R&D Paint Chemist

About the role

We are seeking a skilled and innovative R&D Paint Chemist to join our technical team. In this role, you will be responsible for formulating, testing, and optimizing high-performance automotive coatings (including primers, basecoats, and clearcoats). You will collaborate closely with production teams and automotive OEMs to deliver durable, sustainable, and aesthetically flawless coating solutions that meet stringent industry standards.

Key responsibilities

• Formulation & Product Development: Design and develop new chemical formulas for automotive paints, resins, and coatings to improve UV resistance, anti-corrosion properties, and scratch resistance.
• Testing & Quality Analysis: Conduct rigorous laboratory testing on paint samples, including adhesion tests, salt spray (corrosion) testing, accelerated weathering, and viscosity analysis.
• Process Troubleshooting: Identify and resolve coating defects (such as bubbling, orange peel, or color mismatching) occurring during trial runs or on the active automotive assembly line.
• Regulatory & Sustainability Compliance: Reformulate existing products to minimize Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and ensure compliance with Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE) regulations and global RoHS/REACH standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Raw Material Suppliers, Production Managers, and OEM Clients to scale up lab formulas into commercial-scale production.

About you

• Bachelor's Degree or higher in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering.
• Minimum of 2–5 years of hands-on R&D or formulation experience, preferably within the automotive paint, OEM coatings, or industrial plastics sector.
• Proficient in handling laboratory equipment such as FTIR, DSC, gloss meters, and viscometers.
• Strong understanding of polymer chemistry, resins (epoxy, acrylic, polyurethane), pigments, and additives.
• Excellent problem-solving capabilities, high attention to detail, and strong communication skills to present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders.