Senior R&D Engineer - Converting at Koch Inc. in Neenah, WI

Your Job

Join Georgia-Pacific’s Research & Development team at the Neenah Technical Center as a Senior R&D Engineer - Converting, focused on advancing the converting processes used to manufacture tissue-based consumer products such as bath tissue, paper towels, and napkins. This role is well suited for an engineer who enjoys combining hands-on equipment work, materials science, and data-driven experimentation to solve complex converting challenges. In this role, you will study how tissue sheet structure, material properties, and converting operations interact to influence finished product properties by working hands-on with laboratory and pilot converting equipment, analyzing process and product data, and applying those insights to commercial manufacturing challenges. By developing characterization methods, designing rigorous lab and pilot experiments, and translating results into predictive structure–property–performance relationships, you will turn promising observations into reusable knowledge, design principles, and new technology opportunities.

Direct tissue experience is valuable but not required; candidates with strong roll-to-roll, web-handling, or materials-processing experience from adjacent industries are encouraged to apply.

Our Team

You will join a multidisciplinary, long-term technology development team within GP Consumer Products. The team includes capability across fiber, papermaking, chemistry, and converting and collaborates closely with product development, operations, and engineering teams to explore what is possible and build knowledge that compounds across projects. We balance internal development and collaboration with universities, suppliers, OEMs, and external research organizations to access emerging methods and accelerate learning. In working together, we shape the future, influence long-term technical strategy, and build expertise that is visible across the organization.

What You Will Do

• Lead research that connects tissue-sheet structure and material properties with converting operations—including unwinding, embossing, laminating, perforating, slitting, and rewinding—to improve finished-product performance and manufacturability.
• Design and execute rigorous laboratory and pilot-scale studies using the scientific method and statistical experimental design.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, and Product Development to translate laboratory and pilot insights into commercially viable tissue-converting technologies and manufacturing improvements.
• Design, prototype, and evaluate tissue-converting components, tooling, and equipment concepts that improve product quality, process capability, reliability, or manufacturing efficiency.
• Serve as a technical leader in tissue converting by building reusable knowledge, mentoring colleagues, and developing clear points of view that guide product and process decisions.
• Collaborate with universities, research organizations, suppliers, and OEMs to identify methods, capabilities, and technologies that accelerate learning.
• Identify and protect intellectual property through competitive intelligence, invention disclosures, patent applications, and trade-secret practices.
• Use economic thinking to prioritize opportunities and communicate progress, implications, risks, and next steps to technical and business audiences.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science, materials engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, paper science or a related technical field.
• Five (5) or more years of relevant industrial or applied R&D experience outside of schooling in converting, web-based manufacturing, equipment development, process engineering, or the interaction between material properties and manufacturing performance.
• Hands-on experience planning and executing laboratory or pilot-scale experiments and scaling successful concepts toward commercialization.
• Experience with experimental design and statistical analysis methods such as DOE, ANOVA, or regression.
• Ability to synthesize complex data into clear conclusions, technical recommendations, and documentation that others can use.
• Willing and able to travel up to 25%.

What Will Put You Ahead

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in materials science, materials engineering, chemical engineering, paper science, or a related technical field.
• Experience with roll-to-roll or paper-converting operations such as unwinding, web handling, embossing, laminating, perforating, slitting, and rewinding.
• Experience in tissue, paper, nonwovens, textiles, packaging, polymers, composites, personal care, coatings, or another industry where converting or processing changes material structure and performance.
• Demonstrated experience investigating structure–property or structure–function relationships and using materials characterization to solve complex technical problems.
• Track record of innovation and intellectual property contributions.
• Demonstrated success partnering with universities, suppliers, research organizations, or OEMs to accelerate technology adoption.
• Experience using AI-enabled tools, modeling, or data analytics to accelerate experimentation, identify process–material relationships, or support technical decision-making.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

As a Koch company and a leading manufacturer of bath tissue, paper towels, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and much more, Georgia-Pacific works to meet evolving needs of customers worldwide with quality products. In addition to the products we make, we operate one of the largest recycling businesses. Our more than 30,000 employees in over 150 locations are empowered to innovate every day –to make everyday products even better.

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunities

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here, aquí, or tu).