Research Development Process Engineer

Position Overview

The R&D Process Engineer t will work closely with the Terre Haute Operations, Engineering, R&D, and Production teams to support resin and polymer performance within the manufacturing process.

This position will play a hands-on role in qualifying materials, troubleshooting polymer-related issues, supporting production trials, and responding quickly when resin or material performance issues occur on the production line.

Jennifer Doerfler currently has the strongest resin expertise within the team and will serve as a key resource in helping guide and develop the selected candidate.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the qualification and evaluation of new resin and polymer materials.
• Respond quickly to resin, polymer, and material-performance issues occurring within production.
• Identify potential causes when polymers or resin materials are not performing as expected.
• Participate in production-line trials and understand how resin and polymer properties affect manufacturing performance.
• Work closely with Plant Engineering, Operations, R&D, and Production teams to troubleshoot technical issues.
• Assist with both the formulation and processing aspects of polymer materials.
• Evaluate material behavior and recommend potential solutions to production or processing problems.
• Provide technical support to plant personnel regarding resin and polymer performance.
• Maintain a regular presence within the production environment rather than functioning solely in a laboratory or office setting.

Education

Preferred educational backgrounds include:

• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Polymer Science
• Materials Engineering/Materials Science
• Process Engineering with strong polymer exposure
• Other closely related engineering or scientific disciplines

Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering/scientific discipline.

Preferred: Master’s degree or PhD with specialization in polymers, plastics, chemistry, materials, or a related discipline.

A candidate with a Master’s degree and some relevant industry experience may also be considered.

Experience

Ideal candidates will have approximately 5–10 years of relevant experience within areas such as:

• Polymers
• Plastics
• Flexible packaging
• Resin manufacturing or processing
• Chemical manufacturing
• Materials engineering
• Polymer formulation
• Process engineering

Candidates with advanced graduate education and less industry experience may also be considered if they demonstrate strong technical capability and the ability to learn quickly.

Technical Requirements

Candidates should have:

• Strong understanding of polymers and resin materials
• Working knowledge of chemistry as it relates to polymer performance
• Understanding of polymer processing and manufacturing
• Experience conducting or supporting production trials
• Ability to evaluate what is occurring on a production line and troubleshoot material-related issues
• Strong problem-solving capability
• Ability to connect chemistry/material science concepts with manufacturing and processing conditions
• Experience working collaboratively with plant engineers and production personnel

Work Environment / Physical Requirements

This is a hands-on plant-based position.

The selected candidate must be comfortable:

• Working regularly within a manufacturing environment
• Moving throughout the production floor
• Inspecting materials and resin at the point of use
• Accessing pallets and material-storage areas
• Responding directly to production issues
• Performing appropriate physical activities associated with evaluating and handling production materials, subject to TI’s established physical requirements and safety procedures

The position requires someone who is comfortable being actively involved on the production floor rather than working exclusively from an office or laboratory.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be:

• Independent and self-directed
• Technically curious
• Quick to learn
• Hands-on and comfortable working in a manufacturing environment
• Strong at troubleshooting and problem solving
• Able to collaborate effectively with Engineering, Operations, R&D, and Production
• Comfortable receiving technical mentorship from Jennifer while developing into greater independent ownership of the resin function
• Able to communicate effectively in English within a technical manufacturing environment

Target Talent Sources

Purdue University was identified as a potential talent source, particularly candidates with backgrounds in:

• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Polymer Science
• Materials Engineering

Additional sourcing should focus on companies and industries involved in:

• Polymer manufacturing
• Plastics
• Resin
• Flexible packaging
• Film manufacturing
• Chemical processing
• Material science

Company to research: NexPoint Materials

Interview Process

Potential interview panel:

1. Jennifer Doerfler
2. Gabriel Durana
3. Lee Matheson

R&D should also have appropriate involvement in the selection process given the technical nature of the position.

Recruiting Priority

High priority / immediate need.

The position must be based onsite in Terre Haute, Indiana because of the level of interaction required with Operations and the production process.