Product Development Specialist (Rubber Technology), IMEA

Henkel; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth opportunities

Global wellbeing standards

Employee share plan

Generous parental leave

Comprehensive health insurance

Job summary

Henkel is seeking a Product Development Specialist – Rubber Technology in Pune, India. You will develop and optimize rubber-based formulations, lead lab work, and drive projects from concept to commercialization while collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet cost and performance targets.

The role requires a master's degree in rubber technology or related field and at least 5 years of industrial experience in rubber product development.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of industrial experience in rubber, adhesive, sealant, or elastomer product development.
• Strong hands-on formulation development and testing experience.
• Experience supporting plant trials, process optimization and commercialization.
• Solid understanding of rubber chemistry, polymers and adhesive technologies.
• Ability to work in cross-functional and international teams.
• Good communication skills and proactive ownership mindset.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize rubber-based adhesive and sealant formulations for automotive and industrial applications.
• Lead hands-on lab work including formulation, testing, troubleshooting and evaluation.
• Drive product development projects from concept through commercialization.
• Support innovation, localization, MOC and value engineering initiatives.
• Plan and execute pilot and plant trials for scale-up and manufacturing transfer.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement and Applications teams.
• Evaluate new materials and suppliers to improve performance and cost.
• Analyze data and recommend formulation or process improvements.
• Maintain high standards for lab safety, quality and excellence.

Skills

Rubber formulation

Laboratory testing

Scale-up to manufacturing

Cross-functional teamwork

Data analysis

English communication

Education

MSc in Rubber Tech

Job description

About this Position

The Product Development Specialist – Rubber Technology is responsible for developing, optimizing, and commercializing rubber-based products and formulations in line with customer requirements, quality standards, cost targets, and business objectives. To lead and support the development, formulation, testing, and optimization of rubber-based products by applying expertise in rubber technology, material science, and processing. The role involves translating customer and market requirements into commercially viable products, improving existing formulations, conducting laboratory and performance testing, troubleshooting product/process issues, and supporting successful scale-up and commercialization while ensuring quality, cost, and performance targets are met.

What you´ll do

• Develop and optimize rubber-based adhesive and sealant formulations for automotive and industrial applications.
• Lead hands-on laboratory work including formulation preparation, testing, troubleshooting, and performance evaluation.
• Drive product development projects from concept through commercialization.
• Support innovation, localization, MOC and value engineering initiatives.
• Plan and execute pilot and plant trials to ensure successful scale-up and manufacturing transfer.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, and Application Engineering teams.
• Evaluate new raw materials and alternative suppliers to improve product performance, cost, and sustainability.
• Analyze experimental and production data and recommend formulation or process improvements.
• Maintain high standards for laboratory safety, quality, and operational excellence.

What makes you a good fit

• Master's degree in chemical engineering, Polymer Science, Rubber Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of industrial experience in product development of rubber, adhesive, sealant, or elastomer-based products.
• Strong hands-on experience with formulation development, laboratory testing, and scale-up to manufacturing.
• Sound understanding of rubber chemistry, polymer materials, and adhesive technologies.
• Experience supporting plant trials, process optimization, and commercialization activities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a structured and data-driven approach.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional and international teams.
• Good communication skills and a proactive, ownership-driven mindset.
• Fluent in English; additional regional language skills are an advantage.

Some perks of joining Henkel

• Diverse national and international growth opportunities
• Global wellbeing standards with health and preventive care programs
• Gender-neutral parental leave for a minimum of 8 weeks
• Employee Share Plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares
• Best-in-class Group Medical Insurance policy covering employee, spouse and up to 2 children
• Competitive accident and term life policies for up to 3 times annual gross salary
• Progressive OPD policy of INR 30,000 for employee, spouse and up to 2 children

At Henkel, we come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe the uniqueness of all our employees is the power in us. Become part of the team and bring your uniqueness to us! We look for a diverse team of individuals who possess different backgrounds, experiences, personalities and mindsets.