Senior Chemist – Specialty Adhesives R&D at DuPont · West…

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Position Summary

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Product Expertise

• Serve as a subject matter expert in specialty adhesives and solvent-borne polymer-based bonding systems
• Provide technical leadership across product development, manufacturing support, and customer applications
• Assess technical risks and opportunities related to formulations, raw materials, processing, and performance

Mechanical Testing & Performance Evaluation

• Design, execute, and interpret mechanical, environmental, and durability testing to assess adhesive performance
• Establish structure–property–process relationships linking lab results to application and field performance
• Develop and refine test methods aligned with internal standards and customer requirements

Manufacturing & Process Support

• Provide technical support to manufacturing plants, including troubleshooting complex process and quality issues
• Partner with operations and engineering teams to improve process robustness and manufacturability
• Design or evaluate new manufacturing processes or process changes, supporting scale-up and technology transfer

Quality, Failure Analysis & Problem Resolution

• Lead or support advanced failure analyses for customer issues, performance gaps, or manufacturing deviations
• Apply chemical, mechanical, and materials characterization techniques to identify root causes
• Define corrective and preventive actions in partnership with Quality and Manufacturing teams

Customer-Facing Technical Support

• Engage directly with customers to understand application requirements and address advanced technical challenges
• Translate customer needs into technical insights that inform product improvements or development priorities
• Represent the technical organization in customer meetings, audits, or escalation situations as needed

Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing

• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior scientists or laboratory staff
• Document technical findings, best practices, and process learnings to strengthen organizational capability.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant industry experience. Candidates with a BS or MS in these disciplines and 10+ or 5+ years of relevant industry experience, respectively, will also be considered.
• Significant experience in adhesives, polymers, coatings, elastomers, or related materials technologies
• Strong foundation in adhesive formulation chemistry and polymer systems
• Demonstrated experience with mechanical testing and performance interpretation
• Proven ability to solve complex, multidisciplinary technical problems
• Experience working directly with manufacturing plants and supporting process troubleshooting
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with industrial bonding applications, including elastomer-to-substrate or structural adhesive systems
• Hands-on involvement in process design, scale-up, or technology transfer
• Familiarity with structured quality systems, root cause analysis, and change management
• Experience in customer-facing technical roles or field support environments

Working Conditions & Travel

• Combination of laboratory, manufacturing site, and office-based work
• Periodic travel to manufacturing locations and customer sites as required

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DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.