Senior Technical Leader, Extrusion & Thermoforming (Plastic Packaging)

CPS, Inc.; Johnson City (TN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

M/D/V/401K

Job summary

CPS, Inc. is seeking an experienced polymer scientist to lead Technical Service in the Specialty Plastics division, focusing on extrusion and thermoforming for packaging applications.

You will collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Manufacturing, and Quality to drive commercialization and growth. The role requires deep polymer expertise, customer-facing leadership, and a proven ability to solve processing and performance challenges in medical, consumer goods, and food

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Materials Science or Engineering, Polymer Science and/or Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field.
• 10+ years of industry experience; BS level candidates with 20+ years will be considered.
• Extensive extrusion and thermoforming experience; processing optimization and commercialization of products.
• Medical packaging and consumer goods packaging experience preferred.
• DOE, structured problem solving, root cause analysis, and troubleshooting methodologies.
• Direct customer contact experience including product trials and launches.

Responsibilities

• Lead extrusion and thermoforming applications as technical leader in Specialty Plastics.
• Engage with customers to drive solution adoption and commercialization.
• Develop and maintain strong technical relationships across the value chain.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Manufacturing, and Quality.
• Translate technical findings into scalable recommendations and best practices.
• Represent company during customer visits, audits, and commercialization discussions.
• Lead lab, pilot, and field validation trials to support product adoption.

Skills

Extrusion

Thermoforming

Processing optimization

Commercialization

Medical packaging

Consumer goods packaging

DOE

Root cause analysis

Customer engagement

Education

PhD or Master’s degree in Materials Science or Engineering, Polymer Science and/or Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field

BS with 20+ years of experience considered

Tools

Job description

CPS, Inc. is seeking an experienced polymer scientist to lead Technical Service in the Specialty Plastics division, focusing on extrusion and thermoforming for packaging applications.

You will collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Manufacturing, and Quality to drive commercialization and growth. The role requires deep polymer expertise, customer-facing leadership, and a proven ability to solve processing and performance challenges in medical, consumer goods, and food