Lab Testing Engineer – Plastic Resins

About the role

The Lab Testing Engineer evaluates raw materials, in-process samples, and finished polymer resins to ensure product quality, regulatory compliance, and consistency across production runs. This role bridges Quality Control (QC) operations, process engineering, and R&D support using standardized testing protocols (ASTM/ISO).

Key responsibilities

• Execute physical, mechanical, thermal, and rheological testing on raw, compounded, and recycled plastic resins.
• Interpret analytical test data to release production batches, generate Certificates of Analysis (COAs), and quarantine out-of-spec materials.
• Maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot analytical equipment, including Melt Flow Indexers (MFI), Differential Scanning Calorimeters (DSC), FTIR spectrometers, and Universal Testing Machines (UTM).
• Lead root-cause investigations for quality non-conformances, customer returns, and processing defects alongside production teams.
• Author, update, and validate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in compliance with ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 standards.
• Assist R&D and application teams with new resin formulation trials, compounding optimization, and competitive benchmarking.
• Monitor Statistical Process Control (SPC) trends to identify degradation in resin quality before defects occur.
• Enforce chemical safety, hazardous waste disposal, and PPE compliance across the laboratory facility.

About you

• Bachelor's degree in Polymer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or Chemistry.
• 2–5 years in a quality testing laboratory environment within the plastics, resin, or polymer compounding industry.
• Deep familiarity with industry testing standards (e.g., ASTM D1238/ISO 1133, ASTM D638/ISO 527, ASTM D790, ASTM D256).
• Experience with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), ERP systems (e.g., SAP), and statistical software (e.g., Minitab, Excel).
• Strong analytical problem-solving, meticulous record-keeping, and comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.