Adhesives and Sealants R&D Lab Technician

DuPont•Auburn Hills, MI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

DuPont is seeking an R&D Technician to support new adhesive product development at its Auburn Hills, Michigan location. The role works collaboratively with chemists, technicians, customers, and other teams to develop adhesive solutions for automotive applications, including structural and battery adhesives. Under the direction of the Group Leader, the technician leads hands-on laboratory work, supports product scale-up, verifies product quality and performance, troubleshoots technical issues, and maintains laboratory equipment, materials, and documentation. The position also involves customer-site travel when needed, daily handling of materials weighing up to 50 pounds, participation in site safety programs, and use of AI and digital tools to improve work requests, data collection, and analysis.

Requirements

Associate's degree in a science-related field.
Previous laboratory experience in an industrial or R&D environment.
Familiarity with laboratory practices and safety protocols, including ASTM and SAE specifications.
Strong technical aptitude, multitasking, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Excel.
Familiarity with test and measurement equipment.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in a science-related field.
Experience with mixers, laboratory instruments, and CNC machines.

Responsibilities

Co-develop new adhesive products and applications, including structural adhesives, battery adhesives, and other adhesive applications.
Lead laboratory work by preparing formulation plans and batches, preparing samples, conducting tests, and documenting and communicating results.
Collaborate with the Group Leader to support successful product scale-up in accordance with existing procedures and manufacturing constraints.
Ensure product quality and performance align with customer requirements and stay current with performance specifications.
Maintain assigned laboratory equipment, including calibration and documentation, and support quality audits.
Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with sales, R&D, and manufacturing teams; travel to customer sites when needed.
Prepare adhesive batches and lift or move materials weighing up to 50 pounds.
Conduct liquid-property and mechanical-property tests on adhesives and properly document and communicate results to project leaders.
Organize and maintain raw-material inventory and the laboratory environment, including cleaning and equipment calibration.
Write and maintain daily project notes, technical reports, and quality-system-compliant documentation.
Participate in site safety programs and maintain good housekeeping in assigned areas.
Champion AI and digital tools to streamline work requests, data collection, and analysis.