Director - Applications

Element Solutions Inc•Waterbury, CT

4d•$174,732 - $262,098

About The Position

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking Global Applications Director to lead application development for ActiveCopper, its next-generation copper paste and sintering platform. The position may be co-located at existing facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, or San Jose. The director leads teams responsible for internal application-process development, customer prototypes and builds, on-site customer qualifications, equipment partnerships, application reliability methodologies, and collaborative lab management. The work uses materials-science, processing, and deposition expertise alongside structured design of experiments and statistical analysis to develop a documented, optimized paste-deposition process with minimal defects and performance suitable for high-volume manufacturing and customer yield targets. The role provides technical leadership and mentoring for the Global ActiveCopper Applications Development and Qualifications teams, including managers, supervisors, engineers, and technical staff. The director establishes the technical direction for application development, supports global alignment, and partners with R&D Innovation in San Jose, Printed Circuit Board and IC Substrate experts in Waterbury, application qualification teams in Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea, and Business Development teams. The director represents ActiveCopper applications with customers and internal stakeholders and participates in global technical knowledge-sharing forums. Responsibilities include advancing ActiveCopper paste deposition from early development toward capability and deployment; developing team members and subject-matter expertise; integrating deposition processes into full board builds; directing experimental studies and customer qualifications; supporting customer technical reviews and troubleshooting; coordinating cross-functional resolution of chemistry, process, and equipment challenges; ensuring teams have appropriate metrology and characterization equipment; producing technical reports, presentations, documentation, and best-practice guidelines; and providing strategic input to the ActiveCopper business unit. Travel of up to 50% is required. The role is based at a MacDermid Alpha facility in NJ, CT, DE, or San Jose. The employer describes a collaborative, innovative work environment and offers competitive compensation, benefits, and professional growth opportunities.

Requirements

10–15 years of relevant technical experience in electronics manufacturing, materials science, or a related applications field.
Demonstrated experience leading a group of 7 or more engineers and/or scientists.
Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing employees.
Demonstrated success in a global leadership role.
Willingness to travel up to 50%.
Ability to lead and coach a team in problem-solving through experimental design and interpretation, using statistical analysis; proficiency in DOE, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
Ability to connect business strategy, customer applications, and technical knowledge to advance the company’s commercial position.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including experience authoring technical reports and delivering presentations to technical and customer audiences.
Commitment to prioritizing the safety of oneself and the team.

Nice To Haves

Likely educational background in Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering, or Materials Science.
Hands-on experience with fabrication in semiconductor, microelectronics, medical devices, printed circuitry, or materials.

Responsibilities

Lead development of the ActiveCopper paste-deposition process, optimizing quality and consistency and progressing product maturity from Early to Capable and from Capable to Deployed.
Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop Applications Managers, Engineers, and Applications Technicians; develop leadership and managerial capability among direct reports and build team subject-matter expertise.
Organize and staff the Application Qualification Team and Application Deployment Team to integrate developed deposition processes into full board builds, including preplate, sinter, post-plate, and planarization.
Ensure teams have the skills, tools, and direction to design and execute systematic studies using advanced printing, vacuum-assisted deposition, laser stencil cutting, and sinter press equipment, producing data packages for customer qualification and scale-up.
Develop the applications group’s customer communication and business acumen, and lead technical reviews and troubleshooting to help customers qualify and scale ActiveCopper on their production lines.
Foster collaboration with R&D Innovation, metrology, Business Development, and Product Management to address chemistry, process, and equipment challenges, and establish mechanisms for effective collaboration.
Ensure the Application Deployment and Application Qualification teams have appropriate metrology equipment, including cross-section, SEM, AOI, and X-ray capabilities, to characterize deposit quality, board reliability, and process performance.
Coach the organization in preparing and delivering technical presentations and reports to internal partners and external customers; author technical documentation and application-process best-practice guidelines.
Provide input to the strategic direction of the ActiveCopper business unit based on application-development results and industry best practices.
Represent ActiveCopper applications with customers and internal stakeholders, participate in selected customer demonstrations and applications, and contribute to regular global technical knowledge-sharing forums.
Prioritize personal and team safety and contribute to a culture of safety.