Sr Engineer R & D

Owens Corning•Summit, IL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Asphalt Technology & Productivity Engineer plays a critical role in protecting and strengthening Owens Corning’s asphalt supply position. This role delivers business value by improving supply flexibility, reducing sourcing risk, supporting margin enhancement, and accelerating the qualification of asphalt sources, formulations, and process changes for internal Owens Corning Roofing needs and external Trumbull Asphalt commercial opportunities. The engineer applies material science, process fundamentals, laboratory testing, pilot-scale validation, plant trials, and data analysis to solve complex asphalt sourcing, formulation, manufacturing, and product performance challenges. The role directly supports business continuity, cost competitiveness, manufacturing reliability, and product performance by ensuring Owens Corning has flexible, technically validated asphalt supply options. The position is located at Owens Corning’s Asphalt R&D Lab in Summit, IL, with regular travel to the Science & Technology Center in Granville, OH and manufacturing plants across North America. The role works closely with the Asphalt R&D Team and partners across Asphalt Sourcing, Quality, Operations, Commercial Asphalt, Components R&D, Shingle R&D, Product Management, Legal, suppliers, manufacturing sites, and customers. Owens Corning is a leader in the building materials industry with a $4.4 billion Roofing Business operating asphalt and roofing manufacturing locations across the US and globally.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in chemical engineering, materials science, polymer science, chemistry, or related technical field
5 or more years of relevant industry experience in asphalt, petroleum, polymers, coatings, roofing, specialty chemicals, manufacturing, or related materials/process technology
Strong knowledge of material science and chemistry
Experience with process design, formulation development, material qualification, process optimization, or continuous improvement projects
Demonstrated project management skills with ability to work independently and in a team
Ability to translate technical data, risk, and clearly to technical, operational, sourcing, commercial, supplier and customer audiences
Demonstrated commitment to workplace safety: our safety stand is all accidents are preventable; safety is everyone’s responsibility and working safely is a condition of employment
Demonstrated commitment to Inclusion & Diversity: our I&D aspiration is that all employees are heard and appreciated for the value each distinct voice brings to the team; it doesn’t matter where you are on the I&D journey, as long as you are on the journey

Nice To Haves

Experience with asphalt formulation, supplier qualification, raw material second sourcing, pilot trials, or production-scale implementation
Experience using experimental design, statistical analysis, laboratory characterization, and scale-up data to make technical recommendations
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot complex issues
Innovative mindset and the agility to adapt to and mitigate risks in an ever-changing business
Customer-facing, supplier-facing, or cross-functional leadership experience in a technical business environment

Responsibilities

Lead technical evaluation, qualification, and management of asphalt supply sources, alternative materials, and supplier approval programs.
Develop and execute laboratory, pilot, and manufacturing validation plans that assess material performance, consistency, compatibility, and business risk.
Establish technical acceptance criteria, qualification protocols, and risk assessment frameworks that enable consistent supplier approval and sourcing decisions.
Improve supply security through dual sourcing, contingency planning, proactive material screening, and technical strategies that reduce single-source dependency.
Partner with Sourcing to identify, screen, qualify, approve, or disqualify raw material sources using data-based technical recommendations.
Lead plant trials from design through execution, data analysis, recommendation, and implementation to support material qualification and commercialization.
Apply principles of material science, statistical analysis, and experimental design to solve complex supply, process, and product performance challenges.
Provide technical leadership across cross-functional teams including R&D, Product Development, Process Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Procurement.
Oversee and provide technical direction for third-party manufacturing and testing activities related to asphalt materials and products.
Provide technical support for asphalt manufacturing operations, including troubleshooting, quality improvement, process optimization, and productivity initiatives.
Partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Procurement teams to resolve material performance concerns, manufacturing and quality issues, and supply disruptions.
Implement new raw materials, formulations, sourcing changes, and process improvements in manufacturing while maintaining product performance, quality, safety, and reliability.
Evaluate technical risks associated with material, formulation, and process changes and develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful implementation.
Optimize asphalt formulations and manufacturing processes to improve cost position, quality, productivity, and supply flexibility.
Analyze process, quality, and production data to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
Support product development programs by participating in project teams, technical reviews, and stage-gate processes.
Provide technical expertise to support strategic business objectives and the continued growth of the asphalt roofing business.
Represent Owens Corning in industry organizations, technical committees, standards development activities, conferences, and supplier engagements.
Build strong relationships with suppliers, industry experts, and external partners to identify emerging technologies, materials, and best practices.
Monitor industry, market, and regulatory trends and communicate relevant insights to the business and Roofing R&D organization.
Leverage external resources, partnerships, and industry knowledge to advance technical capabilities, innovation, and competitive advantage.