Material Developer Thermoplastics

As a Material Developer Thermoplastics (m/f/diverse), you will play a key role in developing and optimizing innovative thermoplastic material solutions that enhance product performance, support sustainability goals, and contribute to cost-efficient manufacturing processes across our global product portfolio.

Your responsibilities

• Scout, evaluate and qualify new raw materials, additives and thermoplastic compounds to enhance product performance, sustainability and cost competitiveness.
• Continuously improve existing material solutions through formulation optimization, performance monitoring and lifecycle management, including portfolio consolidation, within the area of responsibility, primarily rigid and flexible PVC compounds.
• Develop processable, robust and sustainable thermoplastic compound formulations. Plan, execute and interpret laboratory and pilot-scale compounding trials in the Plastics Compounding Tech Center and at external toll compounders.
• Characterize and validate material performance using standard and advanced analytical methods and translate results into formulation improvements.
• Approve new raw materials and drive their implementation within the chemical recipe management system.
• Create and maintain material specifications, technical standards and formulation documentation.
• Manage material change requests and support industrialization, manufacturing and quality-related activities.
• Provide technical expertise to cross-functional teams, suppliers and customers regarding PVC and thermoplastic material solutions.
• University degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Plastics Engineering or a related discipline.
• Deep expertise in PVC formulation and compounding, including both rigid and flexible PVC systems.
• Strong understanding of PVC additives, stabilization systems, plasticizers, fillers, processing aids and performance modifiers.
• Practical experience in thermoplastic compounding, formulation development and scale-up activities. Several years of professional experience in the plastics industry are desirable.
• Analytical mindset, solid knowledge of analytical and characterization methods for thermoplastics, particularly PVC (e.g., DSC, TGA, DMA, FTIR, rheology, mechanical testing and weathering methods) and a solid understanding of structure–property relationships.
• Experience with structured problem-solving methodologies such as Ishikawa, 5 Why, DOE, FMEA and statistical data analysis.
• Desirable: additional experience with thermoplastic elastomers, polyamides, polypropylene or other engineering thermoplastics.
• Experience with PVC materials used in fluid handling, industrial, construction or transportation applications is considered a strong advantage.
• Fluent in English

You

• inspire your stakeholder and contact partner with an effective communication of high intercultural sensitivity,
• are comfortable working in an international environment and collaborating with global stakeholders and are willing to travel internationally (up to 10% of working time),
• are convinced that networking and knowledge sharing are key drivers for success,
• are open for new working styles and new processes.

At Continental we are committed to building an inclusive and discrimination-free ecosystem in Mexico, these principles are rooted in our corporate philosophy and culture. Therefore, it is totally forbidden to request a pregnancy or HIV test as part of our selection processes.

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