At our firm, we’re constantly connecting with top-tier talent across the specialty chemicals, polymers, and building products industries — and this month’s candidate spotlight is no exception.

We’re excited to highlight four exceptional professionals who bring a diverse range of expertise, from polymeric foam R&D and sealant formulation to pressure sensitive adhesive coating and commercial business development.

Whether you’re a hiring manager looking for a seasoned technical leader to drive innovation at the executive level, a versatile mid-career scientist to strengthen your product development pipeline, or a high-potential early-career engineer ready to make an immediate impact on the plant floor, this group has something to offer.

Each of these candidates brings a unique blend of technical depth, cross-functional leadership, and a results-driven mindset — and all are actively exploring new opportunities. Read on to learn more about what makes each of them stand out.

Candidate #56277 – Sr. Lead Research Scientist – Midland, MI

This is a highly seasoned industrial R&D scientist bringing over 15 years of deep expertise in polymeric foam processing, product development, and manufacturing optimization, primarily within the building solutions space. Their career has been anchored at a major chemical company where they led extruded foam reformulations and conducted fundamental research on thermal conductivity in rigid polyisocyanurate and polystyrene products. They are a proven innovator with multiple patents, industry publications, and recognition including an R&D award for sustainable foam technologies. Beyond technical prowess, this candidate excels in cross-functional team leadership and global collaborations, with a track record of scaling solutions from laboratory to plant level with multi-million-dollar business impact. Academically, they hold a PhD in Physics with a specialization in superconductors applied to materials science, complemented by Six Sigma certifications. They bring additional strengths in strategic ideation, complex problem-solving, and DE&I initiatives, making them a well-rounded leader suited for senior R&D or technical leadership roles in building products, insulation, or specialty materials companies.

Candidate #56338 – TS&D Scientist – Minnesota

This candidate is a PhD Polymer Engineer with over 5 years of focused experience in sealants, insulating glass units, and fenestration technologies. They specialize in experimental design, materials characterization, testing validation, and leading cross-functional projects that drive quality improvement, cost reduction, and innovation. Their technical portfolio includes formulating adhesives and polymers, developing bio-based solutions and bio-plasticizers, conducting market landscaping for circular economy initiatives, and implementing process enhancements with multi-million-dollar impacts across diverse end markets including building, infrastructure, packaging, hygiene, and medical. They are highly data-driven, skilled in statistical analysis, DOE, root cause analysis, technology transfer, and regulatory compliance. This candidate also brings valuable experience in supplier material qualification. They would be an excellent fit for a technical service, development, or applications scientist role at a company in adhesives, sealants, coatings, or building products where cross-market versatility and a sustainability mindset are valued.

Candidate #56076 – Process & Coating Engineer – Toledo, OH

This is an early-career Mechanical Engineer with 3+ years of manufacturing experience, specializing in pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) labels, coating, and converting at a global leader in pressure sensitive adhesive label roll stock and finished goods. They are Greenbelt Certified with strong expertise in Lean Six Sigma methodologies including root cause analysis (5-Whys, Fishbone, FMEA), CAPA implementation, SPC charts, capability studies, and ISO 9001:2015 compliance with audit support. Their accomplishments are impressive for their career stage: they have led NPD trials, waste reduction projects saving over $100K annually, productivity improvements boosting OEE and yield by 95%, equipment commissioning achieving 200% speed increases, and staff training on SOPs. They also have experience with CAD design collaborations using AutoCAD and Inventor. This candidate possesses excellent communication, analytical, and cross-functional skills and is open to relocation to a major city like Chicago. They would be ideal for a process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or continuous improvement role at a converting, coating, or packaging company looking for a high-potential talent with hands-on PSA and coating expertise.

Candidate #46931 – R&D / Business Development Leader – Troy, MI

This is a visionary senior leader with over 16 years of combined R&D and business development experience in polymer technologies, adhesives, coatings, sealants, elastomers, and specialty materials serving automotive, industrial, and packaging markets. They have a proven record of spearheading product innovations, market expansions, and infrastructure builds across North America. They excel at directing cross-functional teams of PhD chemists and technicians, utilizing Stage-Gate processes to accelerate project deliveries, turn around stagnant projects to generate $1M+ in revenue, develop new platforms with patent protection, and achieve multi-million-dollar sales through process optimizations saving $100K+ in costs. Academically, this candidate is exceptionally well-credentialed with a PhD in Polymer Science, an MBA, multiple engineering and chemistry degrees, and Six Sigma/Kaizen/ISO certifications, along with patents in security and functional tapes. This is a rare dual-threat candidate suited for a VP of R&D, Technical Director, or Business Development leadership role at a mid-to-large adhesives, coatings, or specialty materials company seeking someone who can bridge the gap between technical innovation and commercial growth.

If you or someone you know is actively looking for top talent in our industry, this is a great start. If you’d like to get in touch with any of the listed candidates, you can email me leann@centraljobs.com and I’d be happy to help or see how our specialty services could benefit your company.

Thanks!