Senior Product Development Chemist – Rubber Chemical Dispersions (Cleveland, OH)

About the Role

MW Talent is partnering with a leading manufacturing company to identify a Senior Product Development Chemist to support innovation within the rubber chemical dispersions segment. This role focuses on formulation development, dispersion chemistry, product optimization, and technical strategy supporting advanced non-tire rubber applications.

The ideal candidate will bring direct hands on experience with rubber chemical dispersions, formulation development, rubber compounding, and laboratory testing. The company is seeking someone with strong technical depth who can contribute to both product innovation and process improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, execution, and analysis of product development initiatives
• Develop and optimize rubber chemical dispersion formulations to improve product performance, quality, and cost efficiency
• Support the development and execution of technology strategies across market segments
• Conduct rubber compounding, formulation work, testing, and material characterization
• Collaborate with internal teams and customers to solve technical and process challenges
• Provide technical leadership across laboratory and application resources
• Support scale up and process development for new product commercialization
• Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and quality standards
• Deliver projects on time, within budget, and aligned with business objectives

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or related field
• 5+ years of relevant industry experience required, 10+ years preferred
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams and locations
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and formulation development abilities
• Experience supporting product development from laboratory through production scale up

Critical Technical Experience Required

• Direct experience with rubber chemical dispersion formulation and development required
• Hands on experience with rubber compounding, formulation, and laboratory testing environments required
• Experience developing or supporting non-tire rubber applications strongly preferred, including:
• Automotive seals
• Hoses
• Belts
• Wire and cable
• Other industrial rubber products
• Candidates without direct dispersion formulation experience are unlikely to be a fit
• Experience scaling formulations from laboratory development to manufacturing production strongly preferred

Laboratory and Equipment Experience

Hands-on experience with rubber laboratory testing and processing equipment, including:
• Moving Die Rheometer (MDR)
• Rubber Process Analyzer (RPA)
• Mooney Viscometer
• Universal Testing Machine (Tensile Tester)
• Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA)
• Rubber mixers, including Banbury and Brabender systems
• Two Roll Mill

Why This Opportunity

• Opportunity to work on advanced rubber dispersion technologies and material innovation
• High-impact role supporting product development and process improvement initiatives
• Collaborative technical environment with long-term growth potential
• Opportunity to contribute directly to formulation strategy and commercial product development
• Exposure to complex industrial rubber applications and advanced material technologies