Lead Materials Chemist

Eaton’s IS GOLF Pride US division is currently seeking a Lead Materials Chemist. This is an onsite role, based at our location in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Relocation benefits are available to those outside of the local area.

For five generations, Golf Pride® has been the global leader in golf grips. Throughout our history, Golf Pride® has believed in the importance of developing the best performing, most innovative grips for the world’s best golfers and amateurs alike. As the only brand that touches every golfer, we are obsessed with the connectedness of the hands to the club and this inspires every Golf Pride employee in everything we do. Combine that passion with the resources of Eaton, a $20B global leader that powers businesses worldwide, and it makes for an exciting place to work.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $93750.03 - $137500.04 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What You’ll Do

Golf Pride® Grips, #1 golf grip brand worldwide, is seeking a motivated, innovative, and detail-oriented Lead Materials Engineer to join our fast-paced team, specializing in materials design and development of golf grips. The successful candidate will need deep understanding of polymer chemistry, sulfur vulcanization, and other polymer technologies for molded products. The successful candidate will need to be able to lead globally, have strong problem-solving skills, and an innovative mindset. The role offers an excellent opportunity for a role in an exciting industry in a supportive and innovative environment. The candidate will lead the organization’s Materials Center of Excellence and be expected to interact with peers both inside and outside of Eaton.

Mission: To develop new golf grip materials that address customer needs, manage the formulation portfolio, and continuously improve current formulations for cost savings, simplification, and supply security

• OEM/Retail/Continuous Improvement – improvement of current materials and/or processes for performance and cost
• New Material Development – development of new formulations from prototyping to production initiation
• Formulations – responsible for management of global formulations
• Raw Material Supply – works closely with sourcing to identify and qualify alternative and new raw materials
  
  
  

As a Lead Materials Chemist, You Will

• Demonstrate use of their unique skills and technical knowledge to lead multiple large scale projects while working with global teams.
• Perform failure analysis, investigate, and troubleshoot issues, coordinate all work within the scope and ensure projects objectives are met.
• Understand and incorporate external trends into relevant projects. Provide work leadership, auditing, consulting, and mentoring to technical staff.
• Plan & Coordinate: Work closely with other functions, including project management, to manage tasks and ensure milestone success by engaging cross-functional teams.
• Create technical reports and presentations for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead challenging technical projects and be self-directed.
• Independently perform assignments with minimal guidance and understand the business impact of different solutions.
• Communication ability and style are critical to this role.
• Innovate, invent, and secure critical intellectual property by driving patent filings and technology transfer to supporting business units.
• Apply advanced engineering principles, theories, and concepts.
• Proficient at application of appropriate tools & processes such as Design For Six Sigma or Lean.
• Recognized within the organization as an expert in several products and processes.
• Can assess trade-offs between business needs, technology requirements, and cost.
• Generate IP and publications in support of business needs.
• Define instrumentation strategies in conjunction with the test lab.
• Support Growth: Be a role model, providing technical support to junior colleagues.
• Work closely with external contributors and stakeholders (business units, universities, project partners and customers)".
• Lead engineering process improvement initiatives across multiple sites within business or across product line.
• Agile learner in adjacent technical domains.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Basic (Required) Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree with 15 years industrial experience in Materials Science, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or Chemical Engineering OR Masters degree or higher with 5 years industrial experience in Materials Science, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or Chemical Engineering
• Must be able to work in the United States without corporate sponsorship now and within the future
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications/Skills

• Strong understanding of rubber compounding, formulation development at the raw material level, and testing.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects.
• Experience in injection molding, compression molding, and additive manufacturing.
• Demonstrable industry network of peers.
• Knowledge of other polymer technologies such as thermoplastic elastomers and polyurethanes.
• Ability to travel internationally.
  
  
  

Skills

• Expertise in sulfur vulcanization, rubber processing, and effects on final material performance.
• Continuous improvement and problem-solving.
• Strong understanding of injection and compression manufacturing processes and tool design.
• Expertise in raw material qualification.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to innovate, learn new technologies, and develop new materials to address customer requirements.
• Ability to develop strategy for the Center of Excellence in Materials, plan, and execute.
• Design materials for manufacturing.
• Demonstrated high level of documentation skills.
  
  
  

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You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

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We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.