TS/AD Technical Leader - Extrusion & Thermoforming - Medical and Consumer Goods Packaging

Description

As the Technical Service / Application Development (TS/AD) Technical Leader, you will serve as the primary technical lead supporting regional and global strategic marketing initiatives for Eastman’s Specialty Plastics business, with a strong focus on extruded and thermoformed applications for Medical, Consumer Packaging Goods and Diversified markets. You will build and sustain deep technical relationships across the value chain – including OEMs, brand owners, extruders, thermoformers, converters etc. – to execute market-driven innovation launch, protect current business and identify growth opportunities. This role requires strong technical competencies on both applications’ understanding, as well as process expertise. This role is located onsite at our Kingsport, TN headquarters.

This role requires strong technical competencies in extrusion and thermoforming processes, polymer behavior, application performance, and regulatory or end use requirements relevant to medical, consumer packaging and diversified markets. The role combines deep application expertise with strong process knowledge to enable successful commercialization and customer adoption.

Responsibilities include leading launch-phase customer projects, engaging with value chain customers, influencing internal and external key stakeholders, delivering world class technical support and on-site consultation, collaborate with cross-function team (including sales, marketing, R&D, product management, quality etc.), conducting customer seminars and conference presentations, as well as translating customer insights into actionable development or commercialization opportunities that help achieve business growth goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead launch-phase projects and technical initiatives to enable market activation and campaigns, including validations and qualifications through field trials for extrusion and thermoforming applications in medical, consumer packaging goods and diversified markets.
• Engage proactively with value‑chain customers (e.g., brand owners, OEMs, extruders, thermoformers, and converters) to drive solution adoption while identifying application drivers, unmet needs, and new business opportunities; build and maintain strong technical relationships with key customers and industry partners.
• Support opportunity management processes that prioritize, track, and advance new, protect, and grow opportunities in alignment with business strategy; apply consultative selling skills to communicate technical value propositions, quantify benefits, and support effective commercialization.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, R&D, Product Management, Manufacturing, and Quality to translate customer requirements in medical, consumer packaging goods and diversified applications into differentiated polymer solutions, optimized processing windows, and robust application value propositions.
• Serve as the technical authority on extrusion and thermoforming processes, guiding junior team members in delivering world‑class technical support for complex customer challenges; lead troubleshooting efforts including failure analysis, process optimization, tooling interaction, and scale‑up support to ensure timely resolution and sustained customer satisfaction.
• Design, execute, and interpret application and validation trials for extrusion and thermoforming processes (e.g., sheet and film extrusion, multilayer or specialty structures, thermoforming and post‑forming operations), translating results into scalable processing recommendations, material selection guidance, and specification inputs suitable for relevant applications.
• Provide technical leadership on regulatory‑ and performance‑driven requirements, including cleanliness, part integrity, consistency, and functional performance expectations commonly associated with medical, and consumer packaging goods and diversified applications.
• Conduct customer training sessions, technical seminars, and conference presentations to demonstrate technical value propositions, educate customers on polymer science and processing behavior, and strengthen Eastman’s technical credibility within medical, consumer packaging and diversified markets.
• Translate customer feedback, field learnings, and market trends into prioritized development and innovation opportunities; partner closely with R&D to advance material, process, or application concepts toward commercialization.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve technical documentation and tools, including extrusion and thermoforming process guides, troubleshooting playbooks, test methods, technical reports, application data packages, and best‑practice guidelines to institutionalize knowledge and accelerate response times.
• Mentor and coach Technology and Business colleagues to elevate technical capability across the organization; share learnings, case studies, and best practices through internal training sessions and cross‑functional forums.
• Represent Eastman externally at customer meetings, on‑site trials, technical audits, and industry forums or conferences; support commercial discussions and negotiations by providing strong technical evidence and application expertise.

Qualifications