The Sr. Engineering Manager is a highly technical, cross-functional leader responsible for creating and implementing advanced mechanical systems and materials from concept through commercialization. 
Utilize expert-level mechanical engineering, hands-on application development, and direct OEM engagement, while championing product innovation, AI-driven acceleration, and system-level design of next-generation manufacturing processes and materials.
Support commercial growth by acting as a technical expert in customer-facing engagements and executive reviews
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.

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

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

Technical Development & Product Design
•    Drive concept-to-commercialization development of complex mechanical systems, integrating design intent, manufacturability, and performance with component-level and system-level modeling.
•    Develop and validate new materials and polymers including thermoplastics, blends, and additives, leveraging hands-on processing, lab-scale trials, and strategic sourcing.
•    Utilize advanced simulation, FEA, and analytical tools to solve real-world load, thermal, fatigue, and deflection problems across structural, rotating, or precision assemblies.
•    Apply understanding of mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems to evaluate full system integration, power transmission, automation, and control response.
•    Design, specify, and oversee fabrication of complete mechanical systems and equipment lines, including layout, component selection, motion systems, structural requirements, and safety standards.
Innovation, Materials, and Technology Development
•    Lead ground-up development of new product architectures, materials, and processes, including raw material evaluation, design of experiments, and pilot builds.
•    Spearhead internal initiatives to design and commission custom manufacturing lines and tooling for proprietary processes, including extrusion, molding, machining, and assembly automation.
•    Evaluate and implement new AI-driven software tools for design automation, process optimization, root cause analysis, and accelerated material formulation.
•    Own full design, integration, and test of process equipment—defining specifications, selecting critical subsystems, and executing commissioning for new lines.
•    Collaborate with digital engineering and IT teams to train and refine in-house AI tools, predictive models, and generative design workflows.
Application Engineering & OEM Engagement
•    Serve as the technical champion in front of OEM customers—leading discussions, addressing design and performance challenges, and aligning solutions with customer expectations.
•    Develop deep partnerships with engineering teams at key OEMs, participating in design iterations, joint development projects, and troubleshooting of in-field challenges.
•    Create customized technical proposals, validation protocols, and product qualification plans for customer-specific needs across aerospace, automotive, energy, and industrial markets.
•    Deliver executive-level presentations for internal stakeholders and OEMs, translating engineering data into strategic impact, program value, and innovation roadmaps.
•    Act as a primary interface to field engineering and sales support teams, responding to customer inquiries with urgency, technical accuracy, and business context.

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.
•    Explore innovative methods that enhance production speed, reduce material waste, and optimize structural integrity. 
•    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.

Safety, Regulatory Compliance & Sustainability
•    Integrate safety considerations into mechanical system design and development, ensuring all equipment, components, and assemblies meet internal safety standards and applicable external regulations from concept through implementation.

•    Develop and enforce safe work procedures during prototyping, equipment testing, and commissioning activities

•    Promote a culture of safety within engineering and operations, actively leading design reviews with a safety-first mindset, mentoring junior engineers on best practices, and partnering with EHS teams to identify and resolve potential risks in both lab and pilot-scale environments.

Vendor & Equipment Integration
•    Select and manage vendor relationships for critical equipment, tooling, materials, and automation, including specification definition, proposal review, FAT/SAT oversight, and risk mitigation.
•    Lead joint development projects with strategic suppliers to integrate new manufacturing technologies and hardware solutions into R&D and production operations.
•    Oversee procurement and implementation of multi-million-dollar CapEx projects, ensuring alignment with project goals, regulatory compliance, and future scalability.
Project Ownership & Business Alignment
•    Manage all technical aspects of high-visibility projects including budget planning, resource coordination, timeline tracking, reporting, and final customer handoff.
•    Lead engineering gate reviews, program updates, and milestone validation across internal and external stakeholders.
•    Collaborate with commercial, product management, and operations teams to translate engineering progress into business opportunity and growth initiatives.

•    Technical Leadership: Defines and drives complex mechanical systems from concept through validation and launch. Lead design reviews, set performance targets, and ensure alignment between functional requirements, regulatory standards, and manufacturability. Provide mentorship to junior engineers on advanced design practices, CAD modeling, simulation strategies, and component selection for performance critical applications.
•    OEM & Customer Advocacy: Acts as a strategic partner to OEMs and key customers by understanding their application environment, product lifecycle challenges, and long-term performance goals. Lead technical discussions, present engineering trade-offs, and build trust through deep technical expertise and timely support. Translate customer pain points into new product requirements and innovation opportunities.
•    Innovation & Execution: Rapidly develop novel materials, custom tooling, and new manufacturing methods to deliver competitive solutions. Apply design of experiments (DOE), prototyping, and iterative validation to shorten development cycles and mitigate technical risk. Manage concurrent R&D and application programs with a balance of creativity, discipline, and urgency, ensuring that innovation is aligned to business impact.
•    System Thinking: Integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid power, and control subsystems into fully functional and scalable products or processes. Understand interdependencies between sensors, actuators, structures, and software control to optimize system behavior. 
•    Communication & Influence: Communicate technical content with clarity and strategic impact, ranging from detailed engineering reviews to executive briefings. Prepare and deliver customer-facing presentations, design justification reports, and milestone summaries that influence product direction and internal decision-making. Builds alignment across technical, commercial, and operations stakeholders to accelerate execution.

EDCUATION
Required
•    Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field
•    15+ years of experience in complex product and system design, including full project leadership
•    Advanced understanding of mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems integration
•    Proficiency in SolidWorks, MATLAB, and other related engineering software systems
•    Hands-on experience in equipment design, materials processing, and vendor integration
Preferred:
•    Familiarity with AI/ML tools for engineering optimization, design space exploration, and data mining
•    Experience with end-to-end design of capital equipment or automated production lines

• The salary range for this position is $119,700 - $149,600. 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.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status. 

 
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.