Materials Scientist

Company Overview Wherever you work and whatever role you fill, when you represent the Bridgestone name you know that you are a valued teammate who is part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality.” We start by offering each teammate more than just a salary. We provide formal training, competitive performance incentives, paid vacation and holidays, healthcare packages for full-time and part-time employees, and a 401k plan to help build your future. We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they are allowed to bring their whole selves to work and know they are supported. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. We are building a team as diverse as the world we serve. So, show us what you’re made of. Show us the smart stuff, the tough stuff, the bold, beautiful and brave stuff. Because who you are is what we need. Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone Americas and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries. Job Category Engineering & Science Position Summary The Applied Research position focuses on scientific research and testing of new products and advanced materials. This position is expected to contribute to the development of new polymers for tire applications by generating structure/process/property relationships for polymers in rubber compounds. The successful candidate will be expected to develop experimental designs, conduct experiments, analyze experimental results, and communicate results with stakeholders. Responsibilities • Collaborates with polymer synthetic chemists to develop new polymers for tire applications by conducting experiments to determine performance attributes of the polymers in various rubber compounds. • Utilizes principles of design of experiments to develop structure/property relationships needed to understand the performance of new polymers in rubber compounds for tire applications and makes recommendations for optimizing polymer structures • Collaborates with tire development engineers to understand needed technology for tire compounds that meet the needs of end-use customers • Utilizes statistical analysis to understand the impact of different compositional and process variables on rubber compound properties • Develops rubber processing parameters consistent with tire manufacturing capabilities to support the commercialization of new polymers for tire applications • Contributes to efforts to secure intellectual property for the business • Coordinates efforts to support experimental tire builds and testing • Supports relationships through strong communication and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders Minimum Qualifications • Requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in polymer science, material science, chemical engineering or a similar degree and two years of experience or an advanced degree without experience Preferred Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in polymer science, material science, chemical engineering or a similar degree and two years of experience or an advanced degree without experience • Experience in applied computing skills, including statistical analysis applications (e.g., JMP, Minitab), basic programming (excel macros) • Experience with elastomeric materials and understanding of principles of polymer viscoelasticity Minimum Qualifications Typically requires a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 2 years of related experience; or an advanced degree without experience; or equivalent work experience Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Employment Eligibility If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.