{"id":3076795,"url":"https://alion.io/job/ostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development","title":"Senior Scientist, Product and Analytical Development","company":{"id":3859911,"name":"Ostara","domain":"ostara.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/ostara-com","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Paycor","truth_index":null},"role":"Biotech","role_family":"Biotech","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Saint Louis, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":104000,"max_usd":183000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":356},"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Copilot","optional":false},{"name":"Microsoft Excel","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-22T11:02:33Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-22","last_verified_at":"2026-11-05T02:58:54Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":13,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":13},"description":"About Ostara\nOstara is passionate about changing the way the Ag and T&O industry thinks about phosphate management. Our continuing mission is, and will remain, “Feeding the World While Protecting It.”\nWe believe that passionate people can make a real difference and we are building a culture around innovation, sustainability, efficiency, nimbleness, honesty, compliance, and a sense of urgency to make a positive difference and create real value. Ostara’s CG P2X® fertilizers are the first granular phosphate fertilizers to release nutrients in response to plant demand. Using Crop Driven Release™, CG P2X is proven to increase yields, enhance soil health and significantly reduce phosphate tie-up and runoff, thereby improving food security while protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution.\nPosition summary\nThe Senior Scientist, Product and Analytical Development leads the development, characterization, and optimization of Ostara fertilizer products, raw materials, analytical methods, and supporting technical capabilities. This role combines product development, mineralogical and chemical analysis, manufacturing support, and technical commercialization to translate scientific findings into safe, practical, and scalable business solutions. The position serves as a subject matter expert in fertilizer chemistry and advanced product characterization, with particular emphasis on X-ray diffraction (XRD), process troubleshooting, product quality, and innovation.\nEssential functions\nProduct and Process Development\nLead bench- and pilot-scale development, screening, evaluation, and optimization of fertilizer formulations and product line extensions.\nDesign laboratory simulations and technical studies that support scale-up, commercialization, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes.\nEvaluate nutrient sources, additives, process aids, and alternative raw materials for technical performance, quality, cost, and supply flexibility.\nDefine experimental plans, acceptance criteria, technical risks, and recommendations for product and process development programs.\nCoordinate plant trials and convert laboratory and production results into actionable operating guidance.\nAnalytical Sciences and Laboratory Capability\nLead mineralogical, physical, and chemical characterization of raw materials, intermediates, finished products, and competitive products.\nServe as the technical lead for XRD method development, instrument use, data interpretation, reference libraries, models, and user training.\nDevelop, validate, improve, document, and maintain analytical methods, calculations, reporting tools, and laboratory SOPs.\nExpand internal analytical capabilities, improve data reliability and turnaround time, and coordinate external testing when specialized services are required.\nApply appropriate statistical methods and sound scientific judgment to interpret results, identify trends, and communicate uncertainty.\nManufacturing, Quality, and Technical Support\nPartner with Operations and Quality to investigate product variability, contamination, curing, caking, corrosion, scaling, dissolution, handling, and other performance issues.\nUse laboratory studies, production data, and plant observations to identify root causes and recommend corrective or preventive actions.\nSupport raw-material qualification, supplier evaluation, product specifications, and technical change management.\nParticipate in plant trials and provide recommendations that improve first-pass success, product consistency, process reliability, and safe operation.\nMaintain complete, accurate, and traceable technical records in accordance with company procedures.\nCommercialization, Innovation, and Technical Leadership\nTranslate complex technical results into clear recommendations, presentations, product information, and decision-ready summaries for Commercial, Operations, Supply Chain, and leadership teams.\nProvide technical support for product launches, customer discussions, competitive benchmarking, claims support, and market differentiation.\nIdentify and evaluate new fertilizer technologies, analytical approaches, and product concepts aligned with Ostara’s strategic priorities.\nDevelop technical data packages supporting invention disclosures, patent activities, partnerships, and technical due diligence.\nProvide scientific leadership through mentoring, training, cross-functional collaboration, and the establishment of consistent technical standards.\nManage multiple projects, priorities, and external relationships while meeting agreed scope, schedule, quality, and budget expectations.\nRequired skills/abilities\nExcellent organizational skills and attention to detail\nExcellent written and verbal communication skills\nAble to apply knowledge and experience to provide robust R&D and commercial solutions\nSelf-confident and self-motivated person able to prioritize and focus on the completion of key targets, and comfortable in a fast-paced, growth-oriented, results-driven organization\nAdvanced understanding of analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, fertilizer chemistry, mineralogy, crystallography, and product characterization.\nStrong experimental design, data analysis, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis capabilities.\nAbility to work independently, exercise sound scientific judgment, and lead through influence in a cross-functional environment.\nStrong technical writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills for both scientific and nontechnical audiences.\nProficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Copilot, and relevant scientific data-analysis and instrument software.\nStrong commitment to safety, quality, scientific integrity, continuous improvement, and responsible stewardship of company information.\nAbility to travel to US and Canadian offices, and manufacturing sites.\nKey Competencies\nScientific rigor and curiosity\nInnovation and continuous improvement\nData-driven decision making\nTechnical leadership and guidance\nCross-functional collaboration\nProject ownership and accountability\nClear, audience-appropriate communication\nSafety and quality focus\nEducation/experience\nBachelor’s degree in formulation science or related field (chemical engineering, materials science, etc.)\nMaster’s degree preferred\n5 or more years experience with hands-on experience in product development, analytical chemistry, and formulation science. Fertilizer technology, mineral processing, process development, or industrial research experience preferred.\nDemonstrated experience designing experiments, developing analytical methods, interpreting complex technical data, and preparing scientific documentation.\nPhysical requirements and work environment\nWhile performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk on the phone, speak with the public, hear on the phone, hear in person, and use hands and fingers. This job requires the employee to sit for prolonged periods with minimal exposure to hot and cold temperature extremes that could be encountered at Ostara’s job sites and ability to walk around in labs and between sites. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and regularly lift up to 25 pounds. This job requires close vision and the ability to adjust focus. This role occasionally experiences high noise and dust levels, commensurate with manufacturing facilities and developing granular formulations.\nLocation and travel\nThis position is located in St. Louis area, either at the manufacturing facility or nearby lab. This position will require up to 40% travel in the US and Canada depending on relevant projects and business needs.\nEEO statement\nOstara is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, age, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, parental status, gender identity or national origin.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7990,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":true},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Natural Resources"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-22T11:02:33Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":76,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.845,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":13,"expected_fill_days":29,"reasons":["conf:2","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/ostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/ostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-05T06:03:15Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":7443,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-06T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3859911},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3859911"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/ostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fostara-senior-scientist-product-and-analytical-development"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3076795}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"ostara.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3076795},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}