Application Technology Engineer/Chemist

LANXESS - Naugatuck, CT

Full-time - Mid Level

Remote - Naugatuck, CT

10,001+ employees

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with a strong focus on the development, manufacturing, and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, and consumer protection products. We are currently seeking a talented individual to join our team, who will apply their understanding of elastomer performance, prepolymers, curatives, and other formulation aspects to solve problems in urethane performance and processing. This role involves developing new tests, such as physical property tests for rebonded foam efforts, and exploring new market areas as part of cross-functional strategy teams. The successful candidate will contribute to team discussions by providing technical knowledge and insights into unmet needs, focusing development efforts to exploit these opportunities. In this position, you will advance our formulations capability in new market categories, particularly in the rebonded foam market, and demonstrate the advantages of our formulations. You will also recognize opportunities to patent formulation compositions and application ideas, highlighting these to the TS&D director and IP counsel to establish potential value and paths for exploration. Bridging the gap between R&D and Applications, you will develop new prepolymers on a lab scale for specific application projects, accelerating programs within the TS&D group. Building strong customer relationships is essential, as you will manage a significant portfolio of technical service needs for these customers. You will follow service policy guidelines while recognizing and highlighting more attractive opportunities for approval on an exception basis. Collaborating with the TS&D director, you will balance workload versus AD priorities to ensure our time is used effectively. Additionally, you will provide trip reports and highlights to the Urethanes organization, contributing to our global knowledge base and understanding of polyurethanes, and publishing Application Development reports in areas of significant development.

Responsibilities

• Apply understanding of elastomer performance, prepolymers, curatives, and other formulation aspects to solve problems in urethane performance and processing.
• Develop new tests, such as physical property tests for rebonded foam efforts.
• Explore new market areas as part of cross-functional strategy teams.
• Contribute technical knowledge and capabilities to team discussions.
• Focus development efforts on unmet needs in the market.
• Advance formulations capability in new market categories, particularly in the rebonded foam market.
• Recognize opportunities to patent formulation compositions and application ideas.
• Bridge the gap between R&D and Applications by developing new prepolymers on a lab scale for specific application projects.
• Develop strong customer relationships and manage a significant portfolio of technical service needs.
• Provide trip reports and highlights to the Urethanes organization.
• Contribute to the global knowledge base and understanding of polyurethanes.
• Publish Application Development reports in areas of significant development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Polymer Science is required; advanced degrees are a plus.
• 3 to 5 years of chemical industry experience, supporting polymer research and formulations.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to guide others.
• Approachable by customers and employees with a wide range of backgrounds and skills.
• Ability to lead the team in solving application issues via formulation.
• Solid knowledge of the URE product line, their processing needs, and pitfalls.
• Ability to recommend specific products and processing.
• Ability to synthesize new prepolymer formulations for particular needs.
• Ability to work in a hybrid schedule, typically 4 days on-site and 1 day working from home each week.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages, including a global bonus program and individual performance bonus program.
• Comprehensive benefits supporting financial security, health, and wellbeing, including retirement plans, health programs, life insurance, and medical care.
• Flexible working arrangements through the global 'Xwork' program.
• Commitment to professional and personal development through ongoing education, training, and knowledge acquisition.
• Diversity and equal opportunity employment.