Associate Investigator - Electroplating Applications Technology

Qnity; Marlborough (MA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Qnity is seeking an Associate Investigator - Electroplating Applications Technology to develop and optimize plating processes for advanced electronics. The role blends hands-on lab work, process development, troubleshooting, and analytical testing to improve plating performance and product quality.

The candidate will work onsite in Marlborough, MA, collaborating with R&D, Applications Engineering, and customer-facing teams to support product development and applications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical discipline.
• Experience in electroplating, surface finishing, metallization, or surface characterization in lab, pilot-scale, manufacturing, or technical service."
• Experience preparing plating solutions, maintaining bath chemistry, operating plating equipment, and resolving plating defects.
• Knowledge of electrochemical principles and common plating systems (nickel, copper, silver, tin).
• Ability to handle wet chemistries safely and follow lab safety protocols.
• Strong experimental planning, data analysis, documentation, and communication skills.
• Proven problem-solving ability and ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, maintain, analyze, and optimize electroplating baths and chemical solutions.
• Operate and maintain pilot-scale electroplating equipment.
• Plan and execute laboratory experiments, plating trials, and process evaluations.
• Monitor coating performance through thickness and adhesion testing.
• Analyze bath chemistry and data, identify root causes, and recommend corrective actions.
• Calibrate and maintain laboratory instrumentation for testing.
• Document procedures, results, and conclusions in notebooks and digital systems.
• Collaborate with R&D, Applications Engineering, Sales, and Technical Service teams to develop new plating processes.
• Assist in troubleshooting customer plating challenges and evaluating improvements.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and waste-management requirements.

Skills

Electroplating

Laboratory skills

Data analysis

Technical communication

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Chemistry/ Chemical Engineering/ Materials Science

Tools

XRF

SEM

XRD

Spectroscopy

Microscopy

Job description

Are you looking to power the next leap in the exciting world of advanced electronics? Do you want to help solve problems that drive success in the rapidly evolving technology and connectivity landscape? Then bring your problem-solving, passion, and creativity to help us power the next leap in electronics.

At Qnity, we’re more than a global leader in materials and solutions for advanced electronics and high-tech industries – we’re a tight-knit team that is motivated by new possibilities, and always up for a challenge. All our dedicated teams contribute to making cutting-edge technology possible. We value forward-thinking challengers, boundary-pushers, and diverse perspectives across all our departments, because we know we play a critical role in the world enabling faster progress for all. Learn how you can start or jumpstart your career with us.

Role Summary

Qnity is in search of an Associate Investigator - Electroplating Applications Technology. This individual plays a critical role in developing, evaluating, and optimizing electroplating processes and metallization products for advanced electronics markets. This position combines hands-on laboratory work, process development, troubleshooting, analytical testing, and cross-functional collaboration to improve plating performance, consistency, and product quality.

The ideal candidate brings practical electroplating experience, strong laboratory and analytical capabilities, and a passion for solving complex technical challenges through experimentation and data-driven decision-making.

This position is 100% onsite reporting to our facility in Marlborough, MA. Candidates who currently live within a daily commutable distance will be given priority.

Please note: Sponsorship is not available now nor any time in the future for this opportunit y.

What You'll Do

• Prepare, maintain, analyze, and optimize electroplating baths and chemical solutions.
• Operate and maintain pilot-scale electroplating equipment, including tanks, rectifiers, pumps, filtration systems, heating systems, and agitation equipment.
• Plan and execute laboratory experiments, plating trials, and process evaluations to support product development and customer applications.
• Monitor coating performance through thickness, adhesion, appearance, and other surface-characterization testing methods.
• Analyze bath chemistry and process data, identify root causes of performance issues, and recommend corrective actions.
• Calibrate, maintain, and utilize laboratory instrumentation to support testing and process control activities.
• Document experimental procedures, results, observations, and conclusions in laboratory notebooks and digital systems.
• Collaborate with R&D, Applications Engineering, Sales, and Technical Service teams to develop new plating processes and support customer needs.
• Assist in troubleshooting customer plating challenges and evaluating process improvement opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, chemical handling, and waste-management requirements.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Prior experience in electroplating, surface finishing, metallization, or surface characterization within a laboratory, pilot-scale, manufacturing, or technical service environment.
• Experience preparing plating solutions, maintaining bath chemistry, operating plating equipment, and resolving plating defects.
• Working knowledge of electrochemical principles and common plating systems, including nickel, copper, silver, and tin.
• Ability to safely handle wet chemistries while following laboratory safety and chemical hygiene protocols.
• Strong experimental planning, data analysis, technical documentation, and communication skills.
• Proven problem-solving ability and capability to work independently as well as within cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with multiple electroplating chemistries or surface-finishing technologies.
• Experience supporting production-scale or pilot-scale plating operations.
• Hands-on experience with XRF, SEM, XRD, spectroscopy, microscopy, wet chemical analysis, or related characterization techniques.
• Knowledge of coating thickness, adhesion, corrosion, and surface-performance testing methods.
• Familiarity with ASTM and ISO standards, statistical process control (SPC), and quality systems.
• Experience with corrosion science, surface science, formulation development, or Design of Experiments (DOE).
• Lean Six Sigma certification or training.

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Qnity is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.

Qnity offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.

We use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance our recruitment process.

The Pay range for this role is $75,000.00 - $100,000.00 Annual

How Base Pay is Determined: Qnity has job leveling frameworks that help organize roles based on progressive levels of responsibility, proficiency and qualifications. Each role has an associated pay range (or an established pay rate for some roles) based on the competitive market in each country where we operate. Each individual’s pay is based on a variety of factors, including their role and the associated pay range for that role, their geographic location (i.e., country, state, metropolitan area), as well as their skills, experience, education and certifications, and performance.