Product Development Engineer – Polymers / Elastomers

Kane Partners LLC; West Chester (Chester County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kane Partners LLC in the United States is seeking a Product Development Engineer to lead the development of advanced FFKM elastomer technology for demanding semiconductor applications. This is a hands-on role that combines polymer science, formulation, application development, manufacturing, and customer qualification.

You will build application-level performance data, translate material properties into real-world seal performance, supervise pilot-scale processes, and work with global R&D and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize FFKM and high-performance elastomer formulations.

Skills

Elastomer formulation

Rubber compounding

Molding processes

Experimental design

Troubleshooting

Manufacturing transfer

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry/Polymer Science/Chemical Engineering/Materials Science

Tools

Laboratory equipment operation

Job description

Are you a hands-on engineer with experience in polymer formulation, elastomers, or rubber compounding who enjoys taking materials from development through real-world application?

We are seeking a Product Development Engineer to help lead the development of advanced FFKM elastomer technology for demanding semiconductor applications. This is a highly hands-on technical role that combines polymer science, elastomer formulation, application development, manufacturing, and customer qualification.

You’ll play a key role in developing the application-level performance data needed to bring advanced materials to market and support specification with semiconductor OEMs and seal manufacturers. This is not a traditional lab-only R&D role—you’ll connect material properties and formulation work to how products actually perform in real-world applications.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and optimize FFKM and other high-performance elastomer formulations
• Lead hands-on work involving mixing, milling, molding, and cure processes
• Develop application-relevant performance data, including compression set, plasma resistance, cryogenic behavior, and thermal limits
• Translate polymer and material properties into real-world seal and application performance
• Design and execute experimental programs and interpret results
• Bridge laboratory development with manufacturing feasibility, scalability, and customer application requirements
• Serve as a technical resource supporting semiconductor OEMs and seal manufacturers
• Support new product and platform qualification and help generate the technical evidence needed for specification-in
• Work closely with global R&D, application development, manufacturing, and commercial teams
• Turn laboratory results into clear technical narratives, presentations, and customer-facing data
• Help establish internal testing methodologies and standards for market-ready application data
• Present technical work at industry trade shows, conferences, webinars, and customer meetings
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to technicians or junior engineers as needed

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field
• 8+ years of experience in elastomers, polymer formulation, rubber compounding, or high-performance polymer applications
• Strong hands-on experience with elastomer compounding and molding processes
• Experience working with fillers, cure systems, and processing trade-offs
• Ability to connect material properties, processing behavior, and application performance
• Strong experimental design, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills
• Experience taking laboratory development work into real-world manufacturing and application environments
• Comfortable operating laboratory and pilot-scale equipment
• Semiconductor, sealing, FFKM, or other highly demanding end-use application experience is a plus

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to play a key role in developing advanced materials for the growing semiconductor industry. You’ll have the resources and global reach of a major international organization while working in a collaborative, hands-on environment where your technical work will have a direct impact.

If you have strong experience in polymers, elastomers, rubber compounding, or high-performance materials and want to apply that expertise to challenging, real-world applications, we’d love to hear from you.