Senior Polymer Specialist

About the role

We are looking for a Senior Polymer Specialist to join our automotive coatings division in Southfield, Michigan. The role focuses on bringing new resins and polymers into production, solving manufacturing issues, and localising global technologies for Basecoat and Ecoat applications.

Key responsibilities

• Introduce and scale up new resins and polymers for automotive coatings into manufacturing.
• Provide technical expertise to resolve production issues with existing polymers.
• Lead localisation of global resin technologies through close collaboration with global resins groups.
• Identify business opportunities and plan laboratory research for Basecoat and Ecoat polymer development.
• Synthesize, develop, and perform advanced analysis of polymers, including proof‑of‑concept experiments.
• Support global projects, prepare and monitor intellectual property, and collaborate with product development, colour, and other functions.
• Represent the North America Resin group on a global platform and communicate findings through presentations.
• Qualify alternate raw‑material sources and conduct comprehensive resin synthesis.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues by replicating scenarios in the laboratory.

Required profile

• PhD in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Coatings or Material Science.
• Significant industry experience scaling polymers from lab to production.
• Strong understanding of polymer science concepts and structure‑property relationships.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Required skills

• Free radical polymerization.
• Controlled free radical polymerization.
• Condensation polymerization.
• Emulsion polymerization.
• Polymer synthesis and laboratory scale-up.
• Advanced polymer analysis and use of analytical instrumentation.