Sr. Materials / Polymer Scientist
Job Summary
- Drives business growth and focuses on new product development, process development, and operation/customer support.
- Enhances division’s core competency of engineered mineral solutions for use in thermoplastics, thermosets and rubber applications, both existing and new/developmental products.
- Innovates and leads New Product Development (NPD) programs in response to customer needs.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- Promotes and maintains a safe work environment for self and others.
- Manages projects of moderate size & scope.
- Makes substantial contributions to determining team goals and objectives.
- Leads or assists in the new product/process/method development, testing and characterization techniques tailored to product applications, and/or scale-up from laboratory to commercial scale through plant trials including at the customer sites.
- Writes technical reports documenting scientific work, experimental results, and project achievements.
- Communicates project results via technical and business-focused presentations internally and at external conferences
- Identifies development projects to feed the NPD pipeline in alignment with market trends and business strategies.
- Keeps current with technical literature and IP and uses that knowledge to generate ideas for new products or applications
- Acts as a point-of-contact with IP and the Legal team, translating discoveries and results into patent applications.
- Builds and maintains relationships with technical counterparts at customers, service providers and marketing teams.
- Leads or assists in external R&D programs with universities and other institution
- Works with other Imerys entities and business units to evaluate emerging technologies.
- Facilitates development and professional growth of others including junior scientists and technicians.
- Travel up to 10% (domestic & international)
Skills and Attributes Required
- Strong interpersonal skills and team work/collaboration spirit
- Strong technical, troubleshooting & data analysis skills
- Strong communication skills (spoken and written).
- Capable of working independently, multi-tasking and balancing priorities while working on multiple projects concurrently.
- Able to explain technical concepts in non-technical and clear language
- Proficient in statistical analysis, knowledge of Design of Experiments (DOE) is a plus
- Experience with additive functionalization // interfacial chemistry
- Proficient in setting up standard polymer test methods, and ability to train technicians to deliver accurate results.
- Strong understanding of the relationship between the physical/chemical properties of inorganic materials and their impact on polymer performance
- Desire to work “hands-on” in our laboratory or at customers’ facilities.
- Ability to lead a multi-disciplinary, multicultural, New Product Development project team.
- Ability to adapt to a fast-paced and changing operation.
- Experience in thermoset composites is a plus.
- Industrial mineral processing experience including thermal processing/calcination, milling, and classification is a plus
- High level of knowledge of powder processing technology is a plus
- Experience with data analytics/machine learning in material science applications is a plus.
Education/Experience Required
- Industrial experience in polymers / material science with a strong foundation in structure property relationships
- PhD in chemical/plastics/material science plus 5 years experience is preferred; Master’s degree plus minimum 8 years experience, or Bachelor’s Degree plus minimum 10 years experience
- Application experience in transportation, packaging, building/construction and electronics is a plus