Lead Application Engineer, Flexible Packaging

Henkel group•Elgin, IL

4d•$105,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Henkel, you’ll be part of an organization that’s shaping the future through innovation, sustainability and collaboration. With our trusted brands like Persil®, ‘all®, Loctite®, Snuggle®, and Schwarzkopf® and our cutting-edge technologies, you’ll have countless opportunities to explore new paths and grow. This position is with our Adhesive Technologies business unit – where we empower our people to transform industries and provide our customers with a competitive advantage through adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. Dare to learn new skills, advance in your career and make an impact at Henkel.

Requirements

BS in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science/Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or similar degree/experience required; coatings-related technical background strongly preferred.
Typically, 5–10+ years of technical service, application engineering, process engineering, product development, or industry experience, with direct experience in coatings, coated substrates, converting, or flexible packaging strongly preferred.
Willing to travel up to ~60%, primarily in the USA and occasionally MX/CAN; with advance planning and support to enable sustainable work-life balance.
Hands-on experience with coating application methods and equipment, such as gravure, slot die, roll coating, rod coating, Mayer rod, reverse roll, pilot coater, laminator/coater, drying/curing conditions, coating weight control, and defect troubleshooting is highly valued.
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot coatings performance and application issues, including adhesion, wet-out, film formation, blocking, curl, appearance defects, coat weight variation, viscosity/rheology, drying, curing, and substrate compatibility.
Experience translating customer process conditions, substrate structures, and end-use requirements into practical coatings recommendations and trial plans.
Excellent people skills; able to work effectively with a range of individuals from manufacturing operators and laboratory technicians through senior management both at customers and within Henkel.
Strong organization skills with the ability to manage multiple customer coating trials, technical requests, and follow-up actions while maintaining clear documentation and communication.

Responsibilities

Acts as a trusted technical partner for customers by leading coatings-focused product and technology demonstrations, coating trials, troubleshooting, and training at customer sites, using pre- and post-trial documentation and visit reports to help customers succeed.
Serves as the technical liaison between customers and internal teams—including product development, manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and marketing—to translate application needs into actionable product, process, and customer support requirements.
Provides timely technical support for assigned regional customers, including product recommendations, substrate evaluations, complaint investigations, line issue diagnosis, and application-based problem solving.
Plans, executes, and communicates laboratory and pilot-scale requests to support customer and market projects, including coating weight, appearance, adhesion, performance, and processability assessments.
Prepares reports that summarize trial results, technical findings, conclusions, and recommended next steps, and communicates this information effectively to internal and external stakeholders.
Provides market-specific coatings expertise through customer engagement, competitive and industry awareness, and involvement in professional societies, technical networks, and industry associations.
Leads by example in Safety, completing all necessary site and field safety requirements.
Develops technical and professional skills through ongoing learning, mentoring, and participation in internal and external technical communities.