Head of Compound Engineering - Polymer Science & Engineering

ON; Indonesia; Hybrid; IDR 1.326.040.000 - 1.657.551.000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports good production company is seeking a Head of Compound Engineering to drive innovation in polymer technology. This role involves leading a team to develop high-performance materials, enhance manufacturing processes, and collaborate with various stakeholders to achieve sustainability goals. The ideal candidate has a master's degree and extensive experience in compound engineering, focusing on innovation and efficiency.

Benefits

Personal self-care access

Supportive team-oriented atmosphere

Opportunities for personal growth

Qualifications

• 10 years of hands-on experience in compound engineering and leadership.
• Deep understanding of manufacturing processes.
• Proven experience in driving complex projects with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the inline and innovation compound engineering team.
• Develop and implement cutting-edge compound technologies.
• Drive standardization of bonding processes and guidelines.

Skills

Hands-on experience in compound engineering

Strong focus on innovation

Fluency in English

Education

MSc in Polymer Science, Material Science, or related

Tools

High pressure injection molding

IM, CMP, SCIF, SCF

Job description

Head of Compound Engineering - Polymer Science & Engineering

Take the leap and redefine the future of sports good production with us. Lead the compound engineering team in Vietnam and build a strong and reliable operation in Vietnam and Indonesia.

Your Mission

Your mission will be to lead the inline and innovation compound engineering team, developing, and implementing cutting-edge compound technologies to create high-performance, sustainable materials that redefine underfoot sensation.

You will drive the efforts of manufacturing excellence and putting in place documentations and processes and contribute to our operations more robust and transparent. You will be in charge of bringing on board state of the art partners and through continuous innovation, you’ll push the boundaries of materials, technology, and processes, while keeping the big picture in mind.

Polymer Innovation & Development:

• Lead the development and validation of innovative polymer compounds (midsole, outsole, speed board) for footwear applications, from concept through to inline production and ensure the scalability of new development
• Integrate sustainable materials into polymer development, aligned with On’s sustainability goals.
• Explore novel technologies, processing methods, and cross-industry innovations to future-proof product pipelines.

Manufacturing Excellence & Process Implementation:

• Evaluate current material and manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for improved performance, efficiency, and sustainability.
• Define and maintain chemical engineering documentation, including: Compound formulation documentation; VOC reduction guidelines and data frameworks; Process audit frameworks for compound production
• Drive standardization of bonding processes and engineering guidelines to support consistent, high-quality production.

Cross-functional Leadership & Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with internal teams (Innovation, Product Development, Operations) and external partners (material suppliers, factories).
• Support costing team on price negotiation with suppliers.
• Lead knowledge-sharing and upskilling initiatives around polymer materials, compliance, and best practices.

Your story

• MSc (or higher) in Polymer Science, Material Science, compound engineering or a related discipline.
• 10 years of hands-on experience in compound engineering and leadership, with a strong focus on innovation, performance materials, and sustainability.
• Deep understanding of manufacturing processes like IM , CMP , SCIF, SCF, high pressure injection molding
• Proven experience in driving complex projects collaborating with diverse stakeholders to scale up novel material solutions from concept to global supply chain integration.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with fluency in English required; additional language skills are a plus.

About the Team

The Innovation team is responsible for On’s future products, out-of-the-box thinking and athlete-informed technology that differentiates On’s products in the market. Within the Innovation team you will join the Polymer Science and Engineering team which is focused on polymer and compound development with a scope covering long term innovation to inline production. You will have the opportunity to be part of an agile and interdisciplinary department of engineers and scientists. We foster a fast-paced environment with direct decision making and the freedom to design projects and processes.

Many of our biggest and best ideas are brought to life in Vietnam. The home to many of our factories and some of our most innovative thinkers.

We touch every product that's being made because we bring the connection to the human being. So while everyone's excited about products, materials and colors, we go and say, “okay, so what does this actually do for the human?”

What we offer

On is a place that is centered around growth and progress. We offer an environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically – to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere, with access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, so each person is led by purpose.

On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination.

We want to set everyone up for success, so here’s the lowdown on how we hire. Our process is a two-way street – bringing you into our culture, while helping us learn how you think.

Our full process can last about eight weeks from application to offer, because we care about getting it right. These steps explain how we usually do things.

Before you get started, feel free to consider if you want to work with us. Strange question? Well, we give people a lot of space to navigate their day-to-day and that style isn't for everyone. We want you to be passionate about what you do and be sure this is the right fit. Because when skills and passion combine – it creates that 'Wow' moment.

Step One:

It starts with you...

You'll start by submitting your application to a specific role.

We try to keep this step as simple as possible. We do get a lot of applications, but we review them all. If you're a good fit to the role, a recruiter will follow up with you directly. If you didn't receive a reply, or were unsuccessful this time around, we encourage you to look for other possible matches at On.