At the Hawthorne Gardening Company (HGC) we want our people to empower more people to garden no matter where and how they choose to grow. We accomplish this by encouraging people to live happier, healthier lives through gardening. If you also feel this way then you’d fit in great with us!

We are looking for a Formulation Scientist who will grow at our Santa Rosa, CA Research & Development center and Manufacturing site.

This position will help build our business strategy by providing thought leadership on technology, research, hydroponic trends and practices that can be applied to sustainable consumer products by developing commercially viable formulations.

In this role you will:

• Report directly to a R&D Formulations Manager
• Design laboratory and pilot scale experimental plans, analysis and reporting of data, supervision of plant scale trials, and development of product, raw material, and process specifications
• Coordinate and own the formulation development and launch of new products within a diverse portfolio for our hydroponic business segment that includes both organic and synthetic liquid nutrients, water soluble fertilizers, pesticides, horticultural substrates, and soil amendments
• Develop commercially viable formulations and processes consistent with business unit goals
• Design and execute experimental plans to develop formulas and obtain data required for product launch.
• Be responsible for finding new technologies, developing new products and processes, and identifying cost savings opportunities
• Document, analyze, and report data to cross-­functional teams
• Create and verify new formulations at lab, pilot, and manufacturing scales
• Collaborate closely with colleagues in R&D and Marketing to ensure alignment on project goals and maximize efficient use of resources versus milestones and commercialization
• Assist manufacturing with implementation of new or revised formulations through training of manufacturing staff and on­site technical coverage of the initial production campaign Integrate operational and formulation requirements in the development of products
• Design experiments that support and help define claims desired by Marketing. Judgment and interpretation of situations and data will at many times be considered non­routine

The Hawthorne Gardening Company is a start-up company focused on hydroponic gardening. Dedicated to creating high quality products founded in social and environmental responsibility. Backed by the largest lawn and garden company in the U.S. (Scotts Miracle-Gro, NYSE: SMG) we bring new ideas, values, and culture to our endeavors without the constraints of a large corporation. We are an energetic, progressive-minded, sustainability-focused group of highly-motivated individuals, eager to share our love of gardening with the world.

The perfect person will have:

• B.S. in Chemistry, Material Science, or Chemical Engineering plus 3 years of industry experience OR­
• M.S. in Chemistry, Material Science, or Chemical Engineering plus 1 year of industry experience OR
• PhD. in Chemistry, Material Science, or Chemical Engineering

Some other nice to have’s:

• Experience in green industry, hydroponics, or related industry experience
• Industry Experience: chemistry, process optimization, formulation development, chemical engineering, or related field
• Ability to constantly mine the realm of technologies and apply them to best meet business and/or consumer needs

• We offer extremely competitive benefits including: Health, Dental and Vision coverage with discounted generic prescriptions and wellness incentive program.
• Unbelievable 401K match and discounted stock purchasing program.
• Our commitment to diversity and inclusion includes four employee resource groups: Scotts Women’s Network, Scotts Black Employee Network, Scotts Veterans Network and Scotts Young Professionals.
• Generous vacation day policy.
• Various associate engagement activities throughout the year including intramural sports leagues.

At the ScottsMiracle-Gro Company we are passionate about helping people of all ages express themselves on their own piece of the Earth. Our industry-leading lawn, garden and outdoor living products and services all work to make a beautiful world.

Our brands are trusted to meet unique consumer needs – whether it's products in natural and organic or solutions for indoor and urban gardening. We are constantly listening to our consumers so we can develop the products they need.