Advanced R&D Engineer (ADTS)

Job Summary:
We are looking for a Formulation Expert (TPE/TPU/TPV) to join our ADTS team at Avient's Research & Development facility in Ranjangaon, Pune. The selected candidate will be expected to understand application performance and service requirements and develop suitable polymer compounds with minimal iterations for customers across market segments, including Transportation, Healthcare, Consumer, Industrial, and Electrical & Electronics. The candidate should have a strong understanding of polymer science and hands-on experience in compounding and polymer processing methods such as extrusion, injection molding, and calendering. A good understanding of testing methods and the ability to interpret data from internal testing and customer trials are essential to make necessary formulation improvements and resolve processing issues. This role will work closely with application engineering, sales, marketing, and manufacturing teams and is expected to be an effective team player.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Formulate and improve TPE formulas that meet customer requirements for performance, processing, regulatory standards, and cost.

• Evaluate and select new raw materials, such as base polymers, additives, and fillers, to improve product quality or reduce costs.

• Use test data (thermal, mechanical, rheological) and feedback from customer trials to guide formulation work and solve problems.

• Lead root cause analysis to quickly fix any product quality issues or manufacturing defects.

• Coordinate with ADTS, Marketing, and Sales teams on customer projects, provide formulation expertise, and support new application development based on customer requirements and feedback they share.

• Work closely with the manufacturing and quality teams to support scale-up activities and help set up the right extrusion machine settings for new formulas.

• Write technical reports, keep accurate formulation records, document all development work, and support any IP efforts involved.

• Create and maintain SAP material masters, formulations, Bills of Materials (BOMs), and related product documentation to support product development, commercialisation, and change management activities.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Polymer Science, Polymer Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.

• 7 to 8 years of industry experience in material characterisation and polymer formulation, specifically with SEBS, SBS, TPV, TPO, TPU, TPE-E, and TPE-A.

• Mandatory hands-on experience in TPE formulation, compound development, troubleshooting, and customer-driven product design.

• Knowledge of elastomer chemistry, additives, fillers, modifiers, and how a material's structure affects its properties.

• Exposure to various polymer processing and compounding equipment.

• Good understanding of analytical and material testing tools like DSC, TGA, FTIR, rheology, mechanical testing, UV, and flammability testing.

• Exposure to polymer applications in Transportation, Healthcare, Consumer, Industrial, Electrical & Electronics, Wire & Cable, or Packaging.

• Knowledge of Design of Experiments (DoE), various statistical tools; use of Minitab would be an advantage.

• Familiar with standard industry testing and regulatory requirements, such as ASTM and ISO.
  

Key Competencies:

• Formulation development, optimisation, and technical troubleshooting.

• Polymer testing methods and the ability to read and interpret data.

• Customer First mindset and Play to Win behaviour.

• Handling multiple customer projects simultaneously.

• Good problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.