Senior Design Engineer

Eastman Chemical Company; Kingsport (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Life insurance

Job summary

Eastman Chemical Company is seeking a Senior Design Engineer to lead AI/ML-driven data foundations and predictive models supporting the Specialty Plastics business. The role focuses on building data assets, governance, and AI-enabled tools for design-for-manufacturability, material selection, and processing optimization onsite at the Kingsport, TN headquarters.

The successful candidate will collaborate with IT, Data Science, and engineering teams to deploy scalable data infrastructure and

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Computer/Data Science or related field with 1–2 years postdoc/industrial experience; or
• Master’s degree with 4–5 years in material informatics, ML, AI, data science, or related disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Build, expand, and maintain proprietary data assets including failure analysis data, processing parameters, material properties, and application performance data.
• Establish data collection, documentation, and governance standards.
• Develop AI-powered tools to support workflows like failure analysis, DFM, material selection, processing optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Develop AI assistants and knowledge systems for rapid information access.
• Create ML models combining historical data to predict performance and identify failure risks.
• Develop AI-enabled tools to recommend materials, processing conditions, and design guidelines.

Skills

Python

ML/AI development

Data governance

Strong communication

Education

PhD in Chemical Engineering or related field

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Moldflow

Ansys

Simulink

Job description

Senior Design Engineer

Job Requisition ID: 57524

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.

Responsibilities

This role combines expertise in materials science, polymer science, data science, and artificial intelligence to build the data foundation, machine learning models, and AI-enabled tools that support East’s Specialty Plastics business. The successful candidate will leverage East’s proprietary material, processing, application, and customer knowledge to develop digital solutions that accelerate product development, improve technical decision-making, enhance customer support, and create differentiated business value. This position is located onsite at our headquarters in Kingsport, TN.

• Build, expand, and maintain proprietary data assets including failure analysis data, processing parameters, material properties, characterization results, application performance data, and customer project information.
• Establish data collection, documentation, and governance standards that improve the quality, consistency, and usability of technical data across the organization.
• Work with East’s IT, Digital, and Data Science teams to develop secure, scalable, and reliable data infrastructure while protecting company and customer information.
• Develop, deploy, maintain, and continuously improve AI-powered tools that support technical workflows including failure analysis, design-for-manufacturability (DFM), material selection, processing optimization, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Build and maintain AI assistants and knowledge systems that enable technical and commercial teams to rapidly access information and answer routine technical questions.
• Develop machine learning models that combine historical material, processing, application, and Moldflow simulation data to predict performance, identify failure risks, and recommend optimization opportunities.
• Develop AI-enabled tools that support application development by recommending materials, processing conditions, design guidelines, and application solutions using East’s proprietary technical knowledge.
• Partner with scientists, engineers, application development teams, manufacturing personnel, commercial teams, and data scientists to identify opportunities where AI and machine learning can improve productivity and technical outcomes.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and implement practical solutions that enhance innovation, knowledge management, and business performance.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Computer Science, Data Science, Computational Engineering, or a related field with 1-2 years of relevant postdoctoral or industrial experience; or
• Master’s degree in a related field with 4-5 years of relevant industry experience in material informatics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, or related technical disciplines.
• Academic or industry experience that combines materials science and computational or AI disciplines is highly desirable.

Required Skills:

• Strong programming skills, particularly in Python and modern data science environments.
• Experience developing, validating, and deploying machine learning models and AI applications.
• Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector databases, embeddings, and knowledge retrieval systems.
• Strong data management, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to work with structured and unstructured datasets.
• Ability to translate technical and business needs into practical digital solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Experience applying AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics to scientific, engineering, manufacturing, or product development challenges.
• Experience building AI assistants, copilots, agent-based systems, or decision-support tools.
• Experience integrating simulation outputs, such as Moldflow, Ansys, Comsol, Simulink results, with machine learning models.
• Understanding of polymer processing, materials characterization, manufacturing, product development, or application engineering.
• Experience in specialty plastics, polymers, advanced materials, specialty chemicals, or manufacturing industries.
• Experience developing predictive models using limited, incomplete, or real-world industrial datasets.

Preferred Candidate Profile:

The ideal candidate combines strong AI and machine learning expertise with an understanding of materials science and engineering. They are passionate about developing proprietary data assets, AI-powered technical tools, and digital solutions that accelerate innovation, improve technical productivity, and create competitive advantage for East’s Specialty Plastics business.

Benefits

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

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