R&D Lab Technician - Plastics Additives

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow's breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people's lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations.

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R&D Lab Technician
- Plastics Additives

This hourly position is part of Milliken's Plastics Additives business, supporting new product and applications development within the R&D organization. The role executes sample preparation, plastics processing, and analytical testing, and coordinates across R&D, analytical, regulatory, shipping, manufacturing, and commercial teams. The position is located at our corporate headquarters in Spartanburg, SC. Hours of work are typically Monday
- Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, but may require work outside normal hours.

• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized lab environment and participate fully in the Milliken lab safety process
• Handle chemical additives safely; maintain accurate inventory records and shipping/regulatory compliance documents (SDS, COAs) within the digital lab management systems
• Prepare and organize incoming samples of plastic resins and other additives for testing and trials.
• Develop formulations and prototypes of plastic resins, additives, and colorants
• Operate plastics processing equipment (single/twin-screw extruders, injection molders, blending/mixing, pressure filtration) and support processing trials from material staging through sample collection and troubleshooting
• Conduct pigment/color evaluations (color spectrophotometers) and powder analyses (bulk density, particle size, flow properties)
• Measure plastic material properties (physical, thermal, optical) and execute analytical testing by GC, FTIR, DSC, MFR, and related techniques
• Execute non-standard tasks for exploratory R&D work and develop, validate, and transfer new test methods to the broader organization
• Maintain detailed, accurate data records across digital lab notebooks and work management systems (TSRs), ensuring accuracy and traceability
• Analyze data quantitatively and interpret results to draw sound technical conclusions
• Communicate results through reports; provide proactive updates, flag risks, and keep stakeholders informed across concurrent projects
• Collaborate with team members and coordinate across adjacent functions
  - Plastics Lab, Analytical, Regulatory, Shipping, Manufacturing, and Commercial - and cross-train with R&D peers to transfer knowledge and bridge role transitions

• BS or MS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Material Science, or a related technical field - OR an Associate's degree/high school diploma with ~5 years of relevant work experience in lieu of a degree
• Hands-on chemical/laboratory experience - safely handling and mixing chemicals, documenting experiments, and operating lab equipment
• Proficiency in the scientific method, critical thinking, and problem solving, with strong math/formulation aptitude
• Ability to follow SOPs and work independently as well as in a team, with strong organization and attention to detail while prioritizing multiple assignments
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Working knowledge of Copilot, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point

• 2+ years hands-on lab experience in a polymer, plastics, or chemical environment; background in the plastics/polymer industry
• Experience with plastics processing/testing equipment - twin-screw extruders, injection molding, single-screw extruders, dry-blending/compounding
• Method development/validation and statistical analysis (DOE, JMP or Minitab)
• Familiarity with SAP or other ERP systems
• LIMS or electronic lab notebook experience

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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