Manager R&D(Compounding Line)

Role & responsibilities

Product Development & Polymer R&D

• Lead research and development of polymer compounds, specialty polymer blends and material formulations.
• Develop and optimize HFFR (Halogen-Free Flame Retardant) compounds based on customer, product and application requirements.
• Drive New Product Development (NPD) from concept, laboratory trials and validation to commercialization.
• Develop and optimize polymer formulations, masterbatches, additives and filler combinations to improve product performance and cost efficiency.

Compounding Process Development

• Optimize polymer compounding parameters, extrusion conditions and twin-screw compounding processes.
• Troubleshoot formulation, processing and compounding line issues.
• Lead laboratory-to-production scale-up, process validation and technology transfer.
• Improve production yield, throughput, consistency and finished-product quality.

Material Testing & Validation

• Lead polymer material characterization, compound testing and product qualification.
• Evaluate raw materials, polymers, additives, fillers and finished compounds.
• Interpret testing results and drive formulation improvements, failure analysis and root-cause investigations.
• Utilize relevant testing methods such as MFI, tensile and elongation testing, DSC, TGA, FTIR, density, hardness and thermal/flame testing.

Technical Leadership & Team Management

• Lead R&D projects, laboratory activities and technical development initiatives.
• Manage and mentor R&D engineers, scientists and laboratory personnel.
• Coordinate with Production, Quality, Purchase and other cross-functional teams.
• Define R&D priorities, project timelines and technical deliverables.
• Present technical reports, development progress and recommendations to senior management.

Customer Support & Documentation

• Develop customized polymer solutions and support customer trials and product qualification.
• Handle technical investigations, customer complaints and corrective actions.
• Maintain formulation records, trial reports, validation documents and technical specifications.
• Work closely with senior management to align R&D initiatives with business and market requirements.

Preferred candidate profile

Education:
M.Tech / M.Sc / Ph.D in Polymer Science, Polymer Technology, Polymer Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Materials Science or Chemical Engineering. Candidates with CIPET qualifications/background and strong industrial exposure are preferred.

Experience:

• 1015 years of relevant industrial experience in Polymer / Plastics / Compounding R&D.
• Proven experience in R&D leadership as R&D Manager, Senior R&D Manager, R&D Head, Technical Head or equivalent.
• Strong hands-on experience in HFFR compound formulation, development and compounding — mandatory.
• Practical experience in polymer blending, twin-screw extrusion, additive/filler optimization and specialty polymer development.
• Experience in product validation, polymer testing, process optimization and scale-up from laboratory to production.
• Experience managing R&D teams and coordinating with production, quality and customer-facing teams.

Technical Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of polymer chemistry, polymer formulation and material science.
• Expertise in halogen-free flame-retardant systems, flame-retardant additives and HFFR performance evaluation.
• Knowledge of polymer characterization and testing techniques, including MFI, tensile testing, DSC, TGA and FTIR.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, innovation and root-cause analysis skills.
• Excellent technical documentation, communication and team leadership capabilities.