**R&D Engineering Director (1990)**

+ Title:R&D Engineering Director

+ Group Company: Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials

+ Location:Mesa, AZ

Group Company:

+ Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials

Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance thermoplastic materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. The company has locations in 20 countries and more than 2,800 employees. Its specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a wide range of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. The company is continuously developing new areas of applications in close cooperation with industry leaders in a broad variety of customer markets. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Group is well prepared to further expand its market leadership position.

Supporting the vision of our holding company, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC) (http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html) , Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is committed to the realization of KAITEKI, “a sustainable condition which is comfortable for people, society and the Earth”. To realize this vision, the MCHC Group engages in corporate activities that provide products, technologies and services based on the comprehensive capabilities of the Group in the Performance Products Domain, Industrial Materials Domain and Health Care Domain, with chemistry as the basis of our activities. We jointly express and promote our commitment under the corporate brand THE KAITEKI COMPANY.

Job Purpose

Lead the R&D team in all standards of safety excellence including EHS and Compliance, cultivate a culture of personnel safety behaviors, avoidance of injuries/incidences and Regulatory, Business and Quality Compliance.

Drive the research and development strategy to advance new polymer technologies, molecular modifications, and high-performance composites, ensuring alignment with business and market needs.

Engineer thermoplastic and thermoset polymer solutions, leveraging molecular modifications such as molecular weight control, chain extenders, solid stating, and polymer blending to enhance material performance.

Oversee polymer processing, extrusion, compounding, and reactive blending to improve production efficiency, consistency, and scalability in advanced material applications.

Lead product innovation through a Stage/Gate process, ensuring technical feasibility, regulatory compliance, and successful commercialization of next-generation polymer solutions.

Utilize analytical techniques (GPC, DSC, TGA, DMA, FTIR, NMR) to assess and optimize polymer properties, ensuring reliability and market competitiveness.

Collaborate with IP strategy, patent filings, and competitive landscape assessments, fostering a pipeline of differentiated and proprietary technologies.

Work with engineering, manufacturing, regulatory, and commercial teams worldwide to integrate R&D innovations into scalable, high-performance product solutions.

Oversee material and product compliance with relevant industry standards to meet medical, aerospace, and industrial requirements.

Partner with OEMs, suppliers, and key customers to develop customized solutions, ensuring technical differentiation and commercial success in target markets.

Coach individual contributors and program managers, fostering a high-performance culture focused on technical excellence, innovation, and problem-solving.

Principal Accountabilities

**. Executive Leadership & Team Development**

+ Work with the Sr. Director of R&D Americas to develop and implement a world-class R&D strategy, integrating cutting-edge composite material developments, AI-driven design, and advanced polymer processing methodologies.

+ Direct a cross-functional team of senior engineers, R&D Engineers, and process technicians, ensuring a dynamic, high output, and collaborative culture that promotes individual responsibility with collaborative support.

+ Develop a robust innovation pipeline, driving breakthroughs in high-performance composite materials, lightweighting strategies, and multi-material integration techniques.

+ Define clear KPIs for research efficiency, commercialization success, and technology transfer, ensuring optimal ROI for R&D investments.

+ Interface with cross-regional business leaders, technology personnel and executives, providing high-level insights on disruptive material innovations, market differentiation, and revenue-generating technologies.

1. **Advanced Research & Next-Generation Product Development**

+ Lead the research and development of novel composite and polymer systems, optimizing for mechanical strength, impact resistance, fatigue durability, thermal stability, and chemical compatibility.

+ Utilize AI-driven materials informatics and high-throughput computational screening to accelerate the discovery of next-generation polymer compounds, fiber reinforcements, and nanocomposites.

+ Oversee multi-scale physics-based simulations, integrating finite element modeling (FEM), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to predict material behavior in real-world applications.

+ Utilize advanced rheology, spectroscopy, and microscopy techniques to analyze material interactions at microstructural and nanoscale levels, ensuring superior material performance.

+ Integrate bio-based and recyclable polymer alternatives, aligning R&D efforts with MCG global sustainability initiatives and circular economy principles.

1. **Market Intelligence, OEM & National Lab Engagement**

+ Establish deep technical collaborations with OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, national laboratories, and research consortia, ensuring early access to emerging technologies and government-funded innovation programs.

+ Engage with aerospace, automotive, medical, and energy sector leaders, gathering application-specific requirements for next-generation composite structures and high-performance polymer solutions.

+ Present technical findings at high-profile industry conferences, showcasing the company’s R&D leadership in composites, polymer processing, and material informatics.

1. **Advanced Process Development & Manufacturing Innovation**

+ Develop and integrate next-generation processing techniques for advanced composite and stock shape manufacturing, focusing on improving efficiency, scalability, and material performance. This includes exploring innovative methods that enhance production speed, reduce material waste, and optimize structural integrity.

+ Oversee advancements in automation, process control, and material science will be leveraged to meet evolving industry demands, enabling greater design flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability in high-performance applications.

+ Leverage digital twin technology to simulate material behavior, optimize process parameters, and enhance predictive manufacturing capabilities.

+ Develop high-precision polymer extrusion and advanced molding techniques, incorporating real-time process monitoring and adaptive feedback loops for consistent product quality.

+ Collaborate with manufacturing teams to scale up lab-scale materials and prototypes into full-scale commercial production, ensuring cost efficiency, repeatability, and high-yield manufacturing.

1. **Safety, Regulatory Compliance & Sustainability**

+ Develop and enforce world-class R&D safety protocols, ensuring full compliance with OSHA, EPA, REACH, and ISO environmental and workplace safety regulations.

+ Ensure that all material developments comply with stringent safety and regulatory standards, addressing critical performance requirements for aerospace, semicon, and medical applications as required

+ Optimize process sustainability, integrating low-energy manufacturing methods, closed-loop recycling strategies, and environmentally friendly polymer formulations.

+ Develop R&D programs that actively reduce material waste, VOC emissions, and energy consumption, aligning technology development with global green manufacturing initiatives.

1. **Intellectual Property & Competitive Differentiation**

+ Establish an aggressive IP portfolio strategy, ensuring that all novel formulations, processing techniques, and composite architectures are fully protected through patents and trade secrets.

+ Drive technology opportunities, establishing partnerships with universities, research labs, and government entities to monetize proprietary material innovations.

+ Continuously evaluate the competitive technology landscape, identifying strategic white-space opportunities for disruptive innovation.

+ Collaborate with legal teams to secure international patents, expanding market exclusivity in key global regions.

1. **Financial Oversight & Operational Efficiency**

+ Manage multi-million-dollar R&D budget, ensuring an optimal balance between early-stage research, applied development, and commercial product scale-up.

+ Optimize cost-performance trade-offs, ensuring that new material innovations provide superior performance at commercially viable price points.

+ Streamline R&D operations through digital transformation (DX), integrating cloud-based collaboration platforms, automated engineering platforms, and advanced computational modeling infrastructures.

Knowledge / Skills / Experience

+ The position requires a bachelor's degree in science or technology, Ph.D. is preferred

+ 10+ years of progressive experience and specialized training in advanced composites and polymer science.

+ Experience as a direct manager, demonstrating a strong ability to build high-performing teams and develop talent.

+ A proven track record in strategic budget planning and management.

Pay Transparency (complete highlighted sections)

+ **The salary range for this position is starting at $128,600. Factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, job-related skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and business considerations may influence base pay offered. This salary will be subject to a geographic adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.**

+ **Competitive Benefits**

+ **Benefits begin on DAY 1!**

+ **Employee Assistance Programs**

+ **Curated Self-Paced Learning & Development Programs for all Employees**

**Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCGC) and any of our subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party agencies. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or HR team. No placement fees will be paid to any firm unless specifically invited on the search by the MCGC Talent Acquisition team and such candidate was submitted to the MCGC Talent Acquisition Team via our Applicant Tracking System.**

EEO Statement

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation values diversity in the workplace, is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally recognized protected basis under applicable law.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or other applicable laws. If you require accommodation due to a disability at any time during the recruitment and/or assessment process, please contact Talent Acquisition.