Polymer Processing Engineer

Evonik; Allentown (Lehigh County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Evonik is seeking a senior technical leader to manage polymer processing initiatives in a dynamic environment. You will lead a team of technicians, directing injection molding, extrusion, and compounding trials, while ensuring safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.

The role emphasizes DO E driven problem solving, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration with R&D, applications, and commercial teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Polymer/Plastics Eng, Chemical Eng, or Materials Science.
• 5+ years in polymer processing; leadership in technical teams.
• Experience with DOE, statistics, and scale-up from lab to production.
• Experience with Lean/Six Sigma or CI frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and train a team of technicians, fostering safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Allocate resources across polymer processing activities; travel to customer locations as needed.
• Oversee processing trials (injection molding, extrusion, compounding); maintain records of activities and data.
• Drive process development and optimization for new product introduction, scale-up, and commercialization; ensure IP doc.
• Act as escalation point for complex processing challenges; lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Develop and execute operational excellence strategies to improve equipment utilization and productivity.
• Champion safety, quality, and regulatory compliance across processes and procedures.
• Manage laboratory assets, capital investments, and technology upgrades for reliable capabilities.
• Set performance metrics and communicate progress to leadership.

Skills

Leadership experience

DOE & statistics

Process development

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Continuous improvement

Safety leadership

Education

Polymer/Plastics Engineering degree

Chemical Engineering degree

Materials Science degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

What we offer At Evonik, you’re part of a global chemical company working in many sectors that go beyond chemistry. From lipids for tomorrow’s medicines, biosurfactants for green detergents, additives for plastics recycling or membranes to help drive forward the energy transition, you’ll play an essential part in helping the world’s most essential industries succeed. Our success hinges on a diversity of ideas powered by people, not egos. Whether you’re a scientist or engineer, new to the team or established, in business, production, or anything in between – we cheer each other on. Because we believe we can do anything. Explore everything. And Be Part of Something Special! Find out more about the many benefits we offer: https://www.evonik.com/en/careers/why.html Meet the team and get to know the people behind Evonik: https://www.evonik.com/en/news/meet-the-team.html

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and train a team of technicians, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Establish priorities and allocate resources across polymer processing activities, ensuring alignment with business, R&D, application development, and commercial objectives. Travel to customer locations as and when needed.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and interpretation of polymer processing trials involving injection molding, extrusion, compounding, and related conversion technologies. Maintain accurate, complete, and organized records of processing labs activities, experimental data, and technical findings.
• Drive process development and optimization initiatives to support new product introduction, application validation, scale-up, external tolling and commercialization efforts. Ensure compliance with Evonik Intellectual Property (IP) processes and proper documentation of innovations and inventions.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex processing challenges, leading root cause investigations and implementation of sustainable corrective actions.
• Develop and execute operational excellence strategies to improve equipment utilization, laboratory productivity, service levels, and cost effectiveness.
• Champion safety, quality, and regulatory compliance by ensuring adherence to applicable standards, risk management processes, and company procedures. Champion a strong safety culture by ensuring compliance with all applicable safety programs and procedures. Apply and promote key safety processes including Design Hazard Review (DHR), Management of Change (MOC), Safe Work Permit (SWP), Hazard Identification/isolation and Risk Assessment
• Manage laboratory assets, capital investments, maintenance strategies, and technology upgrades to ensure reliable and future-ready processing capabilities.
• Establish performance culture, monitor key business and operational indicators, and communicate progress, opportunities, and risks to leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Polymer/Plastics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of industrial experience in polymer processing, including injection molding, extrusion, compounding, or related plastics manufacturing technologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams, developing talent, and driving high-performance organizational culture.
• Strong expertise in process development, troubleshooting, process optimization, and scale-up from laboratory to commercial production.
• Proven ability to apply Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, and data-driven methodologies to solve complex technical challenges.
• Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, budgets, and resources in a fast-paced technical environment.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and build customer relationships.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety leadership, risk management, and operational excellence.
• Working knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or equivalent operational excellence frameworks.
• Experience with commercialization, customer‑facing technical support, manufacturing support, and international collaboration in a matrix organization is preferred.

The Evonik Group adopts an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) approach. Candidates are assessed based on their educational qualifications, experience, job competencies and potential and shall not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, nationality, disability or sexual orientation or other classifications protected by local, state, or provincial regulations.

Your Talent Acquisition Manager: Justin Connelly [C] Company is Evonik Corporation This is your opportunity to join a thriving global organization that combines cutting‑edge science, technology and engineering with world‑class business services to create solutions that answer real‑world problems. If you join us, we’ll expect you to take ownership of your work, team up with other great minds, and add your name to creations that making a positive difference for generations. As one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals operating in more than 100 countries with over 32,000 employees, we need your diversity of thought to make us better. In return for your passion, initiative and creativity, you’ll enjoy opportunities to improve and …