R&D Chemical Process Engineer

Eastman; Kingsport, Northern (TN, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, TN is seeking a senior R&D Chemical Process Engineer to lead scale-up efforts for new products and technologies. You will coordinate across product development, manufacturing, engineering, quality, supply chain, and external partners to ensure successful implementation of scale-up initiatives.

The role requires strong technical judgment, project leadership, and the ability to influence decisions without direct authority across organizational boundaries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or related engineering field.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant industrial experience.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical projects.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safety, environmental, quality, regulatory, and operational considerations are included in scale-up planning.
• Develop toll manufacturing readiness and scale-up plans for new products and technologies.
• Assess risks across technical, operational, supply chain, quality, and organizational areas.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Facilitation

Influence

Communication

Education

BS in Chemical Engineering

Job description

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Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 13,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2025 revenue of approximately $8.8 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visitwww.eastman.com .

Description

This position requires a systems thinker with strong engineering, manufacturing, and project leadership capabilities. The professional will be responsible for developing and executing scale-up strategies that enable successful implementation of new products, process technologies, and manufacturing opportunities across Eastman businesses.

The R&D Chemical Process Engineer serves as a technical and execution leader responsible for integrating activities across product development, manufacturing, engineering, quality, supply chain, procurement, and internal or external manufacturing partners to support successful scale-up and implementation efforts. Projects may vary in scope from incremental process improvements to new products, manufacturing technologies, asset expansions, and toll manufacturing opportunities.

The individual will provide leadership in manufacturing readiness, technology transfer, trial execution, implementation planning, and tolling readiness while helping strengthen Eastman\'s overall scale-up capability. The role is expected to influence decisions across organizational boundaries and serve as a trusted resource for scale-up strategy and execution without direct authority over project team members.

This position is located on-site at our Kingsport, TN headquarters.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safety, environmental, quality, regulatory, and operational considerations are incorporated into scale-up planning.
• Develop both internal and external toll manufacturing readiness and scale-up plans for new products, technologies, and manufacturing opportunities by applying engineering fundamentals and practical manufacturing knowledge and maintaining integrates scale-up plans, critical paths, readiness assessments, and implementation timelines.
• Assess manufacturing readiness and execution risks with scaling up products and technologies by identifying technical, operational, supply chain, quality, and organizational risks and gaps that could impact successful implementation.
• Develop mitigation strategies and drive resolution of barriers to implementation.
• Lead technology transfer efforts between laboratory, pilot, demonstration, tollers, and commercial manufacturing environments.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, tollers, suppliers, and external manufacturing partners.
• Coordinate and support cross-functional resources and activities required for successful trial, qualification, startup, or manufacturing readiness execution.
• Lead planning and execution of laboratory, pilot, demonstration, manufacturing, and qualification trials supporting scale-up objectives by defining trial objectives, success criteria, decision frameworks, and data collection requirements.
• Capture and communicate key learnings throughout the scale-up process to improve future implementation efforts.
• Develop recommendations that enable effective decision-making under uncertainty while balancing technical rigor, practicality, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Communicate project status, risks, key decisions, and recommendations to leadership and project teams.
• Contribute to the development and deployment of scale-up best practices, readiness frameworks, implementation methodologies, and project leadership capabilities;
• Proactively mentor less experienced scale-up leads;
• Support continuous improvement of Eastman’s scale up processes through lessons learned, technical documentation, and organizational knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

Education

• BS in Chemical Engineering or related engineering discipline.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant industrial experience.
• Demonstrated experience in manufacturing, process development, process engineering, technology implementation, scale-up, project leadership, or related technical roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical projects.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation, influence, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and effectively across organizational boundaries.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in ambiguous environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Six Sigma Green Belt with knowledge of project management and risk management methodologies strongly preferred
• Experience planning and executing pilot, demonstration, startup, or qualification campaigns either internally and/or at a toll manufacturer.
• Experience working with external suppliers, tollers, or customers.
• Experience supporting manufacturing startup and operational readiness activities.
• Experience working across multiple businesses, functions, or global organizations.

Success in this role requires strong technical judgment, practical manufacturing perspective, project leadership skills, and the ability to identify and mitigate scale-up risks while navigating complex technical and organizational environments.

Your total rewards go far beyond a competitive salary. When you join Eastman, you gain access to an exceptional suite of programs designed to protect your health, grow your wealth, and fuel your career.

Compensation & Incentives
• Base pay plus performance-based incentive opportunities that let you share in our success.

Health & Wellness
• Comprehensive medical, prescription-drug, and dental coverage—paired with a Health Savings Account option to help you save tax-free dollars for care today or in the future.
• A robust menu of voluntary benefits—including vision, optional life, critical-illness protection, and more—so you can tailor coverage to fit your life.
• Holistic wellness support: financial-planning tools, family-building assistance (adoption, pregnancy, and fertility resources), parental leave, and confidential Employee Assistance Program counseling.

Retirement & Financial Strategies
• 401(k) with a company match—plus an additional annual retirement contribution from Eastman to accelerate your long-term savings.

Time Away
• Eleven paid holidays, one personal day, paid time off, and paid vacation to recharge, celebrate, or handle life’s moments.

Growth & Development
• Access to mentorship, learning resources, and leadership programs that empower you to thrive in your current role and chart the next steps in your career.

At Eastman, we invest in the whole you—so you can bring your best self to work every day and build a future you’re proud of.

Eastman Chemical Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected classes as designated by law.

Eastman is committed to creating a powerfully engagedworkplace, where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential each day.

Nearest Major Market: Asheville
Nearest Secondary Market: Knoxville