Group Leader, Polymer Processing and Design

Description

The Group Leader, Polymer Processing & Design, leads a global team of processing and design engineers supporting Eastman’s Specialty Plastics businesses. The group partners closely with field based technical service, application development and sales teams to solve critical customer challenges and enable application growth across a wide range of polymer processing technologies, including injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, calendaring, and related forming techniques. 

This role is responsible for building and sustaining a world class Processing & Design Center of Excellence (COE) by integrating deep understanding of polymer flow, rheology, solidification behavior, and structure–property–performance relationships with strong competence in part design, structural performance, and failure behavior of polymer components. The group delivers differentiated, application relevant technical insights that accelerate customer adoption, enable robust product designs, and strengthen Eastman’s reputation as a solutions driven specialty materials leader. This position is located onsite at our Kingsport, TN headquarters. 

Responsibilities

As Leader
•    Understand Specialty Plastics technical and business strategies and translate them into clear priorities, work plans, and effective resource allocation.
•    Create and communicate a vision for a Processing & Design COE that supports long term business growth, customer success, and technical differentiation.
•    Ensure every team member understands their assignments and the impact of their work on short  and long term business performance.
•    Partner with business, technical service, and sales leaders to evaluate technical options and solution pathways for executing or modifying strategy in response to customer needs.
•    Lead development of core competencies spanning polymer processing physics, application focused modeling, and performance driven part design.
•    Champion proposals for investments in people, tools, and modeling capabilities (including CAE and polymer flow simulation software) needed to deliver high impact customer solutions.
•    Inform and influence division leadership, gatekeeping teams, and industry teams with clear, credible, technically grounded recommendations.
•    Foster strong, effective cross functional relationships within Technology and across Commercial and Manufacturing organizations globally.
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As Coach
•    Attract, engage, develop, and retain a high performing, globally diverse team of processing and design engineers.
•    Provide technical mentoring in polymer processing, application development, part performance, and failure analysis considerations.
•    Ensure appropriate training and capability development in key technologies, modeling tools, intellectual property processes, customer engagement, and leadership behaviors.
•    Identify and develop key contributors and future leaders through purposeful assignments, cross functional exposure, and succession planning.
•    Enable project leaders and senior technical contributors to develop others and elevate the overall technical capability of the group.
•    Actively use performance management processes to set expectations, provide feedback, and recognize impactful technical and customer contributions.
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As Manager
•    Manage group budgets and resources effectively while enabling delivery of high value technical and customer outcomes.
•    Maintain understanding of relevant market, application, and regulatory trends influencing polymer processing, durability, and end use performance.
•    Ensure disciplined use of data, experiments, and modeling/simulation tools to support technical assessments, recommendations, and decisions.
•    Oversee effective use and integration of polymer flow, processing, and structural CAE tools within project execution and customer support.
•    Ensure work is appropriately documented and captured in Salesforce.com or other Eastman systems.
•    Communicate status of key projects, priorities, group capabilities, and constraints to internal technical and business partners.
•    Ensure compliance with legal, corporate, and safety requirements, and protect Eastman and customer confidential information.
•    Lead development and execution of proactive customer engagement strategies in partnership with Technical Service and Sales.

Qualifications

Required Education
•    MS or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Preferred Skills and Experience
•    A minimum of 5 years of experience in polymer related R&D, application development, technical service, or advanced engineering roles. 10 years preferred.
•    Solid foundation in solid mechanics and polymer part performance, with practical experience in failure analysis of plastic components.
•    Working knowledge of fracture and durability behavior in polymers, including how stress state, geometry, processing history, and environment influence crack initiation and failure risk.
•    Ability to apply failure analysis insights to guide part design improvements, material selection, and processing recommendations in customer facing situations.
•    Customer centric mindset with demonstrated experience working at the interface of technology, commercial teams, and customers.
•    Ability to work effectively with ambiguity in a fast paced, action oriented environment.
•    Demonstrated people leadership capability, including coaching, development, and performance management.
•    Working knowledge of Salesforce.com or similar customer and project management systems.