Electroplating Chemist

Ontario Trillium Foundation; Camden (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ontario Trillium Foundation is seeking an Electroplating Chemist to develop and optimize advanced electroplating processes for copper foil and related electronics applications, blending hands-on lab work with pilot-scale manufacturing support.

You will lead DOE studies, translate lab findings to production, investigate defects, and contribute to new product development, technical documentation, and customer-facing discussions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Metallurgy, or related technical field.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on electroplating, electrochemical process development, or surface finishing experience.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry, electrodeposition mechanisms, and plating process fundamentals.
• Experience designing and executing structured experimental programs.
• Proven ability to analyze technical data and draw actionable conclusions.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute laboratory experiments to develop new electroplating bath chemistries, additives, and surface treatment technologies.
• Translate laboratory findings into pilot-scale and production-scale processes.
• Lead root-cause investigations involving plating defects, contamination events, and process instability.
• Maintain laboratory documentation, technical reports, and experimental databases.
• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to understand emerging technical requirements and market trends.

Skills

Electrochemistry

Experimental design

Data analysis

Technical writing

DOE

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry/Materials/related field

Tools

SEM

EDS

XRF

ICP

HPLC

Cyclic voltammetry

Job description

Position Summary

The Electroplating Chemist is responsible for the development, optimization, scale-up, and commercialization of advanced electroplating processes and surface treatment of electrodeposited copper foil technologies for high-performance PCB, battery, and advanced electronics applications. This role combines hands-on laboratory work with pilot-scale and manufacturing support to develop new products, improve process capability, and solve complex technical challenges. The position serves as a key technical resource for innovation, product development, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Research & Product Development

• Design and execute laboratory experiments to develop new electroplating bath chemistries, additives, and surface treatment technologies for electrodeposited copper foil manufacturing.
• Develop next-generation plating processes to improve electrical, mechanical, thermal, and surface performance characteristics.
• Investigate new materials, additives, and process technologies to support strategic growth initiatives.
• Lead new product development projects from concept through commercial implementation.
• Develop technical data packages and qualification plans for customer approvals.

Process Development & Scale-Up

• Translate laboratory findings into pilot-scale and production-scale processes.
• Design experiments (DOE) to optimize plating performance and establish process windows.
• Evaluate relationships between plating chemistry, operating conditions, deposit structure, and product performance.
• Support technology transfer from R&D to manufacturing operations.
• Establish process control methodologies and operating specifications for new products.

Technical Problem Solving

• Lead root-cause investigations involving plating defects, contamination events, and process instability.
• Utilize analytical techniques to characterize deposits, surface morphology, and chemical composition.
• Develop corrective actions and long-term solutions for complex technical issues.
• Support customer-facing technical discussions and failure analysis investigations.

Laboratory & Analytical Activities

• Perform chemical analysis and characterization of plating baths and deposits.
• Utilize laboratory equipment to evaluate electrochemical performance, deposit properties, and material characteristics.
• Maintain laboratory documentation, technical reports, and experimental databases.
• Develop new analytical methods to support process development and quality improvement.

Customer & Market Development

• Collaborate with sales and marketing teams to understand emerging technical requirements and market trends.
• Generate technical presentations and reports for customers, management, and industry partners.
• Participate in technical conferences, industry working groups, and collaborative development programs.

Intellectual Property & Innovation

• Identify opportunities for patentable technologies and process innovations.
• Maintain awareness of industry developments, competitive technologies, and emerging market opportunities.
• Contribute to the company’s intellectual property strategy and technology roadmap.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Metallurgy, or related technical field.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on electroplating, electrochemical process development, or surface finishing experience.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry, electrodeposition mechanisms, and plating process fundamentals.
• Experience designing and executing structured experimental programs.
• Proven ability to analyze technical data and draw actionable conclusions.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Materials Science, or related field.
• Experience developing copper, nickel, tin, silver, gold, or specialty alloy plating systems.
• Experience in electrodeposited copper foil, printed circuit boards, semiconductor, battery materials, or advanced electronics manufacturing.
• Knowledge of adhesion promoters, surface treatments, and foil roughening technologies for PCB laminates.
• Familiarity with analytical tools such as SEM, EDS, XRF, ICP, HPLC, cyclic voltammetry, or surface characterization techniques.
• Experience with statistical analysis, Design of Experiments (DOE), and process modeling.
• Demonstrated record of successful commercialization of new products or processes.

Key Competencies

• Scientific curiosity and innovation
• Experimental design and execution
• Electrochemical process expertise
• Advanced analytical and data-driven problem solving
• Project management and technical leadership
• Cross-functional collaboration with R&D, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Commercial teams
• Technology commercialization
• Safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance

Success Measures

• Successful development and commercialization of new products.
• Reduction in development cycle time.
• Achievement of customer qualification milestones.
• Patent disclosures and intellectual property generation.
• Improvement in product performance and process capability.
• Successful scale-up of laboratory technologies to production.
• Technical leadership in strategic growth programs.

Ideal Candidate Profile

A hands-on electrochemist who enjoys spending time both in the laboratory and on the manufacturing floor, capable of developing novel plating technologies while solving real-world production challenges. This individual combines strong scientific rigor with practical manufacturing experience and has a demonstrated ability to move new technologies from concept to commercial reality. They should be comfortable working across R&D, engineering, quality, and production teams to accelerate product development and process improvement. The candidate should have a working understanding of process control for sequential-step electroplating lines.