Material Engineer

About the role

Improve polymer and elastomer formulations, processing performance and manufacturing yield through hands-on materials research, testing and controlled production trials. Translate application requirements into validated formulations, reliable material specifications, repeatable processes and documented manufacturing methods. Work closely with in-house engineering and manufacturing teams, material suppliers and testing laboratories. Lead materials investigations, implement practical improvements and supervise technicians carrying out material preparation, testing and process trials.

Key responsibilities

• Translate application needs into material requirements, including dimensional stability, mechanical performance, operating temperature, chemical exposure, wear and electrical properties where relevant.
• Evaluate polymer and elastomer grades, material suppliers and available technical data; identify candidates for material qualification and molding trials.
• Investigate how composition, additives, fillers, moisture, thermal history and processing conditions affect performance and manufacturability.
• Lead improvements to existing formulations and develop trial variants against defined performance, processing and yield objectives, working with suppliers or laboratories where required.
• Plan controlled formulation trials, document composition and preparation changes, and compare results with the current formulation before recommending implementation.
• Define test plans, acceptance criteria, sample preparation and conditioning, and the number of samples or repeats needed to support a decision.
• Perform or coordinate appropriate physical and mechanical testing, including strength, elongation, hardness, dimensional stability, chemical resistance and aging.
• Investigate failures and variation through structured experiments and root-cause analysis; distinguish material effects from processing, finishing and measurement effects.
• Provide material-selection and processing guidance for assigned polymer/elastomer molding projects, working with the relevant tooling and process engineers.
• Plan and prioritise technician work, demonstrate methods, review data quality and coach troubleshooting skills.

About you

• Degree in Materials Science/Engineering, Polymer Science/Engineering, Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline. Candidates with another technical qualification and strong demonstrated relevant industrial capability may be considered.
• Typically four to six or more years of relevant industrial materials/process development experience, with evidence of independently delivering projects from investigation and trials into practical manufacturing use.
• Strong polymer science and engineering-plastics knowledge, with practical elastomer characterisation or processing experience relevant to the assigned molding work.
• Demonstrated hands-on formulation improvement and process optimisation, with evidence of reducing material-related defects, scrap or rework while maintaining required part properties.
• Ability to design experiments, analyse test results and connect material behaviour to processing conditions and part performance.
• Practical knowledge of dimensional inspection, engineering drawings, tolerances and manufacturing handover.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate technical suppliers or laboratories and supervise or train technicians.
• Practical experience applying polymer/plastic 3D printing in engineering or manufacturing, including material/process selection, trials or part evaluation.

About us

Manufacturer of high precision parts and tooling used in semiconductor manufacturing.