Job Description

About Aspen
We love what we do! At Aspen Surgical we live our values of Customer Focus, Integrity, Accountability, Collaboration, and Innovative Spirit every day. This caring dedication creates and builds exceptional products that drive the industry standard making a real and lasting impact on people’s lives around the world. We strive to be the best, while providing the tools, resources, and support needed to set our team members up for success.

This role is responsible for supporting the development, optimization, and lifecycle management of formulations used for cleaning, disinfection, and reprocessing of medical devices and healthcare environments, with a focus on medical cleaning chemistries including enzymatic detergents, disinfectants, and device refurbishing agents. The Chemist position requires hands-on formulation experience, a strong understanding of antimicrobial and enzymatic systems, and familiarity with regulatory and performance requirements for healthcare applications.

In This Position, You Will Have the Opportunity To
• Develop and optimize enzymatic detergents, high- and low-level disinfectants, and refurbishing chemistries for medical devices and healthcare surfaces
• Design and execute laboratory studies to evaluate cleaning efficacy (protein, blood, biofilm removal), enzyme activity, antimicrobial efficacy, material compatibility, and stability
• Select and evaluate raw materials including enzymes (protease, amylase, lipase), surfactants, oxidizers, quaternary ammonium compounds, peracetic acid systems, and corrosion inhibitors
• Support disinfection validation testing (e.g., bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal claims) in collaboration with internal teams or external labs
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Regulatory, Quality, Clinical Affairs, Manufacturing) to ensure compliance with FDA, EPA, ISO 15883, AAMI, and other applicable standards
• Assist in scale-up, technology transfer, and manufacturing troubleshooting for commercialization
• Investigate and resolve product performance issues, including residue formation, material compatibility, and process variability
• Maintain detailed documentation for formulations, validation data, technical reports, and regulatory submissions
• Monitor industry trends in infection prevention, device reprocessing, and emerging antimicrobial technologies
• Work in a laboratory and pilot-scale formulation development environment, interacting with manufacturing and sterile processing environments as needed.
• Handle bio-relevant soils, chemicals, and antimicrobial agents under strict safety protocols.

What You Need to Succeed in This Position
• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field
• 3–6 years of experience in formulation development, preferably in medical, healthcare, or regulated cleaning products
• Working knowledge of:
◦ Enzyme-based cleaning systems and stability considerations
◦ Surfactant systems and soil removal mechanisms (proteins, lipids, polysaccharides)
◦ Disinfectant chemistries (e.g., oxidizing agents, aldehydes, quats)
• Experience designing experiments and interpreting performance data
• Strong understanding of laboratory safety and chemical handling practices
• Technical depth in cleaning, enzymatic, and antimicrobial chemistry
• Familiarity with antimicrobial efficacy standards (e.g., AOAC, ASTM, EN methods), preferred
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks (FDA 21 CFR, EPA FIFRA, EU MDR, REACH), preferred
• Product performance testing using ultrasonic machines and automatic washers with TOSI plates and challenge substrates, preferred
• Accelerated shelf life and stability studies using an incubator, preferred
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to translate laboratory results into practical application performance
• Cross-functional collaboration in regulated environments
• Attention to detail and documentation rigor
• Project management and time prioritization

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer- and celebrate our employees' differences, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or Veteran status. Diversity makes us better.