Senior Technical Associate - Vespel® R&D

DuPont•Wimington, DE

7d•Onsite

About The Position

At DuPont, our purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. We work on things that matter. Whether it’s providing clean water to more than a billion people on the planet, producing materials that are essential in everyday technology devices from smartphones to electric vehicles, or protecting workers around the world. Discover the many reasons the world’s most talented people are choosing to work at DuPont. Why Join Us | DuPont Careers DuPont Advanced Mobility is seeking a Senior Technical Associate to join the Vespel® R&D team at our Experimental Station site in Wilmington, DE. This role offers a hands-on opportunity to contribute to polymer research and development in a collaborative, safety-focused laboratory environment. Role Overview The Senior Technical Associate will work as part of an interdisciplinary R&D team, supporting pilot-scale polymerization and laboratory research under the guidance of a Technical Principal Investigator. This position requires strong laboratory skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work both collaboratively and independently. The role involves organic chemistry, polymer processing, materials characterization, and mechanical testing using a wide range of laboratory and pilot-scale equipment.

Requirements

B.S. degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail
Ability to learn and apply a wide variety of testing methods and laboratory instruments
Effective communication skills with the ability to prioritize, organize, and plan work independently
Demonstrated teamwork and strong interpersonal skills
Proficiency with Windows-based computer systems

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with pilot-scale polymerization and handling drum quantities of flammable materials is highly preferred
Familiarity with polymer characterization techniques and instrumentation is preferred
Experience with mechanical testing equipment is a plus

Responsibilities

Independently conduct organic reactions at both laboratory and pilot scales, including system setup, monitoring, product workup, analysis, characterization, and thorough documentation using an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN)
Manufacture polymer parts from resins through mixing, milling, pressing, and sintering; monitor processes and perform post-processing analysis and documentation
Interpret experimental findings, diagnose unexpected results, and develop recommendations for next steps
Characterize polymer structure and performance using analytical techniques such as NMR and IR spectroscopy
Learn and operate polymer and materials characterization equipment including DSC, TGA, DMA, TMA, impact, and tensile testing instruments
Maintain accurate and complete experimental records; prepare reports and present findings at team meetings
Troubleshoot, calibrate, and maintain laboratory and pilot-scale equipment; author and maintain instrument manuals and SOPs
Adhere to all DuPont safety policies and best practices, including support of Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements and maintenance of required safety documentation.
Order laboratory supplies and maintain inventories of chemicals, resins, and experimental samples.
Coordinate external laboratory testing, including proper packaging and shipment of samples in compliance with DOT regulations.
Perform physical tasks including handling flammable liquids and powders (drum quantities) and limited lifting of laboratory equipment (e.g., reactors, glassware).