R&D Director

DIRECTOR OF MATERIALS ENGINEERING

Plastics Manufacturing

Location: Flexible for the right candidate, with 2 U.S. location options available.

Some materials leadership jobs are mostly about managing a lab. This one is not.

We are looking for a senior plastics materials leader who can dig into a formulation challenge, work through a production issue with process engineering, and build the technical organization needed for the company's next stage of growth.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

A growing plastics manufacturer is strengthening its materials engineering capabilities as the business expands.

The company needs a Director who can connect materials science with what actually happens in manufacturing. You will lead the function, but technical credibility and hands-on problem solving matter just as much as the leadership title.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

• Lead materials engineering, formulation, product development, testing, and material quality activities.

• Drive development and optimization of plastic formulations for demanding performance requirements.

• Provide technical direction around polymers, additives, stabilization, fillers, color systems, and material selection.

• Partner directly with process engineering and manufacturing to move formulations from development through production scale-up.

• Improve raw-material specifications, qualification methods, and material consistency.

• Lead root-cause work when material behavior, processing, appearance, or finished-product performance falls outside expectations.

• Build and develop a technical team while remaining willing to personally engage in difficult technical problems.

• Create a stronger pipeline for new materials, improved formulations, cost improvements, and future product development.

WHAT STRONG CANDIDATES LOOK LIKE

• 10+ years in plastics, materials science, polymer science, formulation, or closely related technical work.

• Meaningful technical leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.

• Deep hands-on knowledge of plastic formulation, additives, and material behavior.

• Experience across multiple areas such as stabilization, fillers, colorants/pigments, specialty polymers, compounding, and material modification.

• Direct experience partnering with process/manufacturing engineering during trials, scale-up, troubleshooting, and commercialization.

• Comfortable moving between the lab and manufacturing floor.

• Experience developing and leading scientists, engineers, or other technical professionals.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

Target base compensation is approximately $180K-$230K depending on experience and technical depth.

Candidates may have meaningful bonus upside

Competitive benefits package.

The position can be based in 1 of 2 locations, requiring travel as needed to the other facility.

WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT

• Not a lab-only R&D leadership position.

• Not primarily a testing-management job.

• Not a role for someone who has moved completely away from hands-on technical work.

• Not a fit if your materials experience stops when the formulation reaches production.

If you've built your career around understanding why plastic formulations behave the way they do, and you enjoy turning that knowledge into something manufacturing can consistently run, this is worth a confidential conversation.

The company is looking for a rare combination of technical depth, manufacturing instincts, and leadership. What would you want to know to decide whether it's worth exploring?