Sizing Chemist

AGY (www.agy.com), located in Aiken, South Carolina, is a global leader in high performance glass fiber reinforcements serving the Electronics, Aerospace, Defense, Industrial, Thermoplastics, and Recreation markets. Our advanced materials enable customers to design products that are lighter, stronger, faster, and more durable.

AGY develops and manufactures specialty glass fiber yarns and reinforcements that provide critical performance advantages including strength, impact resistance, stiffness, temperature resistance, fatigue resistance, and electromagnetic transparency. Through a combination of proprietary glass compositions, advanced coatings, and unique manufacturing technologies, AGY delivers tailored material solutions for some of the world's most demanding applications.

We are seeking a highly motivated Chemist or Chemical Engineer to join our Research & Development team. This position will focus on the development, optimization, and commercialization of advanced glass fiber sizing and coating technologies that improve product performance, manufacturing efficiency, and customer value.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize glass fiber sizing formulations and coatings to improve mechanical, thermal, electrical, and processing performance.
• Design, execute, and analyze laboratory and pilot-scale experiments using sound scientific and statistical methods.
• Lead product development projects from concept through commercialization, including planning, execution, risk assessment, and implementation.
• Utilize Design of Experiments (DOE), statistical analysis, machine learning, AI-assisted analytics, and data mining tools to accelerate product development and improve decision making.
• Characterize and evaluate new materials, polymers, additives, silanes, coupling agents, and chemistries for potential application in AGY products.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, sales, marketing, and customers to translate market requirements into innovative material solutions.
• Provide technical support to customers during product qualification, troubleshooting, and commercialization activities.
• Analyze and interpret test data, prepare technical reports, and communicate findings and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support manufacturing trials, process optimization initiatives, and product launches to ensure successful scale-up and implementation.
• Investigate product performance issues and provide technical leadership for customer and manufacturing concerns.
• Author and maintain technical documentation including formulations, test methods, specifications, operating procedures, and intellectual property disclosures.
• Support continuous improvement, process safety, environmental compliance, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Monitor emerging technologies, competitive products, industry trends, and academic research to identify future development opportunities.
• Work closely with AGY's manufacturing facilities to ensure new technologies can be successfully commercialized and sustained.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional teams focused on strategic growth opportunities and next-generation materials development.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• BS degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field with 5+ years of relevant industrial experience will also be considered.
• Experience with coatings, formulations, polymers, composites, adhesives, surface treatments, or related materials systems is preferred.
• Experience with fiberglass sizing technology, silane chemistry, coupling agents, composite interfaces, or fiber-reinforced materials is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with demonstrated experience in experimental design, statistical analysis, and process optimization.
• Experience utilizing data analytics, AI tools, statistical software, or machine learning techniques to solve technical problems is a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and technical data analysis software.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and within cross-functional teams.
• Experience supporting products from development through manufacturing commercialization is preferred.
• Willingness to travel periodically to customer locations, conferences, suppliers, and AGY manufacturing facilities (approximately 10-20%).

Why AGY

AGY offers the opportunity to work on advanced materials that support next-generation aerospace, defense, electronics, and industrial applications. Our R&D team plays a critical role in developing innovative technologies that create measurable value for customers around the world. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to lead meaningful development programs, work directly with customers, and help shape the future direction of AGY's advanced materials portfolio.