Company Overview
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Wilsonart is a world leading manufacturer and distributor of engineered surfaces with approximately $1.4b in annual revenue and a global workforce of more than 4,500. Wilsonart surfaces are used in the office, education, healthcare, residential, hospitality and retail markets. Wilsonart, operating under the Wilsonart®, Resopal®, Polyrey®, Arborite®, Laminart®, Bushboard™, Mermaid™, Shore®, Ralph Wilson®, KML®, NewLeaf®, Wetwall®, Durcon® and Technistone® brands, manufactures and distributes High Pressure Laminate, Quartz, Solid Surface, Coordinated TFL and Edgebanding and other engineered surface options. Wilsonart does business in more than 100 countries with manufacturing operations in North America, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Czech Republic.
Positioned for Future Growth
An extensive global manufacturing footprint, state-of-the-art process technologies, and scalable Global distribution capabilities provide a meaningful competitive advantage with excellent brand recognition and a reputation for product innovation and superior service which allow for strong and stable margin performance and robust cash flow conversion. We have a strong company culture and an extremely talented employee base as well as a dedicated and invested core Executive Leadership Team.
Our History
For more than 60 years, Wilsonart has honored our founders' promise to provide our customers with industry-leading products and service. In November 2012, Wilsonart became a new, independent company when Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ("CD&R") and Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) completed a transaction for the sale of ITW's Decorative Surfaces business unit. CD&R acquired a majority stake in the new freestanding business and ITW retained an ongoing ownership stake.
Founded in 1978, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is a private equity firm with an investment strategy predicated on producing financial returns through building stronger, more profitable businesses. The Firm’s partners and advisors include a combination of skilled investment decision-makers and seasoned corporate leaders from major global enterprises. Since inception, CD&R has managed the investment of more than $18 billion in 56 businesses with an aggregate transaction value of approximately $90 billion. The Firm has offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit http://www.cdr-inc.com/.
Our Mission and Values
Wilsonart is driven by a mission to create surfaces people love, with service you can count on, delivered by people who care. Wilsonart is driven by providing beautiful, hard-working, on-trend and high performing engineered surfaces for whatever you need to cover. For decades, our companies worldwide have given designers and builders the right tools for the job, no matter how specialized. Today, we bring you a portfolio of solutions, both decorative and functional, that spans retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, office, and institutional applications.
Service You Can Count On.
Wilsonart is dedicated to getting our customers what they want, when and how they want it. From a North American fleet of trucks, to strategically located distribution centers around the world, we can service the globe with our expanding range of products and services.
People Who Care.
Over 4,500 people strong, Wilsonart is made up of dedicated people who care about doing the right thing, every day. Whether it’s making a flawless sheet of high-pressure laminate, volunteering at a community house raising or sourcing sustainable materials, Wilsonart people care deeply about what they do, who they do it for, and how they do it.
Wilsonart in Temple, Texas currently has an opening for a Sr. Research Chemist/Engineer working in our R&D Team.
Wilsonart is a company on the move. An international company built on big ideas.
We are made up of exceptional people relentlessly pursuing innovation. We are proud of our company and how we serve our customers. We work hard to deserve the trust of our customers, our peers, and our planet. We are willing to talk openly about the challenges and obstacles we face; we
Position Overview:
This role will be responsible for developing scientific methods to examine how materials and chemicals interact, applying findings to engineered surface products, and experimenting with product improvements and innovations.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Acts as a domain specialist for polymer resins, for new/ existing surfacing materials and next-generation chemistry.
- Knowledge of acrylic, urethane, polyester, epoxy and silicone based Chemistries.
- Interpret cure data and selection of optimum/cost effective curing methodologies. (Heat, ionic radical and electron transfer propagations)
- Guide and mentor the formulation and testing personnel to develop polymeric composites and materials for the engineered surface industry.
- Knowledge and expertise in various polymeric materials, process engineering, synthesis, formulation, and characterization of resins and adhesives.
- Oversee the testing and data interpretation for an analytical test lab. Familiarity with FTIR, GCMS, SEM/EDAX, thermal analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA), and microscopy methods.
- Deliver engineering solutions to enable rapid transfer of technologies from research to development and thru manufacturing.
- Open Innovation, in particular working with external vendors and sustainable materials.
- Work with universities, companies, and consortium groups to lead groundbreaking research for next-generation polymers, capabilities, or processes. Identify methods to test and translate to the research process rapidly.
- Connect with product management, marketing, and various business unit teams on a global scale to deliver next-generation technology.
- Initiate relationships with customers and develop road maps and strategies for surfacing composite materials.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION:
- Masters or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Polymer, Chemical or Material Science & Engineering, equivalent combination of education and experience will be accepted.
EXPERIENCE:
- 5+ years of industry experience and a clear and established track record in material innovation, product development, and intellectual property generation
WORKING CONDITIONS
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Sitting in the same location of standing/walking; required to stoop, climb, or lift light material (10-20lbs) or equipment.
ENVIRONMENT:
Located in an indoor area with frequent exposure to mild physical discomfort from dust, fumes, temperature extremes, loud noises, and bright lights. Examples: mail clerks, material handlers and food service workers
