Senior Product Development Chemist – Tire Materials

MW Talent; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

MW Talent partners with a leading manufacturing company to hire a Senior Product Development Chemist specializing in tire materials. The role focuses on advanced material development, tire compound formulation, performance optimization, and technical innovation supporting next-generation tire technologies.

The ideal candidate brings direct experience in tire compounding, formulation development, material testing, and performance analysis within passenger or commercial tire applications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or related field.
• 5+ years of direct tire compounds or tire materials experience; 10+ years preferred.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong understanding of material-property relationships and their impact on tire performance.
• Experience with advanced rubber testing and characterization methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead research, development, and optimization of tire material formulations.
• Support and execute technology strategies within the tire materials segment.
• Develop and refine formulations using structure-property relationships.
• Conduct rubber compounding, mixing, testing, and material characterization.
• Apply modeling and simulation tools to support tire performance and manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate with internal teams and customers to address technical challenges.
• Support development of advanced tools, including performance modeling and digital simulations.
• Deliver projects aligned with timelines, cost targets, and quality expectations.

Skills

Tire formulation

Material testing

Structure-property relationships

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

BSc in Chemistry/Polymer Science

Tools

MDR

RPA

Mooney Viscometer

Tensile Tester

DMA

Banbury Mixer

Two Roll Mill

Job description

About the Role

MW Talent is partnering with a leading manufacturing company to hire a Senior Product Development Chemist specializing in tire materials. This role focuses on advanced material development, tire compound formulation, performance optimization, and technical innovation supporting next-generation tire technologies.

The ideal candidate will bring direct experience in tire compounding, formulation development, material testing, and performance analysis within passenger or commercial tire applications. The company is seeking someone with strong technical expertise who can contribute to both hands‑on development work and broader innovation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead research, development, and optimization of tire material formulations
• Support and execute technology strategies within the tire materials segment
• Develop and refine formulations using structure-property relationships
• Conduct rubber compounding, mixing, testing, and material characterization
• Apply modeling and simulation tools to support tire performance and manufacturing processes
• Collaborate with internal teams and customers to address technical challenges
• Support development of advanced tools, including performance modeling and digital simulations
• Deliver projects aligned with timelines, cost targets, and quality expectations

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or related field
• 5+ years of direct experience in tire compounds, tire materials, or tire formulation development required, 10+ years preferred
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills
• Strong understanding of material‑property relationships and their impact on tire performance
• Experience with advanced rubber testing and characterization methods

Technical Expertise Required

• Direct experience with tire compounding, tire formulation development, and tire material testing required
• Hands‑on experience developing or testing tire compounds in commercial or passenger tire applications strongly preferred
• Experience working directly within a tire manufacturer or tire division preferred
• Experience with tire performance modeling, simulation, or digital analysis tools strongly preferred
• Experience with AI‑driven modeling, predictive material analysis, or tread formulation simulation is highly valued
• Candidates with only general polymer, resin, or non‑tire material backgrounds without direct tire compound experience are unlikely to be a fit

Laboratory and Equipment Experience

Hands‑on experience with rubber laboratory testing and processing equipment, including:

• Moving Die Rheometer (MDR)
• Rubber Process Analyzer (RPA)
• Mooney Viscometer
• Universal Testing Machine (Tensile Tester)
• Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA)
• Rubber mixers, including Banbury and Brabender systems
• Two Roll Mill

Why This Opportunity

• Opportunity to work on advanced tire technologies and material innovation
• High‑impact role supporting next generation tire performance development
• Exposure to advanced modeling, simulation, and formulation technologies
• Collaborative technical environment with long‑term growth potential
• Opportunity to contribute directly to product development and performance strategy