisciplinary scientific team, including performance management and compensation planning.
Deliver technical presentations to internal stakeholders, clients, and industry conferences.
Maintain accurate documentation, client reports, and food safety compliance standards.
Build partnerships with universities and research institutes.
Qualifications
Ph.D. in a relevant scientific field.
Progressive R&D experience in food, biotechnology, or industrial enzymes.
Proven product development and patent submission experience.
Strong analytical, strategic, and problem-solving skills.
Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple priorities.
Proficiency with analytical instrumentation (e.g., GC, HPLC, spectrophotometry).
Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.This job description is a complete list of all desired skills but not all are required. We strongly encourage candidates who have some of the skills to apply. We look forward to a conversation to learn more about you! INDBH#LI-RL1
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.