Tyvek R&D Senior Scientist​/Engineer – Product Development

At DuPont, our purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. We work on things that matter, from providing clean water to more than a billion people to producing materials essential in everyday technology devices from smartphones to electric vehicles, or protecting workers around the world.

As part of the Tyvek R&D growth strategy, we are seeking a Senior Scientist / Engineer – Product Development to join our team in Richmond, Virginia. This senior‑level role combines hands‑on technical execution with strategic product leadership, delivering both near‑term results and long‑term business impact. The role is critical to translating manufacturing process capabilities into differentiated product features that meet evolving market needs.

The successful candidate will build mechanistic understanding of product characteristics and their relationship to flash‑spun nonwoven processes, contributing across the full product development lifecycle from concept through market introduction.

• Define, lead, and execute R&D programs aimed at improving the technical value proposition of Tyvek nonwoven products.
• Serve as the product technology focal point, partnering with Marketing Managers, Product Managers, and Application Technology Leaders to develop market participation strategies across existing and new product families.
• Design and execute experiments related to flash‑spinning technologies, including new polymers, polymer blends, additives, and polymer solutions.
• Formulate optimized ingredients and process conditions to support new product development.
• Identify, assess, and develop new or enhanced laboratory and pilot‑scale capabilities.
• Apply fundamental scientific and engineering principles to drive informed product development decisions.
• Develop methods to monitor product performance across multiple processing steps.
• Build mechanistic understanding of product structure, properties, and performance.
• Communicate technical findings through clear written reports and oral presentations.
• Actively create and manage intellectual property, ensuring IP is protected and leveraged appropriately for target markets.
• Monitor the regulatory and competitive landscape and develop strategic technical responses to changing requirements.
• Collaborate effectively with global, cross‑functional teams spanning technical and non‑technical disciplines.
• Partner with manufacturing, engineering, and commercialization teams to scale new processes and products to full commercial production.
• Build and sustain collaborations with internal and external partners, vendors, customers, and research institutions.
• Serve as a technical mentor and trainer, developing applied and fundamental product development expertise across the organization, particularly for early‑career team members.

This role may require up to 25% travel, depending on project needs.

• PhD or MSc in Chemistry, Polymer Science and Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related disciplines.
• Previous professional experience, preferably 5+ years in a combination of manufacturing, R&D, and/or market-facing roles (consultant, technical sales, quality or regulatory).
• Knowledge in four or more of the following areas: product development, process and/or product scale‑up, polymer processing, chemistry, physics thermodynamics, intellectual property development, quality assurance, standards development / regulatory compliance, project management.
• Consultancy experience with customers and/or clients (external preferred or internal).
• Knowledge of nonwovens manufacturing and their product performance is a plus.
• Nonwoven and/or membrane (selective barrier) product application or marketplace experience is a plus.
• Language:
  English (required), German (preferred).

DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.