Rajaswi Chemical Mfg. Ind. Pvt. Ltd.
Position Description — Confidential
QC & Laboratory Chemist — Lab Setup and Batch Release
Location: Danilimda, Ahmedabad (with occasional travel to Balotra, Rajasthan)
Reports to: Promoter / Plant Head. Technical standards defined and audited by the company’s external technical consultant.
Type: Full-time. Six-month setup mandate followed by ongoing QC ownership.
Purpose of the Role
The company is commissioning a new water-based pigment paste product line (white paste based on rutile TiO₂ dispersion, acrylic binder, and associative thickener chemistry) at its Danilimda facility. A laboratory and QC setup brief has been prepared. This role exists to convert that brief into a working laboratory: procure and commission instruments, write and implement SOPs, establish calibration and documentation systems, and then own routine quality control — incoming raw material checks and finished batch release — for the product line.
This is a builder’s role first and an operator’s role second. Candidates who have only worked inside an already-functioning lab, without having set one up or substantially expanded one, are unlikely to be a fit.
Phase 1 — Laboratory Setup (Months 1–6)
- Execute the approved lab setup brief: finalise instrument list, obtain quotations, recommend vendors, and manage procurement, installation, and commissioning of all laboratory equipment.
- Core instrumentation includes: fineness-of-grind (Hegman) gauges, Brookfield-type rotational viscometer suitable for thixotropic HASE-thickened systems, analytical and precision balances, pH meter, moisture/solids determination (oven or halogen moisture analyser), drawdown and film application equipment, spectrophotometer for shade and ΔE measurement, laboratory dissolver/stirrer, and standard glassware and consumables.
- Design the lab layout (benching, utilities, ventilation, sample retention area, chemical storage) within the space allocated at Danilimda.
- Write SOPs for every test method, aligned to the product specification (fineness ≥ 6.5 Hegman, viscosity within the specified range, solids, pH, shade tolerance) and to relevant standards (IS / ASTM as applicable).
- Establish the calibration regime: schedules, external calibration vendors, calibration records, and traceability.
- Set up the documentation system: raw material inspection records, batch test records, certificates of analysis, retained sample register, non-conformance and deviation log.
- All SOPs, test methods, and the completed lab setup will be reviewed and signed off by the company’s external technical consultant.
Phase 2 — Ongoing QC Ownership
- Incoming inspection of all raw materials against agreed specifications (TiO₂, binder, thickener, dispersants, additives), with authority to hold or reject non-conforming lots.
- In-process testing during dispersion and let-down (grind checks, viscosity development) and final batch testing against the release specification.
- Batch release authority for the pigment paste line, exercised independently of production; no batch ships without a signed release.
- Shade control: maintain master standards, run spectrophotometric comparison on every batch, and maintain the shade history record.
- Maintain retained samples and stability observation records for every production batch.
- Monthly QC report to management: batch pass rate, raw material rejections, deviations, calibration status.
Optional Module — Development Support
Depending on the selected candidate’s capability, the role may be extended to include development support. This module carries additional compensation and is not a default expectation:
- Preparation and evaluation of formulation trial batches under the direction of the external technical consultant.
- Comparative benchmarking of competitor products (application testing, drawdowns, measured properties).
- Support for new shade development and customer-specific matching.
Candidate Profile
- B.Sc./M.Sc. in Chemistry, or Diploma/Degree in Paint Technology or Surface Coating Technology.
- 6–10 years in QC or laboratory roles in decorative paints, pigment pastes/dispersions, printing inks, or textile printing auxiliaries.
- Must have direct, demonstrable experience of setting up a new laboratory or substantially expanding an existing one — including instrument selection, vendor dealings, and SOP authorship. This will be probed in detail at interview.
- Hands-on competence with fineness-of-grind measurement, viscosity measurement on shear-thinning/thixotropic systems, and spectrophotometric shade evaluation (ΔE).
- Working knowledge of TiO₂ dispersion behaviour is strongly preferred.
- Disciplined documentation habits; comfortable being audited by an external consultant.
- Languages: Gujarati and/or Hindi essential; functional English for SOPs and records.
Governance and Reporting
- The role reports administratively to management and is technically audited by the company’s external consultant, who defines standards and signs off methods.
- QC operates independently of production. The incumbent has no role in raw material purchasing decisions or vendor payments; QC recommends specifications and accepts/rejects material, but commercial negotiation and payment sit elsewhere.
- Batch release records, calibration records, and retained samples are subject to unannounced review.
Pay: Up to ₹40,000.00 per month
Work Location: In person
