Technology Leadership Associate - 2026 Leadership Development Program Ph.D.

Job Summary

The Corporate Technology Leadership Development Program accelerates professional development by placing high caliber Ph.D. graduates on multiple Avient R&D Teams. This two year program consists of two (2) twelve-month, or three (3) nine-month rotational assignments and provides hands on roles that will help you gain experience in technology and leadership philosophy while providing technical, functional and leadership skills training. These teams develop and support a wide range of projects that enable the critical processes of Avient businesses.

Rotational assignments will vary depending on the skills of the candidate hired, and may include foundational R&D and applied product or process development directed toward any of Avient technical platforms. During each phase of their assignment they will establish relationships with peers and leaders, learn fundamentals and be provided feedback from the program manager. Upon completion of the program, individuals will be placed in a full time role within Avient that best suits their personal and professional goals and matches the business needs.

Essential Functions

• Actively interface with business and technology leaders to develop custom polymer formulations and / or processes adhering to customer specifications, quality requirements, and operational goals and standards.

• Contribute to product platform development through the application of statistical experimental design, product testing, and data analysis.

• Perform literature and patent searches to guide experimentation.

• Partner with manufacturing resources to develop test methods and establish quality controls for new materials / processes.

• Support marketing and sales through development of product and application data.

• Summarize experimental strategies and data analysis in written reports and presentations for communication with peers, customers, and various levels of management.

• Collaborate in cross-functional projects across business units.

• Develop Lean Six Sigma (LSS) capabilities.

• Build on hard and soft-core competencies through training by taking a list of coursework to develop technical, functional and leadership skills

• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Material Science or Physics, with a focus on polymer materials development, structure-property relationships, or polymer processing.

Additional Qualifications

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

• Demonstrated project management capability.

• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

• Motivated with a passion to succeed.