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.

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