Grounded by a history that is deeply rooted in innovation, Hexion is a global employer committed to building and protecting the future by producing innovative performance materials. Our materials are the building blocks for critical industries, including construction, agriculture, energy, automotive, and infrastructure protection. Everywhere you look, you will find our materials and people at work to help customers make products that are stronger, safer, and cleaner. When you work for Hexion, you'll join a team that is committed to operating safely and with integrity to build a more sustainable future for all, our associates, our customers, and the communities where we live and work.

At Hexion, we prioritize providing progressive, inclusive, and competitive benefits that acknowledge the valuable contributions made by our associates while enhancing their overall well-being and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

• Five percent 401k Match
• Employee Incentive Program
• 3 Weeks' Vacation to start
• Health Savings Account
• Healthcare, Vision, and Dental Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 16 Hours paid volunteering time
• & More!

The Hexion R&D Group is a dynamic team dedicated to providing customers with innovative and sustainable solutions complementing Hexion's Forest Product portfolio. This group is seeking a Senior R&D Scientist to lead research and development projects that support and grow the business by finding the most efficient ways of converting forest resources into useful products for consumers by exploring the physical, biological, and chemical properties of wood and the methods used in growing, processing, and using it.

The Senior R&D Scientist position is focused on developing new products and increasing technical understanding, enabling successful commercial offerings that meet or exceed customer expectations. This position will lead and participate in technical research programs that investigate feasibility, define the value proposition, understand the competitive landscape, develop required technical competency, and deliver differentiated technical offerings necessary to successfully compete in a variety of end use markets. The technical research programs range from new idea generation all the way to commercialization and global deployment of the new technology.

The Senior R&D Scientist will also become a subject matter expert on related programs and a resource for the business and manufacturing team for fundamental understanding of the chemistry, processing, and use of the solution.

This position will report to the R&D North America Director and will work closely with the global technology organization, including application development and technical teams, and the commercial and manufacturing teams.

• Lead and participate on technical product development for markets that compliment Hexion's product portfolio, creating and testing new product concepts, and translating new technology to manufacturing.
• Work with cross-functional product marketing and commercialization teams and assist with manufacturing challenges as needed.
• Coordinate work activities and track progress, identify and overcome issues, identify needed resources, drive progress, and ensure that projects deliver against program milestones.
• Develop programs to find the most efficient ways of converting forest resources into useful products for consumers by exploring the physical, biological, and chemical properties of wood and the methods used in growing, processing, and using it.
• Provide guidance to associate investigators to perform laboratory experiments and assist in development of lab staff.
• Organize activities and workflow including setting and meeting deadlines.
• Be personally involved in laboratory work and understand fundamentals of laboratory operations.
• Develop intellectual property for key innovations
• Clearly communicate results to internal stakeholders and customers in both oral and written format. Document progress and learnings in technical reports and laboratory notebooks.

Qualifications

• We are seeking an initiative-taking, innovative, independent, and results-focused team-player with an ability to develop a deep understanding of the forest product industry and adjacent industries and use that understanding to create successful new products that grow our business.
• The successful candidate must have a demonstrated record of using open innovation and customer input for the identification of emerging trends in relevant market spaces which have led to the formulation of actionable insights. These insights, in turn, must have led to the successful establishment of new, research initiatives that resulted in new product sales and improved market share.
• This position requires both a strong technical skill set, along with project leadership experience.
• Candidates must have excellent oral and written communication, and the ability to influence others.
• Doctorate or equivalent experience in chemistry, chemical engineering, polymer chemistry, materials science, materials engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 15 years of industrial experience.
• The successful candidate must have experience as a mentor and role model for fellow scientists, with the ability to provide guidance and demonstrate cutting edge techniques for using competitive intelligence to accelerate programs and increase probabilities of success.

Essential Functions

• Knowledge of polymer chemistry, formulation, polymer additives, and polymer processing (adhesives) is preferred.
• Demonstrated record of success at product development and commercialization
• Experience with successfully leading technical and cross-functional commercialization teams.
• The successful candidate must have superior organization skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects, meet deadlines with a sense of urgency, and work efficiently and independently to deliver strong technical results in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional, and global work environment.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.

Desired Experience

• Technical experience in adhesion science is preferred.
• The successful candidate should also have experience in polymer chemistry, physical property testing and knowledge in the consolidation of lignocellulosic materials in new and creative ways.
• A history of publication and/or patents.

We are an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, minority status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any characteristic protected by law.

In order to be considered for this position candidates are required to submit an application for employment through our career site, be at least 18 years of age, willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation as part of the selection process, as well as additional periodic background checks as required by the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) or regulations adopted by the department of Homeland Security or other regulatory agencies.

Candidates are required to have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.

If currently an employee of the Company, you must have current satisfactory work performance and in most cases, have been in your current role for 18 months.

Disclaimer: We are not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms/employment agencies for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee about this position. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee of the Company via email, the Internet, or in any other form and/or method without a valid written search firm agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of the Company; no fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by the Company as a result of the unsolicited referral or through other means.