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.
   

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world.

Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it’s powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you’re a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you’ll find your place at Avient.

Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviors for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business.

By playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient’s strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals.

At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world.  In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person’s qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.